Dogs Breeds

For the uninitiated, the words "AKC Dog Breed" might be confusing. What exactly does the acronym "AKC" stand for? It stands for the American Kennel Club. The AKC serves as the registry for all purebred puppies in the United States of America.

This club holds obedience competitions and dog shows, maintains dog standards and registers puppies of AKC-recognized breeds. Simply put, this is the benchmark by which all dogs are judged against to be seen as purebreds. There are over 100 different dog breeds registered with the AKC.

You do, however, need documentation from both the puppies parents In order to register the puppy. Purebred litters are registered shortly after the puppies are born. When they are eight weeks old, the breeder receives a registration application to enter each puppy into the AKC registration. When the new owner of the puppy names their pet, they can register and send the application into the AKC for official recognition.

There are eight different types of AKC dog breeds, including the Hound Group, the Sporting Group, the Working Group, the Non-Working Group, the Toy Group and the Terrier Group. Each dog competes within their group and within its breed during competitions.

Dogs that have a natural affinity to chase other animals and work as superb hunters are placed in the Hound Group. They can be either slow and methodical or fast and impatient like the Greyhound.

Next, the Sporting Group is active, hard-working dogs. They need to expend their energy through exercise and can spend hours happily fetching and spotting objects for their masters. The Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel are dogs belonging to the Sporting Group.

The Working Group is breeds such as the Doberman Pinschers or Rottweilers. They are highly concerned with protecting their home and family. They typically have plenty of power and energy with strong protective instincts.

There is also the Non-Working Group, which is a category for dogs that do not belong to the other groups. Everything from the Standard Poodle to the Boston Terrier belong to this group.

As the name suggests, the Toy Group features dogs that are smaller in size, such as the Miniature Pinscher.

Finally, the Terrier Group shows animals that love to hunt mice, including Yorkies and Scottish Terriers.

There is yet another group called the Miscellaneous Group which is where the AKC puts new breeds that are still establishing themselves in the registry. Although AKC is the most well-known club in USA, there are other clubs like the United Kennel Club, the American Canine Association, the Canine Kennel Club and the North American Purebred Dog Registry.

Owners can request that their dogs be accredited with the AKC and submit a formal request, allowing AKC to assess their application. British dogs, for example, go through the Kennel Club, while Australian dogs are registered in the Victorian Canine Association and Canadian dogs apply to the Canadian Kennel Club.