Members
A look at the Miscellaneous Class and FSS breeds, tracing their history, diversity, and the path toward full AKC recognition.
The Weekly Brief
The best of SHOWSIGHT editorials, weekly wins, and breeder commentary — delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning.
The breeds of the Miscellaneous Class and Foundation Stock Service (FSS) are a diverse lot. Always have been. In fact, “miscellaneous” purebred dogs in America were on display in 1877 at the First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs. Back then, only a handful of breeds were recorded in the AKC Stud Book, and each was classified in either the Sporting or Non-Sporting Group. The majority of breeds that have since gained recognition have passed through a system that allows breeds to progress with support from both the American Kennel Club and from a diverse group of devoted parent club members; advocates whose participation demonstrates a healthy level of support across the country.
Recognition is what separates a Dandie from a doodle, and it acknowledges that an individual dog is a particular breed of dog. Documentation in the form of pedigrees (and now DNA testing) determines the breed, though it can be interesting to note precisely when each breed was granted “full” AKC status. Quite a few well-known breeds today were recognized in 1885, including the Beagle, Collie, and Dachshund. That year also welcomed the Saint Bernard and the Scottish Terrier. In 1888, the Dalmatian, Old English Sheepdog, and Pomeranian were given full recognition, and 10 years later, the French Bulldog exploded onto the scene—for the first time. Another decade witnessed the advent of the Doberman Pinscher and the German Shepherd Dog in the show ring, and within 50 years, another 68 breeds joined the AKC and were placed in six Groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting.
The process of moving a breed from FSS to Miscellaneous, and to a Group, requires time to allow a breed to gain its footing. In the 1950s, only six breeds were given full AKC recognition: German Wirehaired Pointer, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Silky Terrier, Belgian Malinois, and Belgian Tervuren (these last two moving to the new Herding Group in 1983). The 1960s welcomed only three breeds: Vizsla, Australian Terrier, and Shih Tzu. In the ensuing years, 86 breeds have achieved full recognition, the most recent being the Danish-Swedish Farmdog just this year.
From the Miscellaneous Class will come the next AKC recognized breed: Alaskan Klee Kai (United States), Basset Fauve de Bretagne (France), Bolognese (Italy), Czechoslovakian Vlciak (former Czechoslovakia), Dutch Shepherd (Netherlands), German Spitz (Germany), Japanese Akitainu (Japan), Kai Ken (Japan), Norbottenspets (Sweden), Peruvian Inca Orchid (Peru), Portuguese Podengo (Portugal), Pyrenean Mastiff (Spain), Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka (Russia), Small Munsterlander (Germany), Teddy Roosevelt Terrier (United States), and Yakutian Laika (Russia). Of the 71 breeds currently in FSS, dedicated breeders variously endeavor to meet the criteria required to achieve full AKC recognition—a process that can take many years.
Through the articles and interviews assembled in this edition, SHOWSIGHT has endeavored to celebrate the diversity that’s represented by the Miscellaneous Class and Foundation Stock Service as well as the determination of those who are working to achieve full AKC recognition for these remarkable breeds. We hope you enjoy!
Foundation Stock Service
Explore the journey of a dog lover turned judge, rare breeds, Open Shows, and the expanding AKC exhibitions. Embrace the future of dog shows!
