This year, the German Shepherd Dog took Miami’s top spot in the 2016 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. The German Shepherd Dog was also recognized as the #1 pup in Detroit and Albany (NY). The German Shepherd Dog took the top spot back from the French Bulldog this year, […]

The best dog for you depends on your lifestyle, not age. Learn more about dog breeds that can make great companions for older adults

When you think of sports dynasties the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, New York Yankees and Alabama Crimson Tide certainly come to mind. But when you’re talking about dominance, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than the Labrador Retriever, America’s top dog for a record 30th consecutive year (2020). In a country where people’s tastes […]

Fastest Dogs USA is back to determine who's got the most speed! The competition will air on ESPN2 on June 14, 2025 at 1:30PM ET, and you can watch all the action for this exciting 100-yard dash.

Agility is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the country and the single fastest growing event held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Dog Show Presented by Royal Canin. It's challenging, great fun for dog and handler, and thrilling for spectators. For the dog-human team, agility requires athleticism, concentration, training, and, most […]

The range of sizes among dog breeds is greater than that of any other animal. For example, a 150-pound Newfoundland is 50 times the size of a three-pound Pomeranian. And as you might expect, large breed puppies and small breed puppies have very different nutritional needs. There are general rules for feeding any puppy, but […]

Toast, the two-year-old Beagle, beat the odds when he got parvovirus as a puppy. Now, he's one of the highest-ranking Fast CAT Beagles.

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, […]

Bari looks like an ordinary dog, a happy bundle of light cream-colored curls and tail wags, but don’t let that fool you. This 22-month-old is a political powerhouse. He’s the inspiration that led New York to choose the service- and working dog as the state’s first canine mascot. Bari is the beloved pet of Assemblyman Matthew […]

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. […]