The AKC currently registers 201 dog breeds. The chart below lists all AKC recognized breeds and the year they first became registrable with the AKC.  (last updated 11/20/24) DATE – BREED 1878 – Pointer  1878 – Retriever (Chesapeake Bay)  1878 – Spaniel (Clumber)  1878 – Spaniel (Cocker)  1878 – Setter (English)  1878 – Setter (Gordon)  […]

  Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 French Bulldogs 4 Bulldogs 5 Beagles 6 Poodles 7 Rottweilers 8 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 9 Yorkshire Terriers 10 Boxers 11 Dachshunds 12 Pembroke Welsh Corgis 13 Siberian Huskies 14 Australian Shepherds 15 Great Danes 16 Doberman Pinschers 17 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels […]

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  8/22/25, last updated 8/25/25) [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Platinum"] […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 French Bulldogs 4 Bulldogs 5 Beagles 6 Poodles 7 Rottweilers 8 Yorkshire Terriers 9 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 10 Boxers 11 Siberian Huskies 12 Dachshunds 13 Great Danes 14 Pembroke Welsh Corgis 15 Doberman Pinschers 16 Australian Shepherds 17 Miniature Schnauzers 18 Cavalier King […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 Beagles 4 Bulldogs 5 Yorkshire Terriers 6 Boxers 7 Poodles 8 Rottweilers 9 Dachshunds 10 French Bulldogs  11 Doberman Pinschers 12 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 13 Siberian Huskies 14 Shih Tzu 15 Great Danes 16 Miniature Schnauzers 17 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 18 Pomeranians […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 Bulldogs 4 Beagles 5 Yorkshire Terriers 6 Poodles 7 Boxers 8 French Bulldogs 9 Rottweilers 10 Dachshunds  11 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 12 Siberian Huskies 13 Doberman Pinschers 14 Great Danes 15 Miniature Schnauzers 16 Shih Tzu 17 Australian Shepherds 18 Cavalier King Charles […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 Bulldogs 4 Beagles 5 French Bulldogs 6 Yorkshire Terriers 7 Poodles 8 Rottweilers 9 Boxers 10 Pointers (German Shorthaired)  11 Siberian Huskies 12 Dachshunds 13 Doberman Pinschers 14 Great Danes 15 Miniature Schnauzers 16 Australian Shepherds 17 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels  18 Shih […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 Bulldogs 4 Beagles 5 French Bulldogs 6 Poodles 7 Rottweilers 8 Yorkshire Terriers 9 Boxers 10 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 11 Siberian Huskies 12 Dachshunds 13 Great Danes 14 Doberman Pinschers 15 Australian Shepherds 16 Miniature Schnauzers 17 Pembroke Welsh Corgis 18 Cavalier King […]

Summer is the time to have outdoor fun with our dogs. Longer walks in the park, ambitious hikes, beach days, or family travel—the sun is shining, and the outdoors is calling. But hot weather can also make us uncomfortable, and it poses special risks for dogs. From increased exposure to ticks and other insects to […]

In any field of endeavor, there are personalities so larger than life that only part of their name is sufficient inducement to bring them to mind. In fashion, there are Valentino and Iman. In music, Adele and Beyoncé and Madonna and too many more to count. And in purebred dogs, there’s Sunny. A Household Name […]

Even if your dog isn't a big shedder, it is still important to brush and groom them regularly, but how often you groom depends on their coat.

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 […]

Breed 2018 Rank 2017 Rank 2016 Rank 2015 Rank 2014 Rank Labrador Retrievers 1 1 1 1 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 2 2 2 2 Golden Retrievers 3 3 3 3 3 French Bulldogs 4 4 6 6 9 Bulldogs 5 5 4 4 4 Beagles 6 6 5 5 5 Poodles 7 7 […]

AKC registration continues to expand for the sixth year in a row. The most popular dog breeds of 2018 were released on March 20, 2019, according to AKC registration statistics. Registration is not only beneficial for your dog, but for dogs everywhere. The American Kennel Club and its affiliates have donated over $38 million to canine […]

Toy dogs are more than just small. Learn more about each of the Toy Group breeds and find out what exactly these adorable dogs were bred to do.

Donna Elizares is 88, yet she still embraces the mental and physical dynamics of dog-ring challenges. Since 1946, when she was a 16-year-old showing a Pekingese in conformation, Elizares, of Damascus, Ore., has competed in American Kennel Club (AKC) sports. She was inducted into the Papillon Club of America Hall of Fame in 2017 and […]

Every dog likes to be king of the castle, but some breeds have been favorites of royalty for hundreds of years with a rich tradition of sitting beside the throne. Here are six breeds known for their association with kings, queens, emperors, and pharaohs. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel With a name like the Cavalier King […]

Design experts recommend that when you decorate your home, you fill it with things that you love. What if what you love most is your dog, and dogs in general? You don’t have to turn your house into a kennel to show your love. Here are some ideas about how to artfully incorporate a dog-themed […]

Despite a very rainy weather forecast — not to mention the potential of Hurricane Joaquin bearing down on the Northeast within a few days — crowds of people and dogs descended on Somerset, New Jersey, on October 1 for the Morris & Essex Kennel Club’s spectacular 2015 outdoor dog show. A revival of the lavish events […]

In the Gregorian solar calendar, which is the international civil calendar, the New Year is a fixed day, Jan. 1, around the world. The Chinese calendar, however, is a lunar calendar, which is why the Chinese New Year falls on a different day each year. This year, the New Year is on Feb. 16. In […]

Some breeds seem destined for stardom at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show presented by Purina® Pro Plan® and prove it by winning Best in Show repeatedly. Since the very first Westminster Best in Show in 1907, 46 winners have all come from the same group of dogs, if not the same breed. Do you […]

An event such as the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin offers an amazing opportunity to meet the many breeds competing in the ring. This year, the AKC Meet the Breeds individual booths represented more than 100 breeds. Like every breed, and, in fact, every dog, every booth is truly unique. Each breed club […]

Now that all of the Best of Breed Group Winners have officially been named, we're one step closer to crowning this year's AKC National Championship Best in Show champion! In case you missed our Group Finals livestreams on AKC.org, here's a recap of all of the commendable canines who will be competing for this year's […]

It's the moment we've all been waiting for! After an incredible competition, GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker" was named Best in Show at the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. "Striker" triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize in addition to the […]

Every year in conjunction with the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin the general public is given the exciting opportunity to meet (and more importantly, play with!) over 100 different dog breeds at AKC Meet the Breeds. Attendees get the opportunity to learn about the different breeds and find out which dog might be […]

It's been an exciting weekend so far at the AKC National Championship. The competition is only heating up as the big prize, Best in Show will be decided Sunday, Dec. 17. Check out the results from Saturday's group winners, who will compete for the coveted title. Group Winners from Saturday, Dec. 16 After winning Best […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2019 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019. The 2019 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2018 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16, 2018. The 2018 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes and will also […]

COCKER SPANIEL “STRIKER” WINS BEST IN SHOW AT LARGEST EVER AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROYAL CANIN National Champion Beats Dogs from 50 States and 44 Countries   GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as “Striker” triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize, a paw print pendant […]

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 […]