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American Kennel Club

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The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. The AKC registered just over 900,000 dogs in 2003. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, it also promotes events for purebred dogs, including the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.

[edit] Dog registration

The AKC is not the only registry of purebred dogs, but it is the one with which most Americans are familiar. For a dog to be registered with the AKC, the dog's parents must be registered with the AKC as the same breed, and the litter in which the dog is born must be registered with the AKC. Once these criteria are met, the dog can be registered as purebred by the AKC.

Registration indicates only that the dog is purely of one recognized breed; it does not necessarily indicate that the dog comes from healthy or show-quality blood lines. Nor is registration necessarily a reflection on the quality of the breeder or how the puppy was raised.

Registration is necessary only for breeders (so they can sell registered puppies) or for purebred dog show or purebred dog sports participation (similar to the medieval requirement of nobility for jousting competitions).

If you have a purebred dog that cannot be registered with the AKC and have a desire to see what your dog can do in real competition, an ILP number is your ticket to the world of AKC events and clubs!

Indefinite Listing Privilege Program (ILP): The program that provides purebred dogs a second chance. There are various reasons why a purebred dog might not be eligible for registration. The dog may the product of an unregistered litter, or have unregistered parents. The dog's papers may have been withheld by its breeder or lost by its owner. Sometimes, it is the dog itself that was "lost." There are many dogs enrolled in the ILP program after they have been surrendered or abandoned, then adopted by new owners from animal shelters or purebred rescue groups. The ILP program allows the dog and owner a second chance at discovering the rewards of participating in AKC events.

What AKC events may an ILP dog Participate in? The Indefinite Listing Privilege Program (ILP) is designed to allow dogs to participate in AKC Companion and Performance Events. The AKC Events that an ILP dog can participate in are:

[edit] Recognized breeds

As of October 2004, the AKC recognizes only 157 of the hundreds of dog breeds known around the world, and another 51 rare breeds can be registered in its Foundation Stock Service.

The AKC divides dog breeds into seven groups, one class, and the Foundation Stock Service, consisting of the following as of October, 2004:

  • Working Group: 24 large breeds[3] developed for a variety of jobs, including guarding property, guarding lifestock, or pulling carts.
  • Non-sporting Group: 17 breeds[6] that do not fit into any of the preceding categories, usually larger than Toy dogs.
  • Miscellaneous Class: 4 breeds[8] that have advanced from FSS but that are not yet fully recognized. After a period of time that ensures that good breeding practices are in effect and that the gene pool for the breed is ample, the breed is moved to one of the seven preceding classes.
  • Foundation Stock Service (FSS) program: 51 breeds[9]. This is a breed registry in which breeders of rare breeds can record the birth and parentage of a breed that they are trying to establish in the United States; these dogs provide the foundation stock from which eventually a fully recognized breed might result. These breeds cannot participate in AKC events until at least 150 individual dogs are registered; thereafter, competition in various events is then provisional.
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