Three New Breeds Recognized by American Kennel Club
“Smart, courageous and determined” is how the American Kennel Club describes the Basset Fauve de Bretagne, a dog breed now recognized by the AKC, meaning the small hunting dog will be able to compete in shows.
The Fauve, also known as the fawn colored Brittany basset, is joined by two other newly recognized breeds, the Russian tsvetnaya bolonka and the Teddy Roosevelt terrier. This brings the population of AKC-recognized breeds up to 205, all of them eligible to compete in the thousands of events held every year.
The tsvetnaya bolonka, or colored lapdog, was “originally bred to be the ultimate house pet for apartment living,” according to the AKC press release. “Sweet, loving, intelligent, and willing to please, he is friendly to all and shows no sign of aggression.”
The Teddy Roosevelt terrier was a favorite of early American immigrants. Its ancestry likely includes the smooth fox and Manchester terriers, with hints of beagle, whippet, and Italian greyhound. These little hunters are much like the short-legged rat terriers owned by Teddy Roosevelt. The 26th president had many dogs, but his favorite was Skip, “one absurd little terrier,” as Roosevelt referred to the pup in a letter to his son. Skip loved to race up and down the slick polished hallway floors in the White House.
To become AKC-recognized, a breed needs to have an active following by responsible owners and breeders in the US and there needs to be a sufficient population of dogs in the US, geographically distributed throughout the country. Recognized breeds compete in such big-deal events as the Westminster Dog Show and the AKC National Championship.
Speaking of which, the AKC also just announced this year’s national champ, a Lhasa Apso known as “JJ,” who beat out more than 5,500 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize. The 5-year-old was crowned Best in Show in the nation's biggest dog show in December. With the three newcomers strutting their stuff in future events, the competition just got a little tougher.
Watch JJ declared Best in Show here.
Photo credit: American Kennel Club
