The Remaining Two AKC Groups

In addition to the seven main dog breed groups, the AKC has two groups for dog owners who are working toward getting a breed fully recognized by the AKC. These are the Miscellaneous Class and the Foundation Stock Service Program. Miscellaneous Class. The Miscellaneous Class is for dogs that have progressed in breed recognition but haven't provided enough pedigree and breed club information for the breeds to be awarded full AKC recognition. When a Miscellaneous Class breed is fully recognized, it moves into the most appropriate of the seven Groups described above. Foundation Stock Service (FSS) Program. The Foundation Stock Service is a breed registry that allows owners of rare breeds to certify the breed's pedigree. The AKC doesn't officially recognize these breeds; instead, the FSS Program enables rare breed owners to begin the process of recording pedigrees so they can build up a pedigree database that qualifies the breed for entry into the Miscellaneous Class. The FSS Program is the first step for a new breed to enter the AKC recognition process.

Breed Selector

Introduction to the Breed Selector. Once you have decided to get a purebred dog, the next step is to use the Breed Selector which will give you two big advantages. First, it will almost eliminate the risk of creating a mismatch between your needs and the needs typical of the breed you are considering. Second, it will significantly reduce the time it takes to identify the breeds that match your lifestyle. Choosing Your Experience Level. Originally, dogs lived in packs. Each pack had a leader who had to win that leadership role. Even today, some dog breeds will try to exert their leadership over you in your home. If you do not know how to respond to this challenge, your relationship with your dog can deteriorate very quickly as the dog asserts its dominance. This is not the kind of dog a first-time dog owner or others interested in an easy to manage pet should consider. These dogs should be left for those who have significant experience in either handling or training dogs. On the other hand, some dogs are much more willing to accept your leadership without you needing to prove your capabilities as a leader. This is the group of dogs most satisfactory for either the first-time or the average dog owner. The first screen of the Breed Selector lets you choose which of these two types of dogs you want to include in your search. If you are a typical pet owner and want to limit the breed Selector's recommendations to the easy to work with breeds, choose the first option. If you are dog-savvy and want to include the more challenging breeds that are best left for those with significant experience in handling dogs in your search, choose the second option. After making your choice, click the "Next" button.