Marking "The First 125 Years of the American Kennel Club," this special anniversary edition, an official publication of the American Kennel Club, provides a complete history of the world's most prestigious dog organization. Illustrated with rare historical photographs and award-winning color photographs, DOGS traces the formation of the AKC, the dramatic grown and challenges the registry faced in its early years, the emergence of dog shows in the United States, the expansion of women's roles in the dog fancy, the development of working trials, and much more. A dog-event chronicle and a unique source book for all lovers of man's best friend, DOGS offers insight into today's dog world and provides excellent information on all of the AKC's many successful projects today, including Canine Good Citizen, the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Show, DOGNY (the September 11th project), the Canine Health Foundation and more.No other book provides the information found in DOGS, including statistics for the nation's Top Ten breeds, decade by decade, since the inception of the club; breed recognition dates for nearly 200 breeds; a complete history of popular dog sports, including conformation, field trials, obedience, earthdog, and agility; Junior Showmanship; detailed accounts of the AKC's Sesquicentennial and Centennial Shows; and complete registration and competition statistics from 1884 to 2008. The book also features color reproductions of many the AKC's art treasures that make up the world's largest and most important collection of dog-related art housed in the AKC's Museum of the Dog. The appendices include biographies of past AKC presidents, AKC chairmen of the board, and statistics for dog and litter registrations, events, and dogs in competition. Fully indexed.