The 2021 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on Dec. 18 and 19 hosted more than 5,000 dogs who all competed for the coveted title of Best in Show. The competition began with each dog competing for best in their breed. Best of Breed winners then advanced to compete in the group competitions to […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2022 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, 2022. The 2022 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

What Does it Take to be an AKC Registered Breed?  The American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, and currently registers 200 breeds, representing a wide variety of sizes, colors, coats, temperaments and heritages.  A dog that has full registration with the AKC is eligible to […]

One of the earliest lessons I learned about dog training was this: Never, ever, ever train your dog when you’re in a bad mood. Initially, I thought, That’s odd. Training always puts me back in a good mood. But I ultimately realized that in order to have a joyful and successful training session, the good […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panels for the 2022 National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals and the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin. The NOHS Finals will be held […]

I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. My life as a Junior Handler did not begin with Professional Handler parents who were showing dogs every weekend. My journey started as a twelve-year-old girl passionate about dogs and a letter. I have always loved Bernese Mountain Dogs, with their breathtaking appearance and […]

We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles and honors in Agility, Coursing Ability, Fast CAT Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, Tracking, and Trick Dog. Many dogs are also having success in AKC’s Virtual Titling programs! AGILITY Agility Grand Champion (AGCH) Congratulations to these dogs who have earned the […]

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 2022 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: James (Jim) Crowley (Conformation), Linda Mecklenburg (Companion Events) and Pluis Davern (Performance). The Awards, created by AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung in 1999, are presented […]

Fifteen-year-old Reagan Wallace from St. Peters, Missouri got involved with training dogs during the pandemic. Now, she’s an active dog Agility competitor, placing third at the AKC Junior Agility Championship. In addition to Agility, Wallace and her dogs now participate in a variety of AKC sports, including Rally, Fast CAT, and Obedience. Wallace competes with […]

At only 10 years old, Addie Weger from Cameron, North Carolina is already a breeder, owner, and handler. Weger, who shows two Swedish Vallhunds – CH Hightower Au Reult Alva Elora “Eevee'' and Au Reult SD Maplewoof Master of Disaster “Valkyrie” – inspires other junior handlers to get involved and stay involved in dog sports […]

Sophia Rainna Jean Norman from Cincinnati, Ohio got started showing dogs when she was just five years old. Now twelve, she's a seventh-grader and an avid dog sports competitor with her American Eskimo Dog Sailor “CH Wintersun's Making Waves RN SNB SNE CGC TKN.” Getting Started At five, Norman started showing as part of Peewee […]

Competing with a senior dog can come with its fair share of concerns, from joints to weakened eyesight — but at nearly 14 years old, Radiance, a Shetland Sheepdog, is still moving well in Agility. In fact, she’ll be the oldest dog competing in the 2022 National Agility Championship (NAC) on April 1-3 in Ocala, […]

Tifani King of Spring Lake Park Minnesota could technically still compete as a junior. But after a successful Juniors career, she made the decision to start not just competing against adults, but to become a professional handler, where she is hired to show other people's dogs in the breed ring. For someone with a lifelong […]

For the past eight years, I have been fortunate to serve on the Board of this great American Kennel Club, the world’s strongest and most effective champion for purebred dogs and our Sport. It has been a privilege to play a role in the advancement of AKC’s mission and to be a part of so […]

Greetings everybody. A year ago, almost to the day, the American Kennel Club and our constituents had to face the grim reality of a lockdown due to an unprecedented pandemic. Incredibly, we are still grappling with this global disaster. COVID-19 has taken an unbearable toll on our Events, Clubs, Exhibitors, Handlers and Judges. But, there’s […]

Good morning. I lost my dear friend a few weeks ago. Dealing with Ron’s passing is a deeply personal experience for me. He was my mentor, a colleague, and above all, a special friend. He had an enormous capacity to give of himself. I am today, because I knew him. However, I can comfort myself […]

Natalia Backos, a 14-year-old from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, has never known a time when she didn't spend her weekends at dog shows. A proud third-generation breeder/owner/handler, Backos is following in the footsteps of her grandmother and mother, alongside her sister. Her dogs include her Parson Russell Terriers BISS GCH Panther Creek Stone Cold Sober "Boozer" and […]

Competition/Titles Update Winter 2022 We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles and honors in Agility, Coursing Ability, Fast CAT Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, Tracking, and Trick Dog. Many dogs are also having success in AKC’s Virtual Titling programs! AGILITY Agility Grand Champion (AGCH) AGCH MACH3 Up&Running A […]

Not interested in watching the Big Game this Sunday? Want a break from football? Switch the channel to ESPN to enjoy highlights from the AKC National Championship at 8 p.m. ET and highlights from the AKC K9 Detection Dog Challenge at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 13. Check your local provider for your channel. […]

Linda Brady has been involved in dog training since 1978 but nothing quite prepared her for what she dealt with in early December. A resident of Oxford, Michigan (population 3,586), she was alerted shortly after the shootings at the town high school on November 30. “You always think something like this is never going to […]

National Champion Beats Out More Than 5,000 Dogs GCHG CH Lagniappe's From The Mountains To The Bayou, a Giant Schnauzer known as “Bayou” triumphed over more than 5,000 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 18-19, 2021 […]

Emily Wentland, an 18-year-old from Ohio, got started training and showing her dogs through 4-H when she was just eight and began competing in AKC sports at 13. She and her Miniature American Shepherds and Borzoi (Woodridge's I Shot The Sheriff CD NAP OJP CGC TKE "Gunner," Shadowland's Designer Gucci Girl NAJ CGC TKE "Gucci," […]

Print a PDF of this document This document has been created for you by the American Kennel Club to help you understand the point schedule and how Grand Championship points are counted. A dog must be (1) a Champion of Record or (2) have been transferred to BOB competition based upon the owners' records of […]

AGCH MACH3 Day's Katie MXC MJC PJD PADP MFB TQX MFPB T2B4 T2BP CGC TKA owned by Alison Day of Johnstown, CO Katie, a 10-pound, All American dog and her owner/handler Alison Day are the first team in Colorado to earn the AKC Agility Grand Champion (AGCH) title. Katie, who has competed in AKC agility […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and advocate for all dogs, is pleased to announce the winners of our newest award, AKC My Canine & Me. This award honors children and young adults who are making a positive impact on the world with their dogs or achieving personal growth and […]

"There between the graves, a beautiful red fern had sprung up from the rich mountain soil. It was fully two feet tall and its long red leaves had reached out in rainbow arches curved over the graves of my dogs. ... I had heard the old legend about the red fern. How a little boy […]

On the afternoon of May 1, “Rumor” (Grand Champion Lockenhaus' Rumor Has It V Kenlyn), the German Shepherd Dog who took Best in Show honors at both the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the 2015 AKC National Championship took a grand tour of the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness of purebred dogs and […]

Shari and Kevin Curran have a very busy lifestyle in rural Texas, but somehow a charismatic Pug, named Lionel, has managed to become the centerpiece of their lives. The couple, who live on 80 acres in Canton, Texas, 60 miles east of Dallas, own horses, miniature horses, a pot-bellied pig, alpaca goats, chickens, and, of […]

Nexpa and Holly Webb had a busy week at the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog of America National Specialty in Loveland, Colo., in September 2015. On this day — the Independent Specialty — she was awarded the second highest award for female champions in the ring in a field of over 100. During the week, the […]

It’s been said that every dog-owner relationship is unique. Well, welcome to Chester and Steve Garcia’s world, which can best be summed up: better late than never. Westminster 2018 will be the pair’s first trip to America’s most iconic dog show, February 10-13, 2018, in New York City. And amazingly, they are the only entry […]