The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2020 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2020. The 2020 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2021 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, 2021. The 2021 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

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 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, 2017. The 2017 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 […]

Each of the AKC registered breeds are assigned to one of seven groups representing characteristics and functions the breeds were originally bred for. Current as of June 17, 2025 [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Herding Group"] HERDING GROUP The Herding Group, created in 1983, is the newest AKC classification; its members were formerly members of the Working Group. […]

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 […]

Special to the AKC Gazette Over the past several years, the Glen of Imaal Terrier has sometimes fallen prey to the dangerous idea that bigger is better. The standard calls for a dog who is “approximately 35 lbs,” with “bitches somewhat less,” but we are seeing dogs in the ring who are easily 20 to […]

Large Dogs Seem to Age at a Fast Pace Research has yet to explain the relationship between body mass and a dog’s lifespan. Generally speaking, large mammals, like elephants and whales, tend to live longer than small ones, like mice. So, why, then, do small dogs have a longer average life span than large breeds? […]

Every litter is a new and exciting adventure. The months of research into pedigrees, rereading notes on dogs that appear in various pedigrees and evaluating their influences, have come to fruition, and the future is now in the whelping box. The genetics are set; now the puppy socialization  begins. Handling puppies daily from day one […]

Originally appeared on dogcanceranswers.com, where Dr. Jerry Klein was asked to be part of a podcast discussing the responsible ways to get a dog. Dr. Jerry Klein, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the American Kennel Club, joins Dog Cancer Answers to discuss things to look for when choosing a breeder to increase the odds of […]

We all know one of those dogs. He’s the one who’s welcome everywhere. He brightens everyone’s day, whether he’s performing tricks, prancing in a show ring, walking down the street, or soothing the spirits of an ailing child. He’s the kind of dog you never worry about, even if you leave him in the kitchen […]

Do you love dogs? Do you think the size of your dog should cater to the size of your living space? While some may think that the smaller the space, the smaller the dog living there should be, we thought we'd share this interesting Dogster article that myth-busts the dog and apartment size correlation. We […]

A special Master Hunter Excellent (MHX) Test, hosted by the Westminster Kennel Club and the AKC Performance Events Department took place on November 4-5, 2023 in Oxford, NC.  This event was the first Master Hunter Excellent test to be held and consisted of two series, one each day. The purpose of this MHX test is […]

Announcing the Launch of a new Pointing Breed Master Hunter Excellent (MHX) Test   See Announcement Here! Info and Materials:  Master Hunter Excellent Regulations MHX Scoresheet MHX approved site locations Pointing Breed Hunt Test Event Application - MHX test level MHX Lifetime Achievement Title Application Apply to judge MHX tests Current List of Approved MHX Judges […]

  The AKC Scent Work Master National will be held October 12-14, 2025 in Wilmington, Ohio at the Roberts Centre. scentworkmasternational@akc.org or 919-816-3830 [caption id="attachment_208051" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Photo by Monique Krouse[/caption] DAY THREE RESULTS: Final Day Results Final Day Result Details Press Release DAY TWO RESULTS: TOP 100 DOGS ADVANCING TO DAY 3 ******RUN ORDER […]

MACH Turbo MXB MJS had a rough start in life, but thanks to his adopter Rita Drewry of Lebanon, OH, he loves life now and is an AKC agility champion! Turbo was rescued from an abusive home when he was 6 months old and taken to the Clark County Shelter in Springfield, OH.  He went […]

Meet MACH Maeby MXB MJS NF T2B Maeby was abandoned as an 8-week-old puppy in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Missouri. “Fortunately for both of us, my friends discovered her among the cars, and Maeby eventually ended up at home with me,” said Maeby’s owner, Beth Ostrander, of Wildwood, MO. “After a little bit of […]

MACH Emma T. McDivot owned by Daryl Kay & Jim Hall of Bosque Farms, NM Emma was adopted from the Albuquerque, NM, animal shelter in 2008. The small cattle dog mix was about a year old and severely traumatized. “She huddled on her bed in the far corner of her little room, unwilling to move. […]

MACH Shilo’s Wicked Revenge Elphaba MXB MJB owned by Ann Khanna of Hortonville, WI Elphie is a 3-year-old Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix who Ann first encountered as a 5-week-old puppy. Ann said she immediately noticed that Elphie was special and reluctantly decided the puppy had to join her family. “For eight years I had been […]