The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin. The AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes will be held on December 12, 2025.
Best in Stakes will be judged on Friday, December 12th, by an elite panel of three judges: Mrs. Rosalind Kramer, Mr. Thomas Coen and Ms. Pluis Davern.
Breed and Group judges at the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes are:
SPORTING – Mr. Peter Kubacz – Jackson, NJ
HOUND – Mr. Eric Steel – New York, NY
WORKING – Mr. Clifford Steele – Carmel, NY
TERRIER – Margery Good – Chochransville, PA
TOY – Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan – Chehalis, WA
NON-SPORTING – Elizabeth Sweigart – Bowmansville, PA
HERDING – Mr. Philip Booth – Lawtons, NY
| SPORTING GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Mr. Peter Kubacz | Barbet, Lagotto Ramagnolo, Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, German Wirehaired Pointer, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly-Coated Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, English Setter, Gordon Setter, Irish Setter, Irish Red & White Setter, Spinone Italiano, Vizsla, Small Munsterlander |
| Karen Mammano | Brittany, Pointer, German Shorthaired Pointer, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Weimaraner |
| Mr. Phillip Booth | Bracco Italiano, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Vizsla |
| Per Ingar Rismyhr | American Water Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel, Clumber Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel (All Varieties), English Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel, Sussex Spaniel, Welsh Springer Spaniel |
| HOUND GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Ms. Sarah Murphy | Afghan Hound, American English Coonhound, American Foxhound, Azawakh, Basenji, Beagle (both varieties), Bluetick Coonhound, Borzoi, Dachshund (all varieties), English Foxhound, Greyhound, Harrier, Irish Wolfhound, Kishu Ken, Pharaoh Hound, Redbone Coonhound, Saluki, Sloughi, Whippet |
| Mr. Eric Steel | Basset Fauvre de Bretagne, Basset Hound, Black and Tan Coonhound, Bloodhound, Cirneco dell’Etna, Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, Ibizan Hound, Norwegian Elkhound, Norbottenspets, Otterhound, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Plott Hound, Portuguese Podengo, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Treeing Walker Coonhound, Scottish Deerhound |
| WORKING GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Heather Johnson | Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Anatolian Shepherd, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Danish Swedish Farmdog, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Kuvasz, Leonberger, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pyrenean Mastiff, Rottweiler, St. Bernard, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Tibetan Mastiff, Yakutian Laika |
| Mr. Clifford Steele | Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boerboel, Boxer, Chinook, Doberman Pinscher, German Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor, Newfoundland, Portuguese Water Dog, Standard Schnauzer |
| TERRIER GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Margery Good | Airedale Terrier, American Hairless Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier, Bull Terrier (both varieties), Cesky Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, Standard Manchester Terrier, Rat Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Skye Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Welsh Terrier, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier |
| Mr. Lance Deloria | Cairn Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Russell Terrier, Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier |
| TOY GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan | Affenpinscher, Brussels Griffon, English Toy Spaniel (all varieties), Japanese Chin, Poodle (Toy), Pug, Toy Fox Terrier |
| Hiram Stewart | Chinese Crested, Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Manchester Terrier (Toy), Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Russian Toy, Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka |
| Mrs. Allison Sunderman | Biewer Terrier, Bolognese, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua (both varieties), Maltese, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier |
| NON-SPORTING GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan | Poodle (Miniature), Poodle (Standard) |
| Dr. Maryanne Mack, dvm | Alaskan Klee Kai, American Eskimo Dog, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chow, Eurasier, Finnish Spitz, French Bulldog, Kromfohrlander, Lowchen, Norwegian Lundehund, Xoloitzcuintli |
| Elizabeth Sweigart | Bichon Frise, Coton de Tulear, Dalmatian, German Spitz, Japanese Akitainu, Keeshond, Lhasa Apso, Schipperke, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier |
| HERDING GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Mr. Philip Booth | Australian Cattle Dog, Bearded Collie, Berger Picard, Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Canaan Dog, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Collie (both varieties), German Shepherd Dog, Icelandic Sheepdog, Old English Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Shetland Sheepdog |
| Paul Catterson | Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Miniature American Shepherd, Norwegian Buhund |
| Mrs. Betsey Orman | Beauceron, Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Bergamasco, Dutch Shepherd, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, Lancashire Heeler, Mudi, Pumi, Puli, Pyrenean Shepherd, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Spanish Water Dog, Swedish Vallhund |
*Panel subject to final approval.