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The AKC – Know Your Dog's Genealogy

The AKC – Know Your Dog's Genealogy

When you shop for a purebred dog, you will probably notice that many breeders use the initials AKC when they talk about their purebred puppies. What exactly is the AKC? These initials stand for the American Kennel Club, a registry for purebred dogs born in the United States. The AKC holds dog shows and obedience competitions, helps maintain breed standards, and registers puppies of recognized breeds. The AKC registers dogs from over a hundred different dog breeds.

For a dog to be registered with the AKC, the breeder needs to have AKC papers for both parents. Each litter is registered as a group shortly after the puppies are born. When the puppies are eight weeks old, the breeder gets a registration application for each puppy. This form goes with the puppy to his new home. The new owner chooses a name to register the puppy under and sends the application in to the American Kennel Club.

The AKC has divided the dog breeds it recognizes into eight different groups. These groups are the Sporting Group, the Hound Group, the Working Group, the Terrier Group, the Toy Group, the Non-Sporting Group, the Herding Group, and the Miscellaneous Class. Each dog breed recognized by the AKC is placed in one of these groups and will compete in its breed and then its group in the show ring.

Dogs in the Sporting Group are an active, hard working bunch. These dogs need plenty of exercise, since they were bred to spend long hours spotting and retrieving game. Some popular members of the Sporting Group are the Golden Retriever and the Cocker Spaniel.

The Hound Group also is made up of dogs that work with hunters to catch game, but these guys are all about the chase. Hounds can be slow and methodical, like the Bloodhound, or fast and impatient, like the Greyhound.

If you are more concerned about protecting your home, you will want to take a look at dogs in the Working Group. These big dogs are powerful animals with strong protective instincts. Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers are just two of the dog breeds in this group.

Dogs in the Terrier Group love to hunt mice and rats. This group includes the dour Scottish Terriers and the personable Miniature Schnauzers.

The Toy Group may be made up of dogs that are small in size, but their hearts are just as big as those of any other dogs. The Yorkshire Terrier and the Miniature Pinscher are both Toy dogs.

Dogs in the Herding Group have a strong herding instinct. The Collie and the German Shepherd are members of this group.

The Non-Sporting Group contains dogs that don't quite fit anywhere else. The Boston Terrier and Standard Poodles are members of the Non-Sporting Group.

The final group, the Miscellaneous Class, is where the AKC puts breeds that are still proving themselves. The Redbone Coonhound is a member of this group.

While the AKC may be the most popular kennel club in America, it is far from being the only kennel club. If your dog is not registered with AKC, you may be able to still register it with another group. The United Kennel Club, the American Canine Association, the Canine Kennel Club, and the North American Purebred Dog Registry are a few other American kennel clubs.

Of course, foreign born dogs have ancestors, too. There is some type of dog registry in most countries. Most dogs born outside of the United States must be registered with their country's breed registry and then brought to the United States before the AKC will consider registering them.

British dogs are registered through the Kennel Club, while dogs born in Australia are registered by the Victorian Canine Association, which is part of Australia's National Kennel Council.

The Canadian Kennel Club, or CKC, is Canada's version of the AKC. Dogs registered with the CKC do not have to come to the United States to be registered with the AKC.

As you look into the different registries available, just remember that even if you can't register your dog, the most important thing about him is not his pedigree. Enjoying his loving, loyal companionship is more important than knowing who his ancestors are!

If you melt at the sight of big sad eyes, you may not be able to resist buying a Basset Hound puppy. These dogs have eyes that would melt even the hardest heart and a sweet and loving disposition to boot.

The Basset Hound has a keen sense of smell and can track scents almost as well as its ancestor, the Bloodhound. In fact, this member of the American Kennel Club's hound group is apt to become so obsessed with a scent that he will ignore commands to come or heel. Basset Hounds were developed to be able to track scents through tight areas where the larger scent hounds could not fit.

The Basset Hound weighs around sixty pounds and stands between eighteen and twenty inches high. These dogs can come in any AKC recognized hound dog color, although a dog with a white base coat with brown and black patches is most common. The Basset has long, droopy ears which almost touch the ground when he is standing. His undershot jaw, broad chest, and short legs combine to give him a comical and clumsy appearance, but this dog can actually move very gracefully.

Basset Hounds are ideal apartment dogs, as long as neighbors don't mind their mournful vocalizations. These dogs actually don't care to exercise unless they are tracking a scent, but they must receive daily exercise to stay healthy. To keep your Basset in shape, you will have to walk with him, even if you have a fenced yard.

If you are looking for a pet who does well with children or other pets, then a Basset Hound is a wonderful choice. These dogs adore people and will do anything to be with them. More than one Basset has endured the indignity of dressing up in frilly gowns just so he can spend time with the children he loves.

Although Basset Hounds are loving and devoted pets, they do have a stubborn streak. Some people mistake this stubbornness for an intelligence problem and think that their Basset isn't smart enough to learn obedience. However, if you look closely at your Basset as he is disobeying, you may just catch a naughty twinkle in his big, sad eyes. Your Basset is more apt to obey commands that mean he is spending time with you than commands that don't interest him, such as the stay command. Since these dogs are a bit difficult to train, you may want to consider taking your puppy to obedience classes to get professional training help.

Basset Hounds love to eat. Since this chow hound behavior and their disinterest in exercise is a bad combination, you will need to keep a close eye on your Basset's food consumption. If your Basset becomes overweight, ask your veterinarian to recommend a food that will help him lose some weight.

Bassets require little grooming. Brush through his hair once a week to remove dirt and loose hair. You may also need to check his ears to be sure he doesn't develop any problems, since the air may not circulate well in such droopy ears. In fact, ear infections are one of the main health problems with this breed. Other common health problems are spinal related injuries and eye diseases.

If you want a dog whose sole purpose is to please his owners, then a Basset Hound may be the perfect choice for you and your family.