The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the largest, most popular, and most influential registry of purebred dogs in the United States.
It is also the only non-profit pedigree registry in the United States.
They also organize, promote, and sanction events where dogs and handlers engage in friendly competitions; most are annual events.
These events are divided into conformation shows, companion events, and performance events.
Dogs have been man’s best friend ever since domestication, but since the early 1800s, English people have become particularly interested in them.
Dogs were seen as lovely creatures, and soon, this fad spread across North America.
In 1884, ten American and three Canadian clubs founded the American Kennel Club (AKC) to advance the study, exhibit, and maintain the purebred dogs.
However, in 1886, the Canadian breed clubs pulled out of AKC because of conflicts between the Canadian and American clubs, and the Canadian Kennel Club was formed in 1888.
The National American Kennel Club was founded in 1876, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event, started in 1877.
In 1909, AKC became incorporated after it had been situated in New York.
The Process of Registration
For a pure-breed dog to be eligible to register with the American Kennel Club, the dog’s parents must be registered as the same breed.
This ensures that the dog’s parents are of the recognized breed. Also, this helps to determine their bloodlines’ health and quality.
However, an exception can be made for a dog eligible to be registered with AKC. Yet, if the club sees fit, the dog can be registered through special registry research.
Once the eligibility is met, the dog can be registered as a pure breed with the AKC through litter application or registry research.
However, this kind of registration only records that the dog’s parents are of a recognized breed and nothing more. The quality of their bloodlines, as well as their health, cannot be ascertained.
The Programs of the American Kennel Club
AKC is a popular registry but is loved because of its events. More to the shows they sanction, they also set up the following program:
Canine Good Citizen Program
This program involves testing dogs of any type or breed (pure and mixed breed – whether registered or not) for basic behavior and temperament.
This ensures that they are suitable for appearing in public and having homes.
Therapy dogs
The club provides titles for therapy dogs. AKC therapy dog organizations have visited homes with dogs certified by AKC to ensure they are therapy dogs.
AKC Humane Fund
An AKC affiliate called AKC Humane Fund helps support charity activities such as breed rescue activities.
They also help shelters that allow victims of domestic violence to bring their pets, educating them and other dog lovers on how to be a responsible dog owner.
AKC Reunite
An AKC affiliate program is AKC Reunite, initially called AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR), founded in 1995. This helps provide recovery services and pet ID.
Conclusion
The American Kennel Club, although the most prominent and influential registry, has also suffered a lot of criticism in the past; they are still in business.
They are still faced with many controversies and criticisms.
