From the Miniature Schnauzer to the Scottish Terrier, explore six dog breeds with distinctive facial hair and signature expressions.

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is pleased to recognize its affiliated dog clubs which have been holding AKC events for over 100 years and are an essential part of the sport of dogs. Airedale Terrier Club of America Japanese Chin Club of America Airedale Terrier Club of New England Kennel Club of Buffalo American Chesapeake […]

Accepted in 1908, the German Shepherd Dog overtook the Boston Terrier in 1925 and became the number-one dog of the 1920s. The breed then disappeared from the top ten until after World War II, when it reemerged as the number-six dog of the 1950s and has remained among the most popular breeds to the present […]

The Collie, on a continual climb since its number-seven position in the 1880s, became the number-one breed of the first decade of the new century. The breed ranked in the top ten breeds for seven decades of the 20th century. The number-two breed of the decade, the Boston Terrier, became the first small companion dog […]

Even though we give our dog a name, many times we also give them a nickname, as well. "Sammy" gets shortened to "Sam," for example. Similarly, Labrador Retrievers are often called Labs, just as Golden Retrievers are called "Goldens." But did you know that some breeds have special nicknames? These nicknames were crafted especially for […]

Every year prior to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the general public is given the opportunity to meet (and more importantly, play with!) over 100 different dog breeds at AKC Meet the Breeds, brought to you by Purina® Pro Plan®. This year's event certainly didn't disappoint, featuring individual booths that were not only elaborate […]

New York, NY- The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization that is the world’s largest registry of purebred and mixed-breed dogs, and a leading voice for canine welfare and responsible ownership, is pleased to recognize extraordinary breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2025 AKC Breeder of […]

Pug 'Louis' was the first Pug to get his AKC Rally Championship title. He recently competed at the first AKC RACH Invitational in Orlando, Florida.

The National All-Breed Puppy & Junior Stakes is a competition created especially for purebred dogs aged 6-18 months (Puppies 6-12 months/Juniors 12-18 months). The event is open to all AKC-registered breeds, including Miscellaneous breeds, and provides an opportunity for breeders and exhibitors to showcase their breeding program. This event creates a standalone moment in the […]

Necessity is the mother of invention, the saying goes. And no dog illustrates that better than the Black Russian Terrier. This relatively new breed – barely two decades in the making – was developed after World War II, when Europe was divided into two geopolitical spheres: the Western bloc led by the United States and […]

Hoping to meet a specific dog breed when you visit AKC Meet the Breeds during AKC National Championship in Orlando? Or maybe you just want to meet them all! Don't miss a single wag or woof with this list of breeds that will be in attendance at the 2019 show. Get your tickets now. Dog Breeds […]

The Black Russian Terrier is large, majestic, and even a little mysterious, especially when all that hair is hiding his eyes. But there's no mystery behind where this breed came from. Here are five interesting facts about the Black Russian Terrier: 1. This Is a Very New Breed The Black Russian Terrier (BRT) has been […]

How exactly do lost dogs find their way home from so far afield? New research from the Czech Republic might hold the answer.

Hoping to meet a specific dog breed (or cat breed), or do you just want to meet all 150+ breeds? Find your favorites on our list of breeds so you won't miss a single wag, whisker, or woof! They'll all be there to meet you at the January 25-26, 2020 AKC Meet the Breeds event. […]

Jane Kamp Forsyth—breeder, handler, all-breed judge, AKC Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and towering figure on the international dog-show scene—died on July 3. She was 86 years old. “The entire American Kennel Club mourns the loss of Jane Forsyth, and we send our condolences to Bob and Sioux,” AKC President/CEO Dennis Sprung says. “Janie was an inspiration […]

Long before smushface" and "wigglebutt" became the ubiquitous dog monikers, these seven breeds were given nicknames crafted specifically for them.  the Clown Prince of Dogs At various times devotees of at least a dozen different breeds have claimed this title for their dogs. But to our knowledge only one group of fanciers has incorporated canine clowning […]

AKC Canine Health Foundation reaches out to owners of several breeds for participation in important genetic studies. Your dog can help researchers make advances in the study of many canine diseases. Participation is currently needed in the following trials and studies: Immunolight Therapy Clinical Trial for Canine Malignancies Dr. Michael Nolan and his team at […]

Among the marvels of human ingenuity is the way various breeds of dog were developed, mentally and physically, to tackle specific jobs. Consider the farmer’s eternal war against rodents and other burrowing mammals that devastate grain stores, raid henhouses, tear up fields, dig away riverbanks, and carry disease. As their number-one weapon in subterranean warfare, […]

Whether you learned about it in history class or, at the very least, from the iconic movie of the same name, there are very few people who don’t know the story of the RMS Titanic, the luxury ocean liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912. More than 1500 people died […]

Showing dogs is a fun sport where the thrill of competition is combined with the joy of seeing beautiful dogs. Dog shows, or conformation events, originated as a way for breeders to evaluate their breeding stock. While the purpose remains, dog shows are a great opportunity to socialize with people in your breed and develop […]