Twelve-year-old Buddy loves spending vacation weeks by the sea shore in his favorite red, white & blue chair. The 12-year-old Chihuahua-terrier mix looks forward to beach trips with his owner, Michelle Antonio of Benicia, CA. Taking your dog to the beach can be a great way to spend a beautiful summer day. However, as a responsible dog […]

Omri is a Miniature Schnauzer/American Staffordshire Terrier mix that Karen adopted from a shelter when he was just 3 months old. He proved very early on that he was born to be a therapy dog. “Everywhere we go, he makes a beeline toward people, regardless of what else is going on in his environment,” Karen […]

Each breed’s health testing requirements originate with a “parent club,” the AKC-recognized national club devoted to a particular breed. To assist breeders in fulfilling these requirements, AKC has compiled the health testing requirements for each breed, organized by group on the left navigation of this page. AKC Breeder Programs that Require Health Testing: Breeders that participate […]

Through December 31, 2016, the AKC collected over 709,000 DNA profiles in its database. The AKC DNA database has samples from 243 AKC and FSS breeds. The top ten breeds that are AKC DNA Profiled are: Labrador Retriever (54,006) Yorkshire Terrier (45,080) German Shepherd Dog (37,606) Dachshund (35,831) Poodle (33,069) Chihuahua (27,373) Golden Retriever (27,292) […]

In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]

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, […]

As legend has it, the roots of the Kerry Blue Terrier harken back to the Spanish Armada. Learn more about the history of the Kerry Blue Terrier.

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 new division of Elementary for beginner dogs. The AKC Agility League is sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, YuMove and AKC Pet Insurance. The League […]

Hello, my name is Celeste Morelli and I am in Juniors. I am in Open Intermediate and I have Standard Poodles! I have been practicing since I was seven years old and I have been showing since I was nine years old. My breed is harder than most, but it is really fun to work […]

About AKC Meet the Breeds From Affenpinschers to the Yorkshire Terrier and everything in between, AKC Meet the Breeds® gives pet lovers the unique opportunity to meet and play with more than 150 different dog and cat breeds in booths individually decorated to depict each breed’s country of origin, historical purpose/function, and attributes as a […]