This Border Collie has a brand new toy that he just loves to play with. The only problem is... it's not a toy at all. It's an apple. Hey, they say "an apple a day..."   .video-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 30px; height: 0; overflow: hidden; } .video-container iframe, .video-container object, .video-container embed […]

Everyone knows Lassie, the brave Collie who guarded the little farm boy, Timmy Martin, with her life. Week after week, Lassie dragged her trouble-prone charge from the brink of disaster. From her very first incarnation, in Eric Knight’s classic Lassie Come Home in 1940, her name—and her breed—has been synonymous with intelligence, courage, love, and […]

If you love Lassie, you’d have been in heaven over the weekend of August 15, when 200 Collies converged on a little town in New Jersey for the annual celebration of the breed at Sunnybank, the home of Albert Payson Terhune. The author of Lad of Sunnybank and dozens of other books featuring unforgettable Collies, […]

In 1990 I walked into an indoor arena at the CCA national specialty with my Collie Perry and tried something we’d never done before, we’d entered the Herding Test level of one of the very first AKC Herding Trials. Neither one of us had ever even seen sheep before! The judges helped us out, and […]

Dog people have their own language, but we often take the meaning of the words for granted. Most of these words were originally the vernacular of stockmen. Everyone understood what “conditioning” meant, since farmers conditioned horses, dogs, and barnyard animals for pragmatic reasons. Today, however, most dog-sport competitors come with little or no experience in […]

  The American Kennel Club was disappointed to learn about the mistrial in the animal cruelty case against defendants Jon Harman and Athena Lethcoe-Harman in Shelby, MT, involving more than 150 Collies. Along with dog lovers across the country, we hope the case will be resolved and that justice will be served in the impending […]

The letters at the beginning and end of a dog's registered name are titles which are accomplishments the dog has earned. Learn more about what titles mean.

After an action-packed weekend, the 2024 Masters Agility Championship at Westminster, a winner has been crowned.

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce the winners of the recently concluded sixth season of the AKC Agility League. Team champions were named in each of the eight divisions. The AKC Agility League is sponsored by Purina Pro […]

Jackson Harris (14-years old) of Oswego, NY got involved with conformation around the same time he began homeschooling. His brother soon followed.

What makes your dog's coat long, short, straight, curly, wiry or silky? Most coat types are determined by genes at just three genetic locations.

Over 1000 dogs participated in the 2024 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMOVE to show off their skills as America's top Agility dogs.

The top Agility dogs in the nation were crowned from an overall combined entry of 1,330 competitors at the AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMOVE. The high energy competition was held March 14-17 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, GA. “We had a stellar competition this year,” said Carrie DeYoung, Director […]

AKC Group Standards Download AKC approved breed standards by complete group for use on any portable electronic device. Sporting Hound Working Terrier Toy Non-Sporting Herding Misc. Judges Study Guide No single written guide is ever comprehensive enough to be the only learning tool utilized in preparation for judging a new breed. We urge you to […]

The spotlight shines on a special team composed of all Junior Handlers and Australian Shepherds – the Wiggle Butt Crew. The team, which competes in Regulation Senior, is based at Ashley’s Dog Sports in Jacksonville, FL. Dog trainer and mother Ashley Escobar coaches this cute and talented bunch. She tells us more about the team […]

Based on American Kennel Club registration statistics, we rank the most popular dog breeds in America each year. The French Bulldog takes the No. 1 spot!

The AKC Lifetime Achievement Awards were created to recognize those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of purebred dogs on a national level. The recipients were selected by votes cast by AKC Member Clubs for nominees in each of the following categories: Conformation, Companion Events and Performance Events. The American Kennel Club […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs is proud to announce the winners of the 2023 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: Michael Canalizo (Conformation), Curt Curtis (Companion Events) and Laurie Soutar (Performance). The Awards, created by AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung in 1999, are presented in […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="2024"] Below you will find recording links and resources for webinars that aired in 2024. Once you click the recording link, you will be asked to enter your name and email address in order to access the recording. Review and FAQ's on Conformation Judging Procedures, Policies and Guidelines Tuesday, January 16, 2024 View […]

Meet Sierra Hagar: A Dog Sports Enthusiast Name: Sierra Hagar Age: 15 Hometown: Council Bluffs, Iowa Grade: 10th Family: Jennifer Vincent, Great Aunt/Guardian, and Aiden Hagar, brother Sierra belongs to a family that is all about dog sports. From early childhood she has helped out at flyball tournaments, disc events, scent work trials, and more. […]