Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death among women, but could pets be part of the solution? A recent study by the American Heart Association finds that dog ownership is associated with a 33% lower risk of death for heart attack survivors and a 27 percent reduced risk of death for stroke survivors. To […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2020 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2020. The 2020 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

There seems to be no shortage of fun-filled adjectives to characterize the Barbet, one of two dog breeds earning full American Kennel Club recognition on January 1, 2020. For starters, try playful, quirky, goofy, clownish, and loving. According to the biggest Barbet boosters – longtime Barbet Club of America (BCA) officers – "loyal" and "smart" should […]

Grooming is an important piece of the puzzle to consider when owning a fluffy dog. Whether your dog is short-haired or long-haired, it's important to maintain a healthy coat by regularly brushing, grooming, and bathing to control shedding. This is especially important for dogs with fluffy coats. Grooming routines for some dogs can be done […]

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 […]

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. […]

Look at Me! By Mara Bovsun for AKC Family Dog, September/October 2019 Issue Look-At-Me-AKC-Family-Dog-Sept-Oct-2019 Printable Version Digital Version Directions: Read and Annotate. Then answer the questions below. Next to your answer, provide the paragraph number that supports each answer. 1. How did Winky’s performance in the Agility Championship compare with the winning performance? a) Winky was […]

We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles in Agility, Coursing Ability, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, Tracking and Trick Dog. Big congrats to the first All-American to earn the Scent Work Masters title and the seventh All-American to earn the Obedience Trial Championship! AGILITY Master Agility Championships (MACH)  Multiple Master Agility […]

The AKC currently registers 200 dog breeds. The chart below lists all AKC recognized breeds and the year they first became registrable with the AKC.  DATE – BREED 1878 – Pointer  1878 – Retriever (Chesapeake Bay)  1878 – Spaniel (Clumber)  1878 – Spaniel (Cocker)  1878 – Setter (English)  1878 – Setter (Gordon)  1878 – Setter […]

Health is always a key concern for a new puppy owner. Your puppy buyers look to you as a trustworthy source of information when it comes to their new pet and might have questions ranging from puppy-proofing their home to general health. Here are a few common questions puppy buyers might have, as well as some advice that might come in handy for first-time […]

Rebecca Stern grew up surrounded by dogs. But when she found herself in New York City after college with no pets in her life, she started looking for a way to spend more time with animals. At the same time, she was looking to explore new ideas for a documentary film. From the very beginning, […]

Breed 2018 Rank 2017 Rank 2016 Rank 2015 Rank 2014 Rank Labrador Retrievers 1 1 1 1 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 2 2 2 2 Golden Retrievers 3 3 3 3 3 French Bulldogs 4 4 6 6 9 Bulldogs 5 5 4 4 4 Beagles 6 6 5 5 5 Poodles 7 7 […]

It’s good to be King. On Feb. 12, the Wire Fox Terrier Grand Champion Kingarthur Van Foliny Home was crowned Best in Show at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, presented by Purina® Pro Plan® at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The victory was nothing if not dynastic: Wire Fox Terriers are the […]

For two years and three months, Zuri was a model young dog — outgoing with zero negative reactivity. But one day, Anita Ambani found herself with a frenetic young Bolognese and no clue what was triggering the drastic change. Add to that, Zuri is the first dog she has owned, and a non-traditional one at […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2019 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019. The 2019 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes […]

After four days of competitions at the Palm Springs All-Breed Dog Show in Indigo, California, two dogs were awarded Best in Show on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Saturday's All-Breed Dog Show Results Saturday's Best in Show winner was the Wire Fox Terrier, "GCHB Kingarthur Van Foliny Home," (also known as King) handled by Gabriel Rangel, […]

Thousands of dogs will start 2019 off by traveling to the Kennel Club of Palm Springs Dog Show at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California. Whether you’re attending in person (it’s free!) or watching from your home, here are three competitors on why they started showing dogs. Make sure to tune in to the […]

The top 10 owner-handled dogs from each breed came to compete at the AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals on December 15. After intense competition at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canine, the Best in Show honors went to GCHG CH Lamz Strike A Pose RN CAA CGC TKN, a Bedlington Terrier known affectionately as […]

The AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals Best in Show honors went to GCHG CH Lamz Strike A Pose RN CAA CGC TKN, a Bedlington Terrier known affectionately as “Vogue” owned and handled by Gabrielle Gilbeau and bred by Laurie Zembrzuski & Gabrielle Gilbeau. The 2018 NOHS Finals Best in Show winner was crowned by […]

Whether you want to challenge your general dog knowledge or are simply looking to pass the time with cute dog questions, we've got you covered with our quizzes. Guess the Breeds From Puppy Pictures! Just like humans, a dog’s appearance can change throughout their lives. Some breeds look very different as puppies than they do […]

Many breeders design holiday cards and send them out digitally or via “snail mail” to puppy buyers, friends, and family. Holidays are a great time to get in touch with your puppy owners and thank them for giving wonderful homes to your special pups. We thank these breeders for sharing their cards and hope they […]

The following breeders have met the requirements for the Breed and Levels recorded at the time of the application. The American Kennel Club is pleased to recognize these breeders for their contribution to the sport and maintaining the tenets of the Breeder of Merit program. (current as of  1/22/24, last updated 1/24/24) [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Platinum"] […]

Linda Facci (aka "The Dog Felterer") is a perfectionist — and it shows in her amazingly realistic felt dog replicas. A remark such as, "I love your work, but this is creepy!" is not unusual for the self-taught artist to hear. Based in Manhattan, Facci keeps a busy schedule, with her 9-to-5 job as creative […]

At first glance, Razzberry the Bichon Frise and Henry the Spinone Italiano don’t appear to have much in common: Razzberry is a toaster-sized ball of snowy white hair with an unnatural hostility to leather footwear. Laidback Henry, by contrast, looks like the famous big dog Benji and swoons at the sight of beef jerky or pigeons. But what these […]

A full crowd at Madison Square Garden watched as seven incredible canines stood in front of the 2018 Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show judge, Mrs. Betty-Anne Stenmark, on Feb. 13. As Stenmark pointed at Flynn, the Bichon Frise, his owners went wild in the stands. After competing against 11 other Bichons, Flynn won Best […]

The AKC classifies the Bichon Frise’s bark level as “barks when necessary,” but the way things went last night at the 142nd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Show, there was plenty to bark about. Flynn, the winner for the Non-Sporting Group earned the coveted title of Best in Show at the 2018 competition, which came to a head Tuesday […]

After two long days of breed judging at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the best dogs came out to compete in their respective groups. A grand audience at Madison Square Garden watched closely as these beautiful dogs made their way around the ring. Here are the winners for 2018.   Hound Group Winner GCHG CH Belisarius JP My […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2018 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16, 2018. The 2018 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes and will also […]

The Road to Orlando: All-American Dogs at AKC Junior Agility Competition The AKC Junior Agility Competition will be held Dec. 15 as part of the AKC Agility Invitational in Orlando, FL. Young people get the opportunity to compete with their dogs in a national setting. We will be spotlighting youth who are competing with All-American […]

The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Program was established in 2006 to provide each AKC Member Club with an embossed AKC medallion to award on a yearly basis as an ongoing effort to celebrate its volunteer club members. This award honors those individuals who deserve special recognition that have made a difference in the Sport of […]