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Pet Article
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is actually a non profit organization that was established in 1884
to begin and maintain the registry, specify standards in dog breeds, sanction events and promote
responsible ownership of dogs. It is the responsibility of the breeder or owner to register
with the American Kennel Club. There is a fee, application, and many rules and standards that
even include allowable pet names. If applicants are approved as purebred in one of the
recognized dog breeds and meet all other requirements, the AKC will issue certificates. The
dogs are then allowed to compete in American Kennel Club sanctioned events.
The AKC determines if they will add new dog breeds based on many factors, including popularity.
There are also American Kennel Club standards, such as accepted coloration, coat, size, and
body type. Ever watch a competition on TV and wonder why a judge stands in front of a
Chihuahua for five minutes or seems so interested in a Beagle’s tail? Judges must be familiar
with and make decisions based on the breed standards. The guidelines are very specific, a
Golden Retriever can be disqualified for having an overbite!
What if your dog isn’t AKC registered, or even one of the American Kennel Club recognized dog
breeds?
Your dog doesn’t have to be AKC registered as a purebred in one of the recognized dog breeds
to be a good pet. The American Kennel Club registry is simply a genealogical database to
determine the background of dogs. It’s just as fun to watch the competitions on TV and guess
at the background of your mixed breed!
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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