Current:Home > ScamsMeet the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club, a little dog with a big smile-LoTradeCoin
Meet the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club, a little dog with a big smile
View Date:2024-12-24 00:19:53
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s small in stature, big on activity and known for a “smile,” and it’s ready to compete with 200 other dog breeds.
Say hello to the Lancashire heeler, the latest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club. The organization announced Wednesday that the rare herding breed is now eligible for thousands of U.S. dog shows, including the prominent Westminster Kennel Club show.
With long bodies and short coats that are often black an tan, the solidly built dogs are shaped a bit like a downsized corgi, standing around 1 foot (30 centimeters) at the shoulder and weighing up to about 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms). Historically, they were farm helpers that could both drive cattle and rout rats, and today they participate in an array of canine sports and pursuits.
“They’re gritty little dogs, and they’re very intelligent little dogs,” says Patricia Blankenship of Flora, Mississippi, who has bred them for over a decade. “It’s an enjoyable little breed to be around.”
Their official description — or breed standard, in dog-world parlance — calls for them to be “courageous, happy, affectionate to owner,” and owners say contented heelers sometimes pull back their lips in a “smile.”
They’re “extremely versatile,” participating in everything from scent work to dock diving contests, says United States Lancashire Heeler Club President Sheryl Bradbury. But she advises that a Lancashire heeler “has to have a job,” whether it’s an organized dog sport or simply walks and fetch with its owners.
The dogs benefit from meeting various different people and canines, added Bradbury, who breeds them in Plattsmouth, Nebraska.
Lancashire heelers go back centuries in the United Kingdom, where they’re now deemed a “vulnerable native breed” at risk of dying out in their homeland. Britain’s Kennel Club has added an average of just 121 Lancashire heelers annually to its registry in recent years, and the American Kennel Club says only about 5,000 exist worldwide.
Founded in 1884, the AKC is the United States’ oldest purebred dog registry and functions like a league for many canine competitions, including sports open to mixed-breeds and purebreds. But only the 201 recognized breeds vie for the traditional “best in show” trophies at Westminster and elsewhere.
To get recognized, a breed must count at least 300 pedigreed dogs, distributed through at least 20 states, and fanciers must agree on a breed standard. Recognition is voluntary, and some breeds’ aficionados approach other kennel clubs or none at all.
Adding breeds, or even perpetuating them, bothers animal rights activists. They argue that dog breeding powers puppy mills, reduces pet adoptions and accentuates canine health problems by compressing genetic diversity.
The AKC says it promotes responsibly “breeding for type and function” to produce dogs with special skills, such as tracking lost people, as well as pets with characteristics that owners can somewhat predict and prepare for. The club has given over $32 million since 1995 to a foundation that underwrites canine health research.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
- 'Half American' explores how Black WWII servicemen were treated better abroad
- Former Mississippi corrections officer has no regrets after being fired for caring for inmate's baby
- Moschino Creative Director Davide Renne Dead at 46 Just 9 Days After Stepping Into Role
- Whoopi Goldberg calling herself 'a working person' garners criticism from 'The View' fans
- Woman arrested after Veterans Memorial statue in South Carolina is destroyed, peed on: Police
- Is C.J. Stroud's early NFL success a surprise? Not if you know anything about his past.
- A missile strike targets Kyiv as Russian train carriages derail due to ‘unauthorized interference’
- Republican Scott Baugh concedes to Democrat Dave Min in critical California House race
- Michigan awaits a judge’s ruling on whether Jim Harbaugh can coach the team against Penn State
Ranking
- Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
- Peoria Book Rack is a true book lovers hub in Illinois: Here are the books they recommend
- Kenya doomsday cult leader found guilty of illegal filming, but yet to be charged over mass deaths
- Barbra Streisand says she's not a diva - she's a director
- Northern Taurid meteor shower hits peak activity this week: When and where to watch
- Actors back. Pandas gone. WeBankrupt.
- 'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro returns to TV with two new shows, update on injured hand
- Jezebel's parent company shuts down feminist news website after 16 years
Recommendation
-
'Wanted' posters plastered around University of Rochester target Jewish faculty members
-
Could creativity transform medicine? These artists think so
-
Are banks open today or on Veterans Day? Is the post office closed? Here's what to know.
-
Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidates
-
Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
-
The alleged theft at the heart of ChatGPT
-
National Guard members fight to have injuries recognized and covered: Nobody's listening
-
How Rachel Bilson Deals With the Criticism About Her NSFW Confessions