If you are a pet owner who has taught your dog to sit, stay, heel, or perform any manner of tricks, you owe it all to Blanche Saunders. Poodle breeder Helen Whitehouse Walker became taken with the Obedience trials she saw conducted in England in the 1930s. She soon committed to establishing the practice in […]

Dog Breed Health Testing Requirements Listed below are all AKC breeds and their health testing requirements. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Affenpinscher Ophthalmologist Evaluation Patella Evaluation Afghan Hound Hip Evaluation Ophthalmologist Evaluation Thyroid Evaluation Airedale Terrier Hip Evaluation Cardiac Exam Renal Disease DNA Test Ophthalmologist Evaluation Akita Hip Evaluation Ophthalmologist Evaluation Alaskan Malamute Hip Evaluation Ophthalmologist Evaluation Polyneuropathy DNA test American […]

The regal Chow Chow has a fascinating history and many unique features. But did you know that they have blue-black tongues? Read on to learn more about this breed.

It was an exciting first night of the 2016 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show presented by Purina® Pro Plan® on Monday, Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York, as winners of the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding groups were named. CH Belisarius Jp My Sassy Girl, aka "Lucy," a 3-year old Borzoi won the […]

BGs: How Deep Is Your Love? Callie is a 1-year-old Brussels Griffon living in Marlow, New Hampshire, with her owner Karin Strickland. Karin had recently lost her 13-year-old Boston Terrier, Sammie, and she knew she needed another dog in her life. After becoming enamored with BGs last year, Karin found a responsible breeder, and soon […]

More than 60 All-American Dogs will compete in the 2018 AKC National Agility Championship, which is right around the corner. The event takes place March 23 – 25 in Reno, Nevada. There is a total of 917 entrants. To qualify, dogs must have earned seven double Qs, meaning they must have qualified in both Masters […]

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. […]

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 […]

The 2026 AKC Diving Dogs Premier Cup aired on ESPN2. See which dogs took top honors in Distance and Air Retrieve.

Winners of the 2023 AKC Agility Invitational were crowned! The event was broadcast on ESPN2 on December 24. See winners in all divisions here.

When kids go on a campaign to get a dog, they’re in it to win it. They’re not going to let up until they’re zooming around the back yard or curled up on a club chair with a furry four-legged fido. So you may come to realize that it’s time to add a canine to the […]

Here's what you need to know about dog skin cancer in dogs to help you understand your dog's possible condition. Learn the symptoms and treatment options.

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 […]

ESPN is going straight to the dogs in the best way possible. On August 26, the American Kennel Club is proud to participate in ESPN Dog Day for the second time, with dog sports broadcast live on ESPN2 and the ESPN app. What better way to spend a hot August day than by watching dogs […]

Although dogs don't get hemorrhoids, they can have problems with their anus and rectum, just like people can. Learn what signs to watch for.

Every sport has had its great ones. And the sport of dogs had Alva Rosenberg. Excruciatingly modest and correspondingly revered, Alva Rosenberg was, and arguably still is, the most respected judge in the history of dog shows in America, and perhaps the world. Even the British, who invented the conformation game and have no tendency to […]

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!

From Atlanta to West Palm Beach, here are the most popular dog breeds in each city based on the 2022 rankings from the American Kennel Club.

The country’s top breed of the 1990s, the Labrador Retriever, continues in its popularity to this day. The Rottweiler, accepted by the AKC in 1931, makes its first appearance in the decade’s top ten as the number-two breed, the highest ranking of any first-timer on the list (since the Boston Terrier in the 1900s). The […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world's largest dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce the winners of the Companion Animal Law Writing Contest. The contest was open to all students currently enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school and offered a first-place prize of $2500 and a second-place prize of $500. […]

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 has released registration statistics for 2025. Who will be crowned the most popular breed?

For the past 35 years, we have had the great pleasure of spending most or all of the summer at Cape Cod, MA, with our many generations of Golden Retriever and mixed-breed dogs.  As we near the salt water, the dogs always sniff the air and eagerly look out the window at the many salt […]

For purposes of imposing a consistent format at dog shows, the AKC family of breeds is divided into seven groups. The hounds, terriers, and toy dogs each have their own group. The herding dogs that move livestock are grouped together, and so are the big working dogs that pull, protect, patrol, and do other heavy work. Likewise, sporting dogs, […]

When you see dogs with cloudy eyes, it may be a natural part of the aging process. But cloudy eyes in dogs can also be a symptom of eye problems.

An icon of overcoming adversity, Helen Keller had a lifelong love of dogs and owned many. She's credited with bringing the first Akita to America in 1937.

Canine Good Citizen®, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy® and/or AKC Community Canine℠ An AKC club near you can provide you and your dog with training classes and testing for AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, CGC and AKC Community Canine. You will be able to earn official AKC titles in Canine Good Citizen (the "CGC" title) and AKC Community Canine […]

If your dog is elderly, has lost some mobility, or is recuperating from surgery or ailment, he might have trouble getting around. And if you have a breed of tiny stature, like the Papillon or Shih Tzu, or one that has difficulty in extreme weather, like the Bulldog or Pug, you may think you'll have […]

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 […]

The 13th annual AKC Rally National Championship has crowned its winner! This year marks the 21st year of the popular sport.