Meet four representatives of the Working Group, blue-collar dogs with strength and smarts, and understand why responsible breeding of working dogs is particularly important.

Got a minute? If so, you can learn the essentials of any breed. Not enough to call yourself an expert, of course. But in the time it takes to watch a TV commercial, you can pick up just enough breed knowledge to bluff your way through a conversation at the dog park. The average adult […]

Thanks to technological advances and a robust economy in the years following the second world war, the modern media took off like a rocket—and the Westminster Kennel Club dog show took off with it. Of course, the big event at Madison Square Garden had been America’s most prestigious dog show since it began in 1877. […]

It is common knowledge that Anatolian Shepherd Dogs came to America to stay in the 1950s, imported by ranchers and working-dog aficionados. And it’s even better known that the Anatolian Shepherd Dog joined the AKC Working Group in 1999. What is little known, however, is the fact that two Turkish flock-guarding dogs—thought to be Anatolians—were […]

The most infamous moment in the long relationship between dogs and presidents occurred on an April morning in 1964. While walking on the White House grounds with a group of visitors and his Beagles Him and Her in tow, President Lyndon Baines Johnson decided to encourage Him to bark for his guests. To do this, […]

Among the marvels of human ingenuity is the way various breeds of dog were developed, mentally and physically, to tackle specific jobs. Consider the farmer’s eternal war against rodents and other burrowing mammals that devastate grain stores, raid henhouses, tear up fields, dig away riverbanks, and carry disease. As their number-one weapon in subterranean warfare, […]

While watching a dog show on television or in person, many casual viewers find themselves completely mystified about aspects of the sport. But here are answers to four basic questions to give you a better understanding of dog shows. Who Attends Dog Shows? Most dog handlers you’ll see in the TV portion of the show […]

  The dog’s long march from wild animal to ball-chasing, couch-hogging, kibble-crunching family pet might have begun 40,000 years ago. This places the domestication of canines much farther in the past than has been previously thought, according to the study “Ancient European Dog Genomes Reveal Continuity Since the Early Neolithic.” The findings were published this […]

No velvet pillows, hair ribbons, or French pedicures for these big bruisers. These are the no-nonsense, punch-the-clock-and-get-it-done dogs of the AKC Working Group, the Ford pickups of the canine kingdom. Many factors go into breeding dogs that work hard for their feed. Let’s consider a few, and then watch some well-bred workers in action. Physical […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is excited to announce that the AKC Agility League recently concluded its eighth season of competition and honored its top teams and competitors. Team champions were named in each of the 10 divisions, including the League’s […]