AKC Earthdog is a dog sport involving a simulated underground hunting scenario. Many Earthdog breeds were bred to hunt subterranean quarry and still possess those instincts. Providing natural opportunities for your dog to dig and explore can help them excel at Earthdog. Do you own a terrier or Dachshund? Have you noticed your dog's love […]

Game of Thrones may be over, but dogs and dog lovers around the world are still feeling the show's repercussions. For eight years, more than 30 million viewers watched dire wolves protect the Stark family. For many viewers, Ghost, Summer, Nymeria and pack's intelligence, fierce loyalty, and imposing stature were more than entertaining: it inspired them […]

The love, time and patience that breeders put into each litter is evident by the well-tempered, healthy puppies they send home with excited new puppy owners. New puppy owners may not be well informed about the benefits of pet insurance and turn to their breeder for advice. To help breeders best advise their puppy buyers, […]

Most of us put our all into producing fabulous puppies. We select breeding stock with care, emphasizing things like health clearances and temperament. We raise our pups in enriched pens and feed the best nutrition we can to sires, dams and pups. Yet we may be overlooking the importance of a key period in puppy […]

News from the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. Visit the 2019 Legislation Tracking page and click on your state to get the latest updates on state bills monitored by the AKC. California – AB 588 will require any animal shelter, rescue organization or humane society to disclose the […]

  News From the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. Visit the 2019 Legislation Tracking page and click on your state to get the latest updates on state bills monitored by the AKC. California – A group of animal rights activists has filed a lawsuit against the California Fish […]

State Issues: News from the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. Visit the 2019 Legislation Tracking page and click on your state to get the latest updates on state bills monitored by the AKC. Alabama – SB 102, a measure supported by AKC GR which provides that a local […]

News from the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. Visit the 2019 Legislation Tracking page and click on your state to get the latest updates on state bills monitored by the AKC. Alabama – SB 10, a measure supported by AKC GR which penalizes the misrepresentation of a service […]

You’ve probably heard the philosophical question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” AKC club members may wish to ponder a similar question, “If your club does great things for dogs, do your lawmakers know?” Positive publicity in the media and in […]

Guest columnist Patricia Johnson has bred, handled, and owned Best In Show Boston Terriers for 35 years. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit, an “AKC Gazette” breed columnist for Boston Terriers, served on her local animal advisory board for 9 years, and authored a pet disaster plan for her city. She owns Pat’s Grooming […]

In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]

In compliance with PCI regulations, the American Kennel Club (AKC) no longer accepts credit card information on paper forms. Please submit payment by check, money order, or complete your transaction securely online. Most AKC forms and applications can be downloaded from this page. For best results, select a form and save it to your computer, […]

Education is paramount to the AKC’s mission. Through education, we preserve history, stay relevant to the needs of today’s dog owners and fanciers, and invest in the future health and well-being of dogs, dog sports, and the human-canine relationship. The AKC recognizes and appreciates the enormous contributions that Parent and All-Breed Clubs give to the […]

Breeder of Merit FAQs [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Prepaid Registrations In Breeder Toolkit"] If you plan to use the prepaid option to register all of the puppies – Do not select the electronic (downloadable) litter kit when you register the litter. That will disable the prepaid option. You are able to send an individual Registration Application for […]

In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]

As a Breeder of Merit, you’ll play a key role in advancing our mission and setting a strong example for breeders everywhere. We’re excited to honor breeders who prioritize puppy health, temperament, and breed standards by offering a range of exclusive, valuable benefits, including:  Monthly credits for online reports in AKC Breeder Toolkit  Free litter […]

Here’s everything you’ll need prior to joining the Breeder of Merit program:  Have a history of at least 5 years involvement with AKC events  Can demonstrate a commitment to individually registering 100 percent of the puppies you’ve bred Have earned either AKC Conformation, Performance, or Companion* event titles on at least four dogs from AKC […]

The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Lynn Meyer has been hired as an Executive Field Representative. She joins the staff on July 16, 2018 and will be based in the upper mid-west. “Lynn brings an abundance of experience to the position of Executive Field Representative, with many successful decades in the sport […]

The American Kennel Club, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce that Royal Canin®, a global pet nutrition brand known worldwide for feeding champion dogs for 50 years, will be the new sponsor of the AKC Registered Handlers Program (RHP). The RHP strives to maintain high standards […]

As we near the end of our 133rd year as America’s strongest advocate for purebred dogs, it is a privilege to reflect on how much we have accomplished.  The cornerstone of our mission, AKC Sports and Events are our link to the past, present and future.  In 2017 we challenged ourselves to create a path […]