While every breed has a shot at winning Best in Show at any given dog show, there are some dogs whose stand-on-your-tippy-toes glamour simply makes them hard to ignore. And the Poodle, with his halo of perfectly coiffed fur and showy attitude (so distinctive that it has spawned its eponymous adjective – “Poodley"), is undoubtedly […]

Golden Retrievers are called "America's sweethearts" by some, and have been among the most popular breeds for decades. Learn more about Goldens Retrievers.

The country’s top breed of the 1990s, the Labrador Retriever, continues in its popularity to this day. The Rottweiler, accepted by the AKC in 1931, makes its first appearance in the decade’s top ten as the number-two breed, the highest ranking of any first-timer on the list (since the Boston Terrier in the 1900s). The […]

There is, carved into a Scottish Highlands farm wall, the image of a short-legged, longheaded, prick-eared, cobbily built dog barking on a wheelbarrow. The image appears to date from around A.D. 200, and is about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, small enough that the viewer cannot make out if the dog is double-coated or […]

The number-one breed of the 1940s, the Cocker Spaniel, enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s, climbing to the number-one position. The breed was the most popular dog in the nation from 1983 to 1990, giving it the distinction of holding the number-one spot for more years than any other breed to that point (23). After […]

Sometimes, in the name of ideology, families get torn asunder. During the Civil War, brothers faced each other across Union and Confederate lines. After World War II, the Berlin Wall separated families, and fates. And in dogs more than a century ago, we had a similar philosophical divide between the fighting dog known as the […]

Beagle Field Trials, a sport found only in the United States and Canada, started with this announcement in the Sunday Boston Herald on October 26, 1890: "A group of Beagle Owners would hold a Beagle field trial in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in a fortnight." This Group called themselves the National Beagle Club of America, and the […]

The roots of the Earthdog program go back to the beginnings of small game hunting. Farmers and hunters used the small terriers and Dachshunds to pursue vermin to its lair and then to follow the game into to the ground. These dogs had to possess not only the physical attributes that would allow them to […]

 This is a special story about an incredible therapy dog. Luke passed way in January 2010 at about 14 years of age, but the impact he made on many children continues to last. His owner Debra White shares their story. To protect privacy, Debra has changed the names. This story originally appeared in an issue […]

Virtual monthly webinar learning experiences created by breeders for breeders. Join renowned experts in these educational opportunities for breeders! 2026 Schedule Wednesday, September 30, 2026 6:00 – 7:30 pm (EST) “Prepaid Registration Made Easy with AKC Breeder Toolkit” Presented by the AKC BRET Team Discover a smarter way to register your puppies and see why […]