A Word or Two From AKC President & CEO Dennis Sprung

A Word or Two From AKC President & CEO Dennis Sprung

First, I am excited to share that the AKC® National Championship Presented by Royal Canin has a grand total of 5,637 dogs that will compete for the title of America’s National Champion on December 14-15, 2024 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Additionally, 1,756 Puppies and Juniors will vie for Puppy/Junior of the Year in the AKC/Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes, and 1,194 dogs will compete for Best Bred-by-Exhibitor in Show. Combined with the other weekend events, including the AKC®/Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes, the AKC® Agility Invitational presented by YuMOVE, the AKC® Obedience Classic, the AKC® National Owner-Handled Series Finals, the inaugural AKC® RACH Invitational, and the Junior events, the overall show entry totals top a staggering 9,441 entries, remaining the largest dog show in North America.

Advice to AKC Clubs

There have been recent reports of email scams circulating under the guise of attorneys trying to coerce clubs into purchasing a trademark for their club’s name. For the safety of you and your club, please be on the lookout for any emails resembling this. I would like to take this time to reiterate the importance of staying alert to potential phishing scams.

Phishing (via email or text, known as “smishing”), and financial attacks are still a prevalent threat. We want to remind you that it is not uncommon for individuals or clubs to receive “phishing,” “spear phishing,” and financial attacks. We encourage you to be vigilant and pay attention to protect yourself and your clubs.

Below are some tips to help you avoid being phished:

1. Always check the email address. If you are unfamiliar with the sender or the request, delete the email immediately. If it is a suspicious text, delete the text and block the sender.
2. Do not click any links or attachments in suspicious emails or texts. This could lead to your computer being infected with malware or a virus.
3. Do not give any personal or banking information without verifying the source.
4. Change passwords frequently.

I am proud to announce the winners of the 2024 AKC Trick Dog Competition. This 6th Annual competition was a virtual event, open to Elite Performers, AKC’s highest level of Trick Dogs. Nearly 200 competitors from all over the country submitted videos of outstanding performances that were evaluated by judges.

The winners were Christina Jones from Odessa, Florida, and her All-American dog, Chloe. Their routine, “Chloe for President,” featured twenty-six entertaining tricks. “This performance was outstanding,” said Mary Burch, AKC Family Dog Director. “The judges commented on Chloe’s accuracy and eagerness to perform the tricks while she frequently worked at a distance from her handler. A joyfulness and an eagerness to work so consistently is ultimately what trick training is all about. We are so proud of all the AKC Elite Performer Trick Dogs in this year’s competition and their extremely creative handlers. Some of these handlers spent a year creating props and getting their routines ready for the competition.”

The two semi-finalists in the competition were Lisa Rickards and her Labrador Retriever, Java, and Terri Fookes and her All-American dog, Keiki.