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 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  1/22/24, last updated 1/24/24) [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Platinum"] […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

Proud to Be Purebred 10 Reasons I'm Going to Buy a Purebred Dog Breed Standards, the Breeder’s Blueprint The Retrievers: Ever Talented and Willing to Please Breeds Who Enjoy Drafting Just for the Haul of It Herding Dogs: Awe and Wonder Meet Today’s Sled Dogs Spaniels: Always by Our Side The Rescuers: Breeds Who Save […]

You’ve made the decision to welcome a new dog into your family. Now comes the fun part – finding the perfect dog. There’s a lot to consider. Before you commit, ask yourself these five questions. What’s Your Schedule? Think about your lifestyle. Do you work long hours? Struggle to get out the door in the […]

The American Kennel Club is opposed to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. In solidarity with Ukrainian people, effective immediately, judges from the Russian Federation will not be approved to judge at AKC sanctioned events. Additionally, requests for imported dog registrations (AKC Foreign Registration) for dogs born in Russia, will be denied effective immediately. For the […]

  Find more information on all the different breeds of puppies. Not sure which puppy is right for you? Take a short quiz to Find a Match. A | B | C | D | E |  F | G | H | I | J |  K | L | M | N | O |  P | R | S | T | V |  W | X | Y A. Breed Group Affenpinscher Toy Afghan Hound Hound Airedale Terrier Terrier Akita Working Alaskan Malamute Working American English Coonhound Hound American Eskimo Dog […]

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 […]

Movement involves every part of a dog’s construction, and because no two breeds move exactly alike, the study of movement can be a life’s work. Expert breeders and anatomists have written shelves full of books on the subject, and gifted photographers and filmmakers have documented canine locomotion in minute detail. Here, then, are just a […]

Breed Weight Male Weight Female Affenpinschers 7-10 pounds 7-10 pounds Afghan Hounds 50-60 pounds 50-60 pounds Airedale Terriers 50-70 pounds 50-70 pounds Akitas 100-130 pounds 70-100 pounds Alaskan Malamutes 85 pounds 75 pounds American English Coonhounds 45-65 pounds 45-65 pounds American Eskimo Dogs 6-10 pounds (toy), 10-20 pounds (miniature), 25-35 pounds (standard) 6-10 pounds (toy), […]

It is often said that you cannot own a Japanese Chin, because he owns you. These charming little dogs are the masters of the house. Here are some interesting facts about this regal breed: 1. They Are Actually From China Most experts believe the Japanese Chin actually originated in China. The theory is that the […]

"Wait, was that a Siberian Husky? Or was it an Alaskan Malamute?" Many dog breeds can be difficult to tell apart. To celebrate National Look-Alike Day, we're taking a closer look at six pairs of dogs that look remarkably similar to each other, but are actually completely different breeds. 1. Alaskan Malamute vs. Siberian Husky […]