New York, NY – A Q&A between AKC Chairman of the Board Alan Kalter and Dog News’ Matthew H. Stander originally appeared in the April 11, 2014 issue of Dog News. The contents of the interview about the future direction of the AKC are reprinted here with permission of the publisher.   What steps do […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Diana Wilson and Guy Fisher have been hired as AKC Executive Field Representatives.   Wilson will join the staff May 5, 2014 in the Denver, Colorado area, while Fisher will join the staff on June 2, 2014, working out of the AKC […]

James Dok, Dr. Charles Garvin and Ronald Menaker Elected   New York, NY – At the Annual Meeting of the American Kennel Club on March 11, 2014, the AKC Board of Directors Class of 2018 was elected. The three Directors elected were: James Dok, Delegate from the Gig Harbor Kennel Club; Dr. Charles Garvin, Delegate from […]

Improvements Made to the Animal Welfare Act   New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) applauds the US Senate today for passing  a new five-year farm bill that addresses AKC concerns regarding recent regulatory changes to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regarding the redefinition of retail pet stores and licensing exemptions. The House […]

In an ongoing campaign to recognize the hard work and commitment of breeders dedicated to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs, the American Kennel Club® announced today the seven group recipients of the 2013 AKC® Breeder of the Year Award.    “The AKC Breeder of the Year Award celebrates several of AKC’s […]

"AKC Breeder of the Year" to be Announced at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando, Fla.   The American Kennel Club® announced today the seven group recipients of the 2012 AKC® Breeder of the Year Award.  The award honors breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.   […]

The American Kennel Club® is pleased to announce that 28 Junior Scholarships have been awarded to students from 19 states. The scholarships for high school, college and graduate school students range from $1,000 to $3,000 for each student. “This year’s recipients have demonstrated academic success as well as impressive AKC involvement and we are happy […]

-- Watch Reckon Defeat Nearly 2,500 Top Dogs During the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Broadcast on January 23, 2011 on ABC Television Network -- AKC/Eukanuba National Champion and New Hampshire’s Top Dog, Australian Shepherd Ch. Propwash Reckon, received an Official Commendation today from New Hampshire Governor John Lynch congratulating him and owners Leslie Frank and Judy […]

  Award Presented at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship  Debbie Butt of Toms Brook, Virginia was honored with the 2010 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for her Sporting Fields Whippets at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Sunday, December 5, 2010.  The annual award honors those breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today the launch of the Breeder of Merit program, a new initiative designed to recognize AKC’s core breeders. "The Breeder of Merit program allows the American Kennel Club to celebrate our dedicated, passionate breeders who truly are the backbone of the sport and the foundation of our organization," said […]

  The American Kennel Club® announced recently that the Detroit Kennel Club (DKC) has been named a recipient of the AKC® Community Achievement Award for using its annual dog show as a golden opportunity for public education on a grand scale. The DKC received one of three awards for the third quarter of 2007- Joseph […]

The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Lynn Meyer has been hired as an Executive Field Representative. She joins the staff on July 16, 2018 and will be based in the upper mid-west. “Lynn brings an abundance of experience to the position of Executive Field Representative, with many successful decades in the sport […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2018 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees. “The individuals that make up these breeding programs have dedicated their lives to the advancement of their respective breeds, producing dogs that are true […]

Each month, the American Kennel Club (AKC) profiles breeders to hear how they got started and learn about their breeding program and experience with AKC Marketplace. We recently spoke with Cathy Lewandowski of SoftMaple Curly-Coated Retrievers in Croghan, N.Y. Lewandowski is an AKC Breeder of Merit who has produced versatile, top-winning dogs. Lewandowski's love for […]

The AKC Breeder of Merit program was introduced in October 2010. Since that time, more than 13,000 breeders have been enrolled. The program was developed to recognize those breeders that are the foundation of our sport through their participation in various AKC events and dedication to selective breeding of healthy purpose-bred purebred dogs. The Basic […]

For more than 30 years, Mike Woodson has bred pure-bred dogs. He is an AKC Breeder of Merit, and his dogs have won many honors in conformation and performance events. Woodson often gives advice to people getting started in the dog fancy. An educator by profession, he could easily teach a course on breeding quality […]

The word kennel is believed to have originated in France to describe a pack of hounds and their housing. Today, it describes the most important environment in any breeder’s home. Once primitive man hooked up with dogs in a permanent ongoing relationship, the two learned to live together. Over the centuries, man began to construct […]

Leopards don’t change their spots, and neither do reputable Dalmatian breeders. Nothing can dampen their enthusiasm for the spotted dogs that have captured their hearts, as well as their couches. Patti Strand of Portland, Ore., has bred Dalmatians with her husband Rod under their Merry-Go-Round (MGR) affix for almost half a century. A former American […]

Molly and Michael Nye, of M&M Bloodhounds, live just outside of Charlotte, N.C. Bloodhound fanciers for close to 20 years, they are members of the American Bloodhound Club, regional Bloodhound clubs, and local all-breed and obedience clubs. They are AKC Breeders of Merit, American Bloodhound Club Breeders of Merit, and they both hold offices and […]

Butters the Beagle is all about fun and friends, and he’s quite the showman, too. No matter the venue — dog show, TV shoot, or film set — the unflappable Grand Champion is right at home. Last February, Butters and his owner, Robert Day, took a whirlwind, two-day, cross-country car trip from their home in […]

Just like the beauty-pageant queen who is a member of Mensa, the Poodle sometimes gets swept away in an unfair stereotype: These perfectly coiffed show dogs are also amazingly smart and versatile. Nicole Sugai of Targa Poodles in Saline, Michigan, knows that firsthand: A second-generation Poodle breeder together with her mom Patti Jason and sister […]

Most of us put our all into producing fabulous puppies. We select breeding stock with care, emphasizing things like health clearances and temperament. We raise our pups in enriched pens and feed the best nutrition we can to sires, dams and pups. Yet we may be overlooking the importance of a key period in puppy […]

Lisa Gaertner of Pinecliff Cockers is a lifelong New Jersey resident and has owned Cocker Spaniels for the past 30 years. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit, member of the American Spaniel Club, treasurer of the Keystone Cocker Spaniel Club, and board member of the Cocker Spaniel Club of New Jersey. In addition to […]

Dog lovers all over the US have reason to celebrate news from the NAIA, which reported recently that the number of dogs entering US shelters has dropped significantly over the past few decades to new lows. Digging deeper into the matter, NAIA also learned that only about three percent of dogs in our country’s shelters […]

Guest columnist Patricia Johnson has bred, handled, and owned Best In Show Boston Terriers for 35 years. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit, an “AKC Gazette” breed columnist for Boston Terriers, served on her local animal advisory board for 9 years, and authored a pet disaster plan for her city. She owns Pat’s Grooming […]

You’ve probably heard the philosophical question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” AKC club members may wish to ponder a similar question, “If your club does great things for dogs, do your lawmakers know?” Positive publicity in the media and in […]

The AKC Government Relations team continues to monitor Congress for issues of interest to dog owners. Visit our 2017 Legislation Tracking page and click on “US Fed” on the map to get the latest updates on federal bills currently being monitored by the AKC. Highlights of issues we are currently addressing on the federal level include: House […]

Education is paramount to the AKC’s mission. Through education, we preserve history, stay relevant to the needs of today’s dog owners and fanciers, and invest in the future health and well-being of dogs, dog sports, and the human-canine relationship. The AKC recognizes and appreciates the enormous contributions that Parent and All-Breed Clubs give to the […]

In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]

In its ongoing pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our very best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a […]