1. Labrador retriever
2. German shepherd
3. Yorkshire terrier
4. Beagle
5. Golden retriever
6. Bulldog
7. Boxer
8. Dachshund
9. Poodle
10. Shih Tzu
The requirements to register a dog under one of the AKC dog breeds are simple. Most other kennel clubs apply stricter standards for registration. For AKC registration, owners must introduce their dog and show proof that it was born from AKC registered parents belonging to the same breed. The newly introduced dog's litter has to be registered as well.
AKC dog breeds are classified into 8 major groups as following: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting, herding, and miscellaneous class. All groups include some of the most popular dog breeds in America. The high popularity of purebred dogs and the economic downturn of recent years have proved to be a poisonous combination for dog breeds. Many valuable pets bought initially for a high price ended up in rescue groups or pet shelters. Despite the fact that big money was invested in their purchase, training, and medical care, they meet in the end the same fate as many mixed breed or stray dogs: uncertainty and incidental death.
Unfortunately, breeding is encouraged mainly based on appearance and no health factors are taken into consideration. Spaying and neutering would save millions of canine lives. A great number of puppies are born each year from breeders who breed dogs related to each other. All this negatively affects the overall health of breeds, and nowadays, virtually every breed has hereditary diseases.
If you would like to own a purebred dog, it might be a better idea to look around in dog shelters or breed rescue groups for AKC dog breeds than to support puppy mills and the often crude and filthy breeding conditions by buying a purebred puppy.
There are thousands of dog shelters across the country and they all have new arrivals each and every day. Stray mixed breed dogs, abandoned purebreds, and puppies unaccepted for AKC dog breeds registration make the most of these arrivals. These are saddening facts and are a harsh reality-check for our society. The good news for you, however, is that in case you do not find the dog of your choice among the inhabitants of shelters, all you have to do is be patient. Fill out a waiting list with your preferences and the perfect dog for you will someday be there to join you for a better life.
