Who's the best puppy? More than 1,300 puppies later, we have an answer. Hundreds of puppies and junior dogs ages six months to 18 months competed for AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy of the Year on Friday, December 13. Only one came out on top: "Pierce" the Wire Fox Terrier. Fleet St Forged At Hampton Court […]

Merrick, a 4-year-old black Labrador Retriever, works as guide dog for a blind man. But his career as a savior started when he was just a tiny pup. Lorraine Trapani, the volunteer puppy raiser who took 11-week-old Merrick under her wing in 2011, says that this tiny bundle of black hair, high spirits, and energy […]

Is this a whelping emergency? Am I jumping the gun? Am I waiting too long? Are the puppies in danger? Is the dam in danger? What should I do? Does she need a C-section? There's not a breeder alive who hasn't agonized over these same questions during a whelping. But take a deep breath, calm […]

It was the last blast of summer sunset gathering of the French Bulldog NYC Meetup group. Sophie, 5 months old, was determined to make the most of it. First, there was some serious rough-and-tumble with her pal, a Bernese Mountain Dog who was born just one day after Sophie in April. Then she was off, […]

For thousands of years, Basenjis served as hunting dogs and have since won the hearts of many. Here are some interesting facts about this ancient breed.

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 […]

As summer is winding down, many are beginning to focus on a return to school.  It’s also a great time for clubs, fanciers and breeders to reach out to lawmakers and educate them on the benefits of purebred dogs, responsible breeders, and AKC events in their communities. This month, a city in New Jersey passed […]

What’s New from AKC Government Relations September means the end of summer, going back to school, and for some states it also signifies the convening of legislative sessions after summer breaks, and a final push on bills before the end of the year.  We encourage you to continue to keep an eye on our Legislative […]

The American Kennel Club’s Government Relations team has had an extremely busy two months, starting with the 15th annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day (RDO) held in Raleigh, NC on September 9th.  Each September, the AKC hosts AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days to educate first-time dog owners about the responsibilities of dog ownership and help current […]

Our Beginnings On September 17, 1884, a group of twelve dedicated sportsmen, responding to a "meeting call" from Messrs. J. M. Taylor and Elliot Smith, met in the rooms of the Philadelphia Kennel Club in that city. Each member of the group was a representative or "delegate" from a dog club that had, in the […]