The American Kennel Club expanded its litter of registered breeds on June 1 to welcome the American English Coonhound to the Hound group, Finnish Lapphund to the Herding group, and Cesky Terrier to the Terrier group – growing AKC’s family to 173 breeds.
“The AKC is excited to add these wonderful breeds to our registry and give families even more dogs to choose from,” said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “From hunters to herders, each breed has a unique history, and makes loving, devoted family pets.”
To become an AKC recognized breed there needs to be a certain number of dogs geographically distributed throughout the U.S. and an established breed club to watch over them. Breeds waiting to gain full recognition are recorded in AKC’s Foundation Stock Service.
Comparable to a well-conditioned athlete, the American English Coonhound is an avid hunter known for its tremendous speed and loud voice. Originally these hounds were used to hunt fox by day and raccoon by night in the American colonies. Today, they still need regular daily exercise to stay in shape. They are affectionate dogs that appear alert and confident and make great companions for active owners. American English Coonhounds are sociable animals that get along well with people and other dogs. They are very trainable and eager to please.
The Finnish Lapphund is an alert and agile dog. The first Finnish Lapphunds were the helper dogs of the Sami – a tribe of semi-nomadic people in the northern region of Finland, Sweden, and part of Russia called Lapland. Because they were originally bred to live and work outside north of the Arctic Circle herding reindeer, Finnish Lapphunds have a thick double coat. They are intelligent, eager to learn, and are calm and friendly with people. They make loving and devoted family pets that do well with children and other dogs.
Intelligent and full of energy, the Cesky Terrier was bred to hunt vermin, fox, and badger, among others. They are active dogs that love to play, and require daily exercise. Cesky Terriers are loyal to their families, patient, gentle, and get along well with people of all ages, making them a wonderful family pet. They are anxious to please and easy to train. Their coat requires daily grooming as puppies and brushing twice a week as adults.
For more information about these breeds, visit the Parent Club section of the AKC website, or meet them in person at Meet the Breeds at the Javits Center in New York City on November 19th and 20th or at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship December 17th and 18th in Orlando, Florida.Visit www.meetthebreeds.com for more details.
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