Pyrenean Shepherd / KCP
Irish Red and White Setter / KCP
Norwegian Buhund / KCP
"There have been times when we've gone three of four years without adding a new breed, and then maybe just one breed and then no more for a while, so three is a lot," says longtime National Dog Show announcer Wayne Ferguson.
If a breed is new to the National Dog Show, that means it's also newly recognized by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia (which runs the show) and the American Kennel Club, the granddaddy of all dog registries. But it doesn't mean the breed hasn't been around long. The Irish Red and White Setter, for example, is one of many breeds that was first introduced to America after World War II.
"The AKC is constantly being approached about miscellaneous breeds," says Ferguson. "They only accept 168 of them, but there are a couple hundred more out there that are recognized in many countries." Other American kennel clubs, like the United Kennel Club, recognizes many breeds that the AKC doesn't.
The process of gaining recognition for a particular breed can be lengthy and takes a lot of lobbying on the part of breeders and dog-show enthusiasts. "Various people will plead their case over and over, and the AKC will compile a file and then say, 'You know, we're getting a lot of Buhund people talking to us; we got 80 emails last month asking when we're going to bring them in.' Then they'll see what good examples there are out there of the breed." When the AKC feels that an exemplary standard of the breed has been achieved, chances are it's show time.
So what do you need to know about this year's debuting breeds? Read on.
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