American Kennel Club Recognizes 3 New Breeds Of Dogs

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BY Rosemary Black For The NY Daily News

Lap dogs they’re not. The three exotic pooch breeds newly recognized by the American Kennel Club are all athletic, large and ripped. And while new to the AKC, they’re actually old breeds. All have been around for centuries, but only now have joined the list of 164 breeds already registered with the AKC, according to MSNBC.com.

The Icelandic Sheepdog, part of the family that includes chow chows, once was used to herd sheep, horses and cattle. The large but cuddly Leonberger, which can grow as large as 170 pounds, according to Dictionary.com, is named after Leonberg, Germany, and supposedly was bred to resemble the lions on that town’s crest. Originally, the Leonberger was thought to be a cross between a St. Bernard and a Newfoundland.

The third dog, the rare, muscle-bound Cane Corso, at one point faced extinction but was brought back in the 1980s by enthusiasts. A member of the mastiff family, Cane Corsos are considered easy to train and very intelligent.

But being a distinctive breed is not all it takes to win a place on the official AKC list, says AKC spokeswoman Christina Duffney. And there’s no hard and fast rule about how long it takes to be recognized. “There’s not a set number of years,” Duffney told the TODAYshow.com. “You never really know how long it’s going to take.”

As of today, she says, all three dogs may compete in AKC shows and participate in other AKC activities.