My Friendly Pets

The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes 169 various breeds of dog, however there are double that in the world. Recently the American Kennel Club added three new breeds that they are now recognizing. The Tibetan Mastiff looks similar in stature to the breed of Mastiff that was discussed in a prior entry. However this mastiff has gained popularity in this country and the AKC will not consider registering a breed unless there is an organized American breed club in place. The Tibetan mastiff ranges between 24 an 29 inches tall and can weigh between 80 and 140 lbs. They were originally bred to protect monestaries, nomads and homes in Tibet. The president of the American Tibetan Mastiff Association, Martha Feltenstein says these dogs are extremely loyal and protective. However, because they have been bred to protect, they require a lot of socialization training.

Another new breed recognized recently recognized by the AKC is the Beauceron. This dog is fairly large in height and weight. They can stand almost 28 inches tall and range between 70 and 110 lbs. They were originally used as herding dogs in France beginning in the 1500’s. However, since the country has gotten more industrialized, the breed has decreased in popularity. However, recent breeders are trying to make the dog more versatile by encouraging the use of this dog in fields such as law enforcement and military guard dogs. According to the past president of the American Beauceron Club, this dog has a strong personality and when forming a bond with an owner, the dog sees themself as more of a partner than one to just follow the master. It is advised that someone who is going to own this dog be experienced with the breed. You can check it out at
www.beauce.org
And a final breed that has been recognized by the AKC is the Swedish Vallhund. This is a smaller dog, as seen above, topping out at about 13 inches and only weighing between 25 and 30 pounds. They were bred to herd cattle in Sweden over 1000 years ago. They are dogs that are family friendly. If they are to be with other animals, they need to be well socialize. They are vocal dogs and if they don’t play with you, it is said that they will make up their own games and not let you forget it, according to Rose Martino of Maryland, who is the past president of the Sweedish Vallhund Club.

You can check out all of the registered breeds of the American Kennel Club at www.akc.org