Meet the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club, a small dog with a big smile
Say hello to the Lancashire heeler, the newest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club.
New York: Small in stature, big on activity and known for his ‘smile’, he is ready to compete with 200 other dog breeds.
Say hello to the Lancashire heeler, the newest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club. The organization announced Wednesday that the rare shepherd breed is now eligible to compete in thousands of U.S. dog shows, including the prominent Westminster Kennel Club show.
With long bodies and short coats that are often black and brown, the solidly built dogs are shaped like a small corgi, with a shoulder height of about 30 centimeters and a weight of up to about 7.7 kilograms. Historically, they were farm helpers who could both herd cattle and chase away rats, and today they participate in a range of dog sports and pastimes.
“They’re scrappy little dogs, and they’re very intelligent little dogs,” says Patricia Blankenship of Flora, Mississippi, who has been breeding them for more than a decade. “They’re a fun little breed to be around.”
Their official description – or breed standard, in dog world parlance – calls for them to be “courageous, happy and affectionate towards the owner,” and owners say that contented heels sometimes pull their lips back in a “smile.”
They are “extremely versatile” and participate in everything from scent work to dock diving competitions, says Sheryl Bradbury, president of the Lancashire Heeler Club in the United States. But she advises that a Lancashire heeler “needs to have a job,” whether it’s organized dog sports or simply walking and playing fetch with owners.
The dogs benefit from meeting different people and canines, added Bradbury, who breeds them in Plattsmouth, Nebraska.
Lancashire heels have existed for centuries in Britain, where they are now considered a ‘vulnerable native breed’ at risk of extinction in their homeland. The British Kennel Club has added an average of only 121 Lancashire heelers to its registry each year in recent years, and the American Kennel Club says only about 5,000 exist worldwide.
Founded in 1884, the AKC is the United States’ oldest purebred dog registry and functions as a league for many dog competitions, including sports open to mixed breeds and purebreds. But only the 201 recognized breeds compete for the traditional “best in show” trophies at Westminster and elsewhere.
To be recognized, a breed must have at least 300 purebred dogs spread across at least 20 states, and fanciers must agree on a breed standard. Recognition is voluntary, and enthusiasts of some breeds approach other kennel clubs or none at all.
Adding breeds, or even maintaining them, bothers animal rights activists. They argue that dog breeding fuels puppy mills, reduces pet adoption, and accentuates dog health problems by compressing genetic diversity.
The AKC says it promotes responsible “breeding for type and function” to produce dogs with special skills, such as tracking lost people, as well as pets with characteristics that owners can somewhat predict and prepare for. Since 1995, the club has donated more than $32 million to a foundation that supports dog health research.