This year the AKC has recognized 3 new dog breeds that will be eligible to compete at the AKC Eukanuba National Championship in 2013 and at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in February 2014. Another 15 breeds are waiting on deck in the miscellaneous class to become full-fledged AKC recognized dog breeds and eligible to compete in one of the seven groups (working, sporting, non-sporting, hound, terrier, toy and herding).
Meet the New Breeds
The first of our new AKC recognized breeds is the home grown sled dog, the Chinook. This breed was developed in 1900 in New Hampshire by the Polar explorer Arthur Treadwell Walden. The name, Chinook, is derived from an Inuit word which means warm winter wind. Seeking to create a powerful draft dog with intelligence, trainability, speed and agility, the breed was developed by crossing mastiffs (draft dogs) with the Greenland Husky and the Belgian and German shepherds. The result is a gentle, intelligent dog with speed and excellent drafting power. These big dogs range in height from 22- 26 inches at the shoulder.
Chinooks have a dense double coat that is tan or tawny in color, which sheds heavily twice a year. The Gentle Chinooks make excellent family pets, as they were not developed for protection you should not expect them to perform as guard dogs.
Learn more about the breed at the AKC website.
The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is a small sight hound, standing 8-12 inches at the shoulder. While they hunt primarily by sight, they also use scent and sound to track their prey. Used mainly for rabbit hunting, this breed is related to the Pharaoh Hound, Cirneco dell'Etna, The Basenji and the Ibizan hound. Developed over 3000 years ago in the Iberian Peninsula, the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, which is a national dog of Portugal, was just introduced to the United States in the 1990s.
The Portugeuse Podengo Pequeros come in two coat textures, the smooth coat which is dense and the wire coat which is longer and harsher in texture. They are typically yellow or fawn in color, and may have white markings. With their erect ears and fawn markings they are reminiscent of their forebears, the Ibizan hound, in miniature.
Intelligent, easy to train and high drive, these dogs make excellent obedience, agility and rally dogs. Bred to chase all day, they need a job to do and regular exercise. Be sure to keep them in a fenced yard as their instinct to chase prey can get them into trouble in a suburban or urban environment.
The third new breed gaining full acceptance this year in the AKC registry is the Rat Terrier. This is another home grown American breed, a multipurpose companion dog that hunts rodents and other vermin both above and below ground. They course small game as well.
Rat terriers are come in two sizes the miniature (standing 10-13 inches at the shoulder) and the standard (13-18 inches). Their coat is smooth, and comes in any variation of parti-colored patterns made up of large patches of one or more colors (typically black, red, fawn, tan, chocolate, blue or lemon) in combination with white markings.
The breed was developed from a mixture of terrier and hound crosses. Ancestors of the Rat Terrier include the Fox Terriers, the Manchester Terrier, Old English White Terriers, the Bull Terrier, as well as the Beagle, Toy Fox Terriers, Whippets and Italian Greyhounds added into the breed in more recent times. From 1910 through the dust bowl era of the 1930s, the Rat Terrier was one of the most common American farm dogs, valued for their ability to keep vermin at bay.
They are loyal and playful companions, however they may be aloof with strangers. Intelligent and very active, they make excellent obedience, rally, agility, and earth dogs. Their smooth coats shed very little and are easy to maintain with a curry comb. Learn more about them at www.AKC.org
The AKC's Miscellaneous Dog Breeds
Breeds awaiting full AKC recognition are placed in the Miscellaneous Class until the AKC sets a date for full recognition. These breeds that we can expect to see entering the AKC over then next 2 years include:
Azawakh
Belgian Laekenois
Bergamasco
Berger Picard
Boerboel
Cirneco dell'Etna
Coton de Tulear
Dogo Argentino
Lagotto Romagnolo
Miniature American Shepherd
Peruvian Inca Orchid
Pumi
Sloughi
Spanish Water Dog
Wirehaired Vizsla
