Photo by Michael Blake Southern Californian Michael Uy lives for the outdoors and luckily his canine companion keeps up with him. Abbie holds her own with Uy whether jogging, mountain biking, hiking or even paragliding. One of their favorite stops is the local dog beach where they both like to swim in the ocean. During […]

Drafting, or carting, is a sport most commonly associated with large draft breeds like Bernese Mountain Dogs and Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. But all breeds can compete in the sport – and many dogs enjoy pulling their own weight plus! Former shelter dog Dino, formally known as Woodacre’s Court Jester, recently became the first mixed-breed […]

If your dog loves the water and loves to retrieve, then the fun sport of dock diving should be a natural. The AKC began recognizing titles of the new North America Diving Dogs (NADD) organization in June 2014 so now you can also add a dock jumping title to your dog’s AKC records. The sport […]

  Randy CAX owned by Tammy Gustafson of Kempner, TX Randy is a 6 year old fox hound who Tammy rescued in June 2009. Tammy started working with Randy on obedience training when he was about a year old and then added on agility training a year later. But then they heard about the sport […]

Multi-Talented Twins Share Love for Therapy Dog Service & Hunting Owned by Bonnie & Charles Bird of Bellingham, WA Jigi and Zuzu are All-American Dog twins, born on Bonnie's birthday and brought to their forever home on Charles’ birthday. They are both Grand Champion Barn Hunters and AKC Distinguished Therapy Dogs.  Jigi is additionally the […]

Flopdoodle Chloe Bean CGC TKE VHMA owned by Christina & Gary Jones of Stafford, VA was one of two finalists in the 2022 AKC Trick Dog Competition. This fourth annual competition was a virtual event open to Elite Performers, AKC's highest level of trick dogs. There was also a Junior division for people ages 17 […]

(photo above by Crystal Creek Designs/Kim Langevin) Kurt was a homeless dog, turned in as a stray to the Humane Society of Sarasota County (FL), which is where Amy and Wade discovered him and adopted him. They quickly realized that Kurt was a very smart dog who wanted a job. “Kurt has an inquisitive mind […]

MACH Jesse's Girl CDX BN RE MXB MJB XF T2B CA SWA SIE SEE SBE THDA CGC owned by Cris & Robert Ballenger of Wheaton, IL The very accomplished Jesse started her dog sports career in Obedience and Rally. She then moved on to Agility, earning her MACH at age 9. She is also a […]

Seven years ago, Jane Broido’s son-in-law presented a fuzzy little puppy to Jane’s daughter as a surprise gift. “However, both found their work schedules didn’t allow the proper time to care for a puppy no matter how cute,” said Broido, a resident of Sands Point, NY. “They asked me to take her and although I was […]

Kendall’s Myles to Home CAX owned by Ronda Kendall of Jefferson, IA Myles came to Ronda as a foster, and they became foster failures as Ronda soon fell in love with the little guy and adopted him. “He was a very shy and scared young dog when he first came to us. He stole our […]

MACH Hatti MXS MJS made the finals of the 16-inch jump height division at the 2015 AKC National Agility Championships on March 29 in Reno, NV, and finished in 10th place. It was love at first sight for Elizabeth White and Hatti, who was picked up as a stray in fall 2006. As soon as […]

Below are some frequently asked questions about finding information on the new AKC.org website. If you have a moment, we encourage you to read the step-by-step instructions or watch the video to familiarize yourself with the structure of the new site to help you during future visits. Select your device: Desktop Instructions Mobile Instructions Full Video Webinar […]

Below you will find links to the resources for all webinars that aired in 2018. Webinar Topic  Link to Resources Club Development June 27, 2018 Glenn Lycan, AKC Director of Event Operations Support and Guy Fisher, Manager of Club Development will discuss ways to have a successful event, including effective strategies to take your event […]

AKC Patch Program The AKC Patch Program is an interactive "scavenger hunt" hosted by clubs at a dog show. Youth groups and children are invited to attend a club's show to complete the Patch Program and learn about purebred dogs, AKC dog sports, and responsible dog ownership. Upon completion, participants receive an iron-on AKC Patch […]

Meet Emma Lloyd: Well on Her Way to a Dog-Filled Life Name: Emma Lloyd Age: 17 Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL Grade: 12th Family: Parents, Rebecca and Larry; sister, Natalie Emma began training Spiderman, her All American Dog, several years ago. He didn’t take to training easily, but once he hit his stride, his eagerness to learn took them to the 2018 AKC Junior Obedience […]

Teach Your Dog to Back Up This issue’s Training Tip is brought to us by Mandy Baker CPDT-KA CBATI CCUI, who has been training and competing with All American Dogs for 16 years in rally, agility, scent work, freestyle and more. She shares her tips for getting a fantastic back-up, an important skill for many […]

During this time of necessary social distancing, we want to give our beginner AKC Rally® exhibitors a reason to continue training their dogs and to stay engaged with the sport of Rally. The AKC Rally Novice Virtual pilot program will provide these exhibitors an opportunity to stay-at-home and enter an AKC Rally® event. The pilot […]

Consistent with the AKC’s ongoing efforts to grow the AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) program and the sport overall, the American Kennel Club (AKC®) has launched the AKC National Owner-Handled Series Levels of Achievement that offers Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum recognition to exhibits obtaining a predetermined number of NOHS points for each level of […]

Like many young people who have become involved in dog showing, I first heard about it from others.  In my case, I learned a lot about it when I was in sixth grade and did a project for one of my teachers, who enjoyed raising and showing dogs.   That’s when I knew that it was […]

Printed with permission from Purina Pro Plan AKC Agility League course designer Ashley Deacon loves to inspire people to build positive connections with their dogs. He believes one of the best ways to do that is through the sport of dog agility. “Agility is a great way to have a good relationship with your dog. […]

The spotlight shines on two sister French Bulldogs who are showing the world that any dog can run the big International Sweepstakes Class courses successfully! Sushi & Meiko compete on the Ph.D. team of Happy Dog Sports Team 3, and they placed #1 and #2 in the 8-inch jump height class for the Summer Season. […]

Marine Parade Ground Field - The Philadelphia Navy Yard 4747 S. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19112 June 5th through June 7th, 2026 from 11am to 4pm each day Join us for AKC Celebrates USA 250, a three-day festival of canine sports and family-friendly fun at the Philadelphia Navy Yard! Experience exciting Diving Dogs and Agility […]

The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most versatile creatures on earth. There’s not much these strong, agile, fearless dogs can’t do. Ancestors of today’s German Shepherds earned their keep by tending enormous flocks of sheep, as many as 1,000 of them. The AKC has assigned them to the Herding Group, a reflection of […]

The letters at the beginning and end of a dog's registered name are titles which are accomplishments the dog has earned. Learn more about what titles mean.

There are so many different ways to go if you want to give your dog a sports-related name. You can honor a favorite athlete or a team. Perhaps you're a rabid fan of a particular sport. Sometimes, a dog's appearance, talents, or personality suggest just the right name. Or maybe you just like the sound […]

Celebrating the diversity of our dog sports community is part of helping our sports to thrive, including the AKC LGBTQ community.

The Azawakh is one of the AKC's newest recognized breeds, becoming officially AKC-recognized in 2019. These tall and elegant sighthounds — known for their athleticism — are the passion of Kayley Paylor of In Stride Azawakh & Training. Paylor has fallen in love with the breed and she has been breaking records with her pack of […]

The cancellation of swaths of AKC events as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us wistful and impatient for their return. With no shows to enter and plenty of absence to make the heart grow fonder, I found myself pondering what I got out of them in the first place. 1. […]

Jupiter Piquet, from Pinellas Park, Florida, is competing in the 2025 AKC Rally National Championship at Purina Farms in St. Louis, MO. When Piquet was...

Are you inspired to figure out which sport you should do with your dog? When your dog participates in sports, they will improve and maintain their physical fitness level, sharpen their mental acuity, and build their bond with you. Doing sports with your dog also has benefits for you! Dog sports can help you improve […]