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 […]

The following breeders have met the requirements for the Breed and Levels recorded at the time of the application. The American Kennel Club is pleased to recognize these breeders for their contribution to the sport and maintaining the tenets of the Breeder of Merit program. (current as of  7/16/26, last updated 7/17/26) [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Platinum"] […]

For the complete requirements for eligibility, download the Special Registry Services booklet on the Rules and Regulations page. You may also find helpful information by visiting our Frequently Asked Questions. Foreign Dogs may be eligible for registration in the AKC Stud Book, provided: The dog is of a breed eligible for individual registration in the […]

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. […]

Fitness Training Basics This month’s tip is contributed by Courtney Holscher, a rehabilitation and acupuncture veterinarian in South Carolina. Courtney is also an agility competitor, who started in the sport in 2003 at the age of 11 with her Cocker Spaniel. She has also run an Australian Shepherd and currently competes with her All American […]

Don’t let stress keep you from doing your best By Jordan York This issue’s training tip is from Jordan York, who lives in Southern Indiana with three dogs: a 9-year-old All American, Moses; a 4-year-old Border Collie rescue, Nile; and a 7-month-old Border Collie puppy, Capture. Jordan is a registered nurse and works as an […]

Key to Success: Keep It Fun! This issue’s training tip is contributed by North Carolina resident Kelley Ferguson, who has trained dogs in agility and flyball since 2012. She has trained many different breeds including a Miniature American Shepherd, Border Collies, and All Americans. Her All American, Daffy, always had the best time barking with […]

Monday, March 30 Welsh Springer Spaniel Tuesday, March 31 Belgian Laekenois Wednesday, April 1 Ibizan Hound Thursday, April 2 Puli Friday April 3 Airedale Terrier Monday, April 6 Sloughi Tuesday, April 7 Affenpinscher Wednesday, April 8 Lagotto Romagnolo Thursday, April 9 Rottweiler Monday, April 13 Finnish Spitz Tuesday, April 14 Welsh Terrier Wednesday, April 15 […]

Meet Keslyn Kampschroeder: From Basic Training to Competing in Portugal Keslyn began training her family’s dogs at an early age. When they brought home a rescue who urgently needed help with his manners, Keslyn got busy right away. This led to an interest in dog sports, and watching Crufts Agility competition inspired her to get […]

Meet Madelyn Pelzer: Planning a Career in Dogs Madelyn began training dogs as a child and has been hooked on agility since she was about 14. She has participated in the AKC Agility League and is aiming for titles with her All American Dog, Aspen. She is looking forward to trying other dog sports and […]

Meet Mia Federico: A Junior Career led to big Agility Goals In just three years, Mia has gone from beginner to top-winning competitor in obedience, rally, and agility. With her All American Dog, Mochi, she was a member of the Junior Open Agility World Championship Team in 2023 and was High Combined at the Juniors […]

Meet Anabel Kubacz: Three Years Running on JOAWC Team Anabel has loved dogs all her life, and she caught the agility bug watching videos of the sport online. Soon she had her first dog, Molly, and has since blazed her way to big success in the sport, achieving her goal of making the Junior Open […]

Meet Tessa Trusner: The Family Pet Became Her Sports Partner Name: Tessa Trusner Age: 14 Grade: Eighth Hometown: Stephens City, VA Family: Sisters, Audrey and Ella; Parents, Katie and Ryan Trusner Just a few months after Molina became the Trusner family pet, it became clear that she would really be Tessa’s dog. Now the pair […]

If you're an experienced dog owner seeking a companion for your active lifestyle, look no further than the Border Collie.

They are the undisputed braniacs of the canine universe. Whether they’re chasing lost lambs on craggy Scottish hillsides, blasting through agility courses, giving the “eye” to a herd of cattle, or wowing readers and television viewers with thousand-word vocabularies, the Border Collie never fails to astound. Their busy, no-nonsense take on the world has been […]

The Border Collie will surely impress you with their intelligence and eagerness to please. Here are some fun facts about this hardworking breed.

Crouching, creeping, and then exploding into a focused burst of energy, the Border Collie is one of the best and most popular herding breeds. These dogs as we know them today have been around for more than 130 years. However, their ancestors reach back much further — to the first partnership between humans and dogs […]

There are few sights more beautiful than watching a dog do the work it was bred to do, like Border Collies herding sheep.

Truant the Border Collie was crowned the 2023 Masters Agility Champion at Westminster on May 6, 2023 in Flushing, Queens at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The 7th annual AKC Agility Premier Cup has crowned its winners! Winners were declared in each height division: 8″, 12″, 16″, 20″, and 24″.

Nearly 1,300 dogs competed in the AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMOVE, but only 12 were Champions. See all winners here.

Name: Brittaney Allen Age: 16 Hometown: Cambridge, OH Grade: High School Junior Parents: Jay & Brenda Allen How did Ollie come into your family’s life? How old is Ollie and do you know what breed/mix he is? Ollie is a Border Collie mix who was adopted from our county’s animal shelter in 2012. He is […]

Deborah Tung is a Virginia teenager who does it all with her dogs. Deborah competes in Agility and the fun new sport of Barn Hunt with her All-American Dog, Nigel. Barn Hunt tests all dogs’ hunting ability in finding vermin, which many breeds were developed to perform. Rats are placed in heavy, safe PVC tubes […]

This issue’s training tip is contributed by Courtney Holscher, a rehabilitation and acupuncture veterinarian in South Carolina. Courtney is also an agility competitor, who competes on AKC Agility League teams with the Palmetto Agility Club of the Upstate in South Carolina. Courtney currently competes with her All American Dog, Ella; Border Collie, Zinnia; and Miniature […]

In this issue, we feature a Sophomore team in North Dakota that is part of the Grand Forks Dog Training Club, which has fielded League teams since Season 2! The Sophomore team consists of four experienced agility handlers running their younger dogs, and they have optimized team spirit by creating their own logo and even […]

AKC’s Herding program offers both tests and trials. The herding test is offered in a non-competitive pass/fail format as an Instinct Test, Herding Test, and Pre-Trial test. All are conducted within a fenced arena and includes the use of livestock such as ducks, sheep, or cattle. During a test, a dog must demonstrate the ability […]

The 9th AKC National Tracking Invitational was held at the gorgeous Branched Oak Recreation Area in Raymond, Nebraska. The American Kennel Club sincerely appreciates the hard work, and dedication to the sport of Tracking the Nebraska Kennel Club and Cornhusker Kennel Club of Lincoln, Nebraska members showed by hosting this National Tracking Invitational. Results Saturday, […]

The Stop will be one of the most important commands a handler can teach their dog. The dog stopping in an exact spot can make the difference in accomplishing a chore correctly, winning or losing in a trial situation, or even saving a dog's life. Introduce the stop command to a dog away from stock. […]

by Lori Herbel We've all had those great moments in herding when our own outstanding handling expertise and our dog's natural, God-given talents have put us in awe and made our hearts swell, and given us cause to be proud to be herders. But why, oh why do those moments seem to be much fewer […]

The AKC GoodDog!SM Helpline team is here to help you get the most out of your relationship with your canine companion. Our staff has decades of experience in training dogs and helping their owners foster and build a long-lasting bond. The AKC GoodDog!SM Helpline trainers are passionate about what they do, and committed to your success in […]