The Pumi is the latest breed to be recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), receiving full AKC status as a member of the Herding Group on July 1, 2016. This rare breed, with only a few new litters born in the United States each year, may be the new dog on the block, but […]

Most of the world's national kennel clubs recognize the Belgian Shepherd as a single breed with four distinct varieties, but AKC recognizes all four.

From puppies to senior dogs, learn how nutrition supports mobility, skin and coat health, and overall wellness throughout life.

If you've ever flown with your pet, you know it can be stressful. But there are jets specifically for pet travel, and planes made for your dog!

Breeders and puppy buyers are rightly concerned about the future health of their dogs, and since 1966 the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals has worked to provide a means for breeders to improve their lines and to record health information about the dogs they breed. It began with efforts to limit hip dysplasia in a few […]

Many of us say that our dogs are our best friends, but for some people, they're the key to a better life as well. For veterans, service dogs provide more than just emotional support, especially for people dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Specialized service dogs not only perform specific […]

  Meaningful progress is being made toward understanding and treating canine epilepsy, the most common neurological disorder in dogs. Canine epilepsy, which results in recurrent, unprovoked seizures, can fall into three categories: caused by structural problems in the brain (symptomatic epilepsy), attributed to unknown causes (idiopathic epilepsy) and inherited (genetic epilepsy). The latter, genetic epilepsy, […]

On Sept. 11, 2001, the Fire Department of New York’s Ladder 20 lost seven of its members who raced to the 35th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center before the building collapsed. In 2016, they lost the dog who helped the survivors cope. Twenty, a Dalmatian puppy given to the department […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 AKC Trick Dog Competition. This 6th Annual competition was a virtual event, open to Elite Performers, AKC’s highest level of trick dogs. Nearly 200 competitors from all […]

  Each year, countless homeowners are dropped by their insurance carriers or denied new coverage due to the breed of dog they own. Even the most responsible owners may find themselves facing exorbitant premiums or—worse—the devastating decision to give up their pet in order to obtain or maintain adequate insurance. The battle for coverage often […]

Photo of a trailer that has been previously donated - AKC Humane Fund Also Donates AKC Pet Disaster Relief Trailer to the City- In support of the people and pets affected by Hurricane Harvey, the AKC Humane Fund has donated $10,000, through its “Sandy Fund,” to the city of Houston to aid in relief efforts.  […]

AKC Reunite, the largest pet non-profit pet identification and recovery service provider in the United States, is excited to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of the AKC Pet Disaster Relief Trailer Program. AKC Pet Disaster Relief helps local Emergency Management teams provide temporary sheltering and care for pets displaced by a disaster. Once donated, the […]

- The Audience Voted and Named the Winner of Meet the Breeds "Cat Idol" Competition - Described as a charming, laid-back, and loveable gentle giant by his owners, Walker, an 8½ year old Maine Coon from Richmond, Texas claimed the top spot at the second annual Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA®)-Iams Cat Idol competition during Meet […]

  -- Competition Moves from Cable to Broadcast Network Television --   The American Kennel Club and Eukanuba announced today that the tenth annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will be broadcast for the first time ever on network television. The show will premiere in an invigorated new format on the ABC Television Network on Sunday afternoon, […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is excited to announce that the AKC National Agility Championship will air on ESPN2. The competition will be televised on Sunday, April 17th, at 5 pm ET. The National Agility Championship brings the top Agility athletes in the nation together for an exciting competition that is sure to thrill spectators. […]

Canine Legislation Summary Position Statements — List of all policy position statements Animal Terrorism Breeding Regulations and Restrictions Canine Population Issues Civil Damages in Cases Involving Injury to Pets "Dangerous Dog" Control Legislation Debarking Dog Auctions Dog Fighting  Dog Training Due Process Protections for Dog Owners Ear Cropping, Tail Docking and Dewclaw Removal Enforcement of the […]

Name: Sanford’s Pippin CD BN CGC Call Name: Pippin Owner: Virginia Sanford Hometown: Hamden, CT Age: 4 years Gender: Female Class: Novice Virginia tells us about Pippin: “Pippin came  into my life in October 2014.  I had recently lost my first dog and was not in any position to start caring for another animal.  My […]

Sharon’s Adam CGC owned by Sharon Cramer of Rock Island, IL Adam, a 22-months-old rescue, was certified with Alliance of Therapy Dogs when he was about 13 months old. Having trained and shown dogs in Obedience trials for about 20 years, Sharon knew her work was cut out for her with Adam when she adopted […]

Danny & Jeannette Templeton of Roanoke, VA, shared this story with the AKC Canine Partners News about the work their rescue dog, Buddy, does to help veterans. In 2005, we rescued our second dog, Buddy, a Beagle mix puppy, from a campground we frequent.  My husband, Danny, discovered him while riding around the lake. Buddy […]

Dragon Run's Cracker Jack THDD CGC owned by Beth Peterson of Dover, DE Jack had been in and quickly out of five homes within just a couple of months, and the Petersons took him in as a foster. “The shelter was unsure of what they were going to do with him,” said Beth. “The complaint: […]

DMT's Christmas In Dixie FDC CAX12 FCAT50 RATN DN CGCA CGCU TKP ATT FITG FTI owned by Danny Terry of Wetumpka, AL 2024 came to a bittersweet end for Danny Terry and his All American Dog, Holly, as she ran her final CATs and Fast CATs. She is retiring after a 7+ year career and […]

Big congratulations to these All American Dogs who impressed at the 2022 AKC Agility Premier Cup in Columbus, OH on July 9!   12” jump height, first place; 4th in finals: NAC MACH2 Quicksilver Cherry On Top MXS PAD MJS PJD XF T2B owned by Angie Benacquisto of Ortonville, MI   24" jump height, 7th […]

Callahan’s Christmas Bliss OA OAJ NF owned by Lori Callahan of Clearwater, FL Callahan’s Christmas Bliss had an early life that was anything but merry.  Rescued from a Puerto Rican shelter with 278 other dogs, Bliss barely survived distemper and a bad case of mange.  The spaniel-retriever mix’s first six months of life were spent […]

Homegrown terrorism and mass shootings have sadly become everyday news in the United States. As a result, the demand for explosives detection dogs as a deterrent against such crimes is on the increase with one major problem: there are not enough dogs to meet the growing need. The US Government purchases 80 to 90% its […]

We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles and honors in Agility, Coursing Ability, Fast CAT, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, Tracking, and Trick Dog. Many dogs are also having success in AKC’s Virtual Titling programs! AGILITY Congratulations to these dogs who have earned more MACHs: MACH21 Donaldson's Daisy […]

Good news for Florida pet owners! A bill that, among other provisions, reenacts state sales tax holidays on certain disaster preparation supplies was signed by the Governor as Chapter 2024-158. This year’s sales tax holiday dates are June 1-June 14 and August 24-September 6. The American Kennel Club and the Florida Association of Kennel Clubs […]

SB 139 is scheduled for a hearing in the Agriculture and Conservation Committee for February 18th at 1pm in Room 409 of the State Capitol. Please contact the committee members and the author to express your concerns. The AKC Government Relations department will provide an update after the hearing on our website and will have an alert […]

AKC Government Relations has learned that the Pasadena City Council will conduct a first reading of an ordinance to require the sterilization of all dogs and cats within the city limits. Limited exemptions will be provided. However, even with those exemptions, ANY dog that is impounded for ANY reason will be sterilized before being released, […]

Dog Breed Discrimination Ends The American Kennel Club Government Relations team (AKC GR) is pleased to report that, effective October 1, 2023, all remaining local ordinances in Florida that discriminate against dogs based on breed, weight, or size are overturned. Senate Bill 942, supported by AKC, removes an exemption from state law that allowed certain […]

2013: Johannesburg, South Africa Congratulations to Team Coach, Ann Braue and all of the 2013 AKC/USA Agility World Team Members – Tinna Brown, Barb Davis, Kathleen Desvigne, Korey Kaye, Jay Kessel, Greg Kirmeier, Alicia Nicholas, and Deb Schulman. One more big thank you to Team Leader, Steve Croxford from Britain who worked with our team […]