AKC Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Congratulations are in order for the The American Kennel Club (AKC) who is proud to be celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009. First founded in 1884, only nine breeds where registered at the time compared to the 161 recognized today.

Check out what breeds made the cut in 1884 -

Pointer

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

English Setter

Gordon Setter

Irish Setter

Clumber Spaniel

Cocker Spaniel

Irish Water Spaniel

Sussex Spaniel

Interesting AKC tidbits:

• In 1884 the English Cocker Spaniel and the Cocker Spaniel were registered as the same breed. They were separated in 1946.


• The original breeds are all current members of the Sporting Group - dogs bred to help man find and retrieve game.


• None of the original nine are in today's AKC Top 10 Most Popular Dogs in the US, but the qualities that made them effective hunters, trainability and desire to please, make them ideal family dogs today.

For more information, visit http://www.akc.org/.

Irish Dog Breeds 101

The day of green is upon us. Time to celebrate St. Patrick by decking ourselves out in green attire (to keep from getting pinched of course!) and gathering with friends at the local pub for a pint or two.

There are many things that I love about St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general. The tales of leprechauns and the dream of finding that big pot of gold, delicious dishes passed down from generation to generation like corn beef hash and cabbage (yum!), lovely lucky clovers and of course who can forget all of the amazing varieties of canines that come from this land of rolling green hills.

Below is a quick reference guide to some of Ireland's finest breeds -

Irish Terrier
Irish Setter
Irish Red and White Setter
Irish Wolfhound
Irish Water Spaniel
Irish Glen of Imaal Terrier
Kerry Blue Terrier
Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier
Kerry Beagle


For more information on the dog breeds listed above (history / characteristics / breeder information), please check out the following sites -

AKC.org, The American Kennel Club Celebrates These Irish Dog Breeds

Petplace.com, Irish Dog Breeds

POLKA DOT PRODUCT PICK - AKC Plush Toys

Do you have a pup or adult dog that is just plain hard on their toys? If so, I have to recommend AKC's Plush Toys to all the Polka Dot Pup readers.


My two year old Labrador loves to tear things apart and her toys are no exception. When I discovered these AKC toys, I could not believe how durable they were. My pup just loves the different animal shapes (must be her inner hound!). The toys come in many different shapes and sizes. Vixen's favorite by far is the squeaky squirrel!

AKC recently came out with their AKC Puppy Series. These toys are so darn cute, with adorable shapes and colors they are perfect for any new addition to the family!


Check out AKCstore.org to learn more about these great toys. You can also find them at Petco and Target stores.