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A winsome but hardworking Hungarian herding dog, a swift and ancient African hound and a playful, fur-free terrier are about to get their first shot at the most famous US canine championship. The pumi, the sloughi and the American hairless terrier will be newcomers at next month's Westminster Kennel Club dog show, competing among as many as 202 breeds and varieties for the coveted best in show award.

Just a reminder: MONDAY & TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16-17, 8PM-11PM (eastern) Monday night is LIVE ON CNBC from 8-11 PM Tuesday night is LIVE ON USA from 8-11 PM The American Kennel Club has made the Coton de Tulear (Non-Sporting Group) and the Wirehaired Vizsla (Sporting Group) eligible for competition in 2014 and they will be making their first appearance at Westminster in 2015.

Dear Dog Lover, The American Kennel Club® (AKC) and the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) have today issued statements to highlight their vehement disapproval of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)’s apparent policy of euthanizing animals frequently at its shelter in Norfolk, VA. Furthermore, the AKC has called for the PETA shelter to take steps towards balancing its adoption and euthanasia rates for dogs and cats in its shelter. “While most shelters strive for a 90% re-homing rate, PETA is apparently proud of their 99% killing rate and callously boasts that the animals it rescues are ‘better off...

Under the proposed regulations, breeders or others who sell a puppy sight unseen, by any means including online, by mail or by telephone, would now be regulated in accordance with USDA standards, if you own more than four "breeding females" of any of the listed species, including dogs and cats. The effect of these proposed regulations would be to take away the public’s opportunity to obtain puppies from those breeders, who in many cases have dedicated their lives to breeding for health, breed type and temperament. As the leader and expert in breeding and maintaining dogs for more than a...

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A peppy Scottish terrier known as Sadie was crowned the nation's top dog on Tuesday, winning Best in Show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club championship. Sadie, a jet-black four-year-old bitch formally known as Ch Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot, displayed the ideal combination of breeding standards and confidence, beating out 2,500 entrants at the 134-year-old dog show. "She's the total package," marveled Elliot Weiss, of Eagle, Idaho, who judged the Best in Show round before a cheering, capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden. "This is the complete dog ... That's what you want a Scottie to...

The Scottish Terrier won tonight.

For the 19th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever has held on to its title as America's "Top Dog," according to the American Kennel Club's (AKC) 2009 registration statistics. In a nod to watchdog breeds, the German Shepherd Dog overtook the Yorkshire Terrier to claim the spot of "second most popular pooch" for the first time in more than three decades. An American favorite since the time of Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd Dog became the number one breed of the 1920s, but then slipped in popularity until after World War II. The German Shepherd Dog isn't the only working...

Obama wins 2009 AKC "Best of SHow".

Apparently the Super Bowl ad didn't get enough attention.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Ku-Klux Klan are probably two organizations that don't draw any immediate parallels in the minds of most Americans. When the 133rd annual Westminster Dog Show airs on the USA Network next week, it is probably a safe bet that the last things that will pop into the skulls of the sane are burning crosses, lynchings and white hoods.Then, of course, there's PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) - the radical organization of unhinged moonbats that advocates moral and legal equality between human beings and animals. This is the same fanatical...

This is a great public service announcement by the AKC on the importance of properly training and caring for your new puppy. Marley video Thanks to Darnright for finding this.

As President-Elect Barack Obama prepares to move into the White House, he will now have to make good on all his campaign promises, including his most important vow to his family -- to get his daughters a dog.

AKC Selects Short List of "Canine Candidates" and Enlists America's Help to Choose the Right Dog Breed for the Obama Family @ www.presidentialpup.com New York, NY – Vice President isn't the only high-level position that Barack Obama is currently trying to fill. It's been widely reported that – win or lose – the Obamas have promised their two daughters a dog after the presidential election. With 158 breeds registered by the American Kennel Club® (AKC®) – each with its own unique temperament, coat type, size, energy level and appearance – the search for a canine cabinet member is on. "Deciding...

NEW YORK - For the first time in 72 years, the bulldog has muscled its way back into the Top 10 most popular breeds in the nation. The top dog for the 17th consecutive year was the Labrador retriever, the American Kennel Club said Wednesday. The bulldog was selected 10th in a survey of the 50 largest cities in 2007. "The bulldog is both docile and adaptive and can thrive in small or large homes," the AKC said. "It's an excellent all-around family pet." The thickset canine, with its low-swung body, sagging snout and wide shoulders, last made the Top...

AKC dog registry welcoming coonhounds to purebred world By Coke Ellington Associated Press Raleigh | The American Kennel Club is trying to make coonhounds couth. The nation's largest and most recognized dog registry is in the early stages of a major push to add coonhounds to its prestigious rolls, hoping both to increase its membership and to assure these sad-eyed symbols of country life stick around a while longer. "We're interested in the registration of these dogs and their litters, but we're most interested in preserving these dogs for the future," said Steve Fielder, who moved to Raleigh in late...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A colored bull terrier known as Rufus made history on Tuesday, becoming the first of his breed to win best in show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.Formally named Rocky Top's Sundance Kid, the 5-year-old tan and white bull terrier beat six other finalists, including classic family dogs such as a golden retriever and an Old English sheepdog who were the clear crowd pleasers. He also triumphed over more than 2,600 other entrants at the world's largest and most prestigious dog show.But Rufus' owner Barbara Bishop of Holmdel, New Jersey, said her dog was...

NEW YORK - When he was a boy, Hiram Stewart took a bus to Virginia, put a puppy in a paper bag and cradled it all the way home to New Orleans.For more than three decades, he’s cared for dogs in the Big Easy. Usually champion dogs, the kind that will reach the Best in Show ring this week at Westminster.Still, nothing prepared him for what he saw happening to pets around town after Hurricane Katrina hit. Like that pair of little beagles with the pleading eyes, chained inside a garage.“Every time a car would drive by, they’d come out,...

Has anyone noticed that Ron Reagan is a commentator on the AKC Eukanuba National Championship? It's on live now on Animal Planet.I'd rather listen to the dogs.

The poodle pranced to the top of the list of Manhattan's most popular dog breeds in 2005. The poodle edged out the Labrador retriever and dachshund, the American Kennel Club said Tuesday. Manhattan's standard, miniature and toy poodles snatched No. 1 from the borough's dachshunds, which slid to third from 2004's top spot. The Labrador retriever was ranked No. 2, according to the kennel club, which based the rankings on its national registration statistics broken down by ZIP code. Next in popularity were the Yorkshire terrier, golden retriever, bulldog, French bulldog, Shih Tzu and Havanese. The 10th spot was shared...

Not too long ago, Labrador retrievers were considered a tad exotic. In the 1950s, the sporty mid-size breed was a suburban rarity, popular mainly among upper-crust Anglophiles who liked the idea of owning a dignified hunting dog. Today, however, Labs are the Levi's jeans of purebred dogs. They've topped the American Kennel Club's list of registered canines for 12 years straight. And not just topped, but dominated: The number of registered Labs is nearly three times the number of golden retrievers, the second most popular dog on the list