Salishan Tibetan Terriers, in Tolland, Connecticut, was founded by Gary and Susan Carr. They began exhibiting Tibetan Terriers in 1975 and breeding them in 1979. The Carrs became AKC Platinum Breeders of Merit, and their kennel has produced some of the top show dogs in the country. Their dogs have earned more than 300 AKC Championships and Obedience titles. In […]

As a child with a passion for dogs, constantly bringing home the strays that crossed her path, Sylvia Calderwood read every book written by Albert Payson Terhune, the beloved author who was also a renowned Collie breeder. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that her heart was eventually captured by the Shetland […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2021 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees. “It is our pleasure to honor this group of esteemed breeders,” said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “These individuals have made important contributions […]

Deb Kidwell -Taylor lives in Sweetwater, TN, on three acres of fields and woods with her husband Ron and five Azawakh. Originally from Virginia, Deb has had Azawakh since 1989. She also raises super tall chickens known as Asian Fowl, jokingly calling them the “Azawakh of chickens.” She is an AKC Breeder of Merit and […]

Originally appeared on dogcanceranswers.com, where Dr. Jerry Klein was asked to be part of a podcast discussing the responsible ways to get a dog. Dr. Jerry Klein, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the American Kennel Club, joins Dog Cancer Answers to discuss things to look for when choosing a breeder to increase the odds of […]

AKC Breeder of Merit Debarah Billings hails from Bristol, Tennessee. Her breeding program and Windsong Biewer Terriers began in 2009. Her goal was and continues to be breeding for improvement as well as promoting the Biewer Terrier.   AKC: How did you get started in breeding dogs? Debarah: After retiring in 2008, I started my […]

Kathy Clayton lives on 867 acres of wooded land in South West City, MO, at the corners of Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit - Gold and has bred Chitawee French Bulldogs  for 28 years and is a National French Bulldog Club of America nominee  for the AKC Sportsmanship Award. […]

Dori Anderson, an AKC Breeder of Merit and preservation breeder of Outbackred Australian Terriers, lives in Hartford, Wisconsin. Established in 1983, Outbackred produces show quality Aussies with a focus on temperament, conformation, and structural soundness for future generations. They have produced many AKC Champions.     AKC:  How did you get started in breeding dogs? Dori: […]

For 15-year-old Allison Chism of Ocala, Florida, there has never been a time that she hasn't been at dog shows. "I've loved being able to grow up and watch my mom, sister, and my grandmother succeed, which has given me the inspiration to follow in their footsteps," she says. Chism officially stepped into the ring […]

Nancy Wargas lives in Simpsonville, SC, where her primary focus is loving her seven Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, two cats, chickens and a parrot. She has raised Quarter Horses, sheep, goats, chickens and Anatolian Shepherd Dogs on Long Island, NY, and in Rowland, NC. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit, who has bred Anatolians since […]

Tuxedos are usually reserved for formal affairs, but Brittany Cipriotti of Warrenton, Virginia, lives with that striking black-and-white pattern day in and day out. Under her Ellenni banner, she breeds mantle Great Danes with her mentor and co-breeder Kristi Allison of Blackstone Great Danes, as well as similarly patterned but more vertically understated Boston Terriers. That’s not to say this Silver Breeder of Merit is monochromatic: Cipriotti also breeds fawn and brindle Danes with Marion Clark of […]

Volunteers may soon be seen throughout Colorado collecting signatures to put a measure on the November 2022 ballot that they will claim will protect animals in the state. The American Kennel Club joins many other animal welfare, livestock and animal husbandry groups in expressing grave concerns and opposition to the proposal. We urge all dog […]

Kalamals Kennel is a family-run show kennel in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where Eric and Julie Kalamaja have been cherishing and sharing their lives with their beautiful Alaskan Malamutes since 1988. Their focus is on health, temperament, longevity and total well-being, producing happy and affectionate companions, as well as champion show dogs. AKC: […]

AKC Breeder of Merit Stephanie Mazzarella has had Xoloitzcuintlis for 30 years. She and her husband live on seven acres outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and have a home in Florida as well. She has produced many AKC and international champions and trained Xolos as service dogs. Many Amoroso Xolos are also serving as therapy and […]

There are two kinds of breeders: Those who think that the history of their breed commenced with their arrival, and those who understand that they are part of a larger, grander tapestry.  John Buddie of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, is one of the latter.  A retired schoolteacher and the 2015 AKC Herding Breeder of the Year, Buddie has been rearing his Tartanside Collies for 55 years – and counting. Starting […]

Jean Tuggle and Emily Foster became friends after they each got a Black Russian Terrier from the same breeder. They lived in the same area, and a mutual love of the breed led to a partnership in a breeding program. Jean has called many places home, being from a military family (she was born in […]

–Award Presented at AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin – Gail S. Wolaniuk and Joan E. McFadden were presented with the 2020 AKC Breeder of the Year award for Unique Standard Poodles at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on Sunday, December 13, 2020.  The annual award honors those breeders who have […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2020 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees. “We are proud to honor these esteemed breeders,” said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “Each of them has made important contributions to the […]

Joseph and Brenna Carlisle are AKC Breeders of Merit Bronze and AKC Bred with HEART breeders. Their kennel, Heritage Hounds, is located on about 80 acres just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Brenna has bred and shown Standard Longhaired Dachshunds her whole life, and Joseph has bred Treeing Walker Coonhounds and competed in competition hunts with […]

AKC Breeder of Merit Kym Burch-Ryan has raised and shown Australian Shepherds since 1993. She lives on a 20-acre farm in Roxbury, Kansas. Her daughter Brandi shares her passion for the breed; she has shown Aussies since she was 8 years old. Kym’s younger daughter, Hadlei, is also now showing Aussies. AKC: How did you […]