ShowSight January 2019

AZAWAKH JOINS THE PACK AS NEWEST AKC-RECOGNIZED BREED Date: January 2, 2019

New York —The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s larg- est purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, announced today that the Azawakh (pro- nounced Oz-a-wok) has gained full AKC recogni- tion. This new addition to the AKC registry became eligible to compete in its group on January 1, 2019. “We’re excited to have the Azawakh join the AKC family,” said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. “This won- derful breed has been around for thousands of

years, and we’re happy to introduce it to dog lovers in this country. As with any breed, it’s important to do research and find the right one to fit your lifestyle.” An ancient hunting sighthound from West Africa, the Azawakh joins the Hound Group. The breed originated as a guardian, hunter, and companion to nomads. They would hunt hare, antelope, and wild boar, and are tough, durable, and very fast. The Aza- wakh is leggy and elegant- looking, with a short,

fine coat that needs occa- sional brushing. They are relatively calm dogs indoors but have tremen- dous energy and endur- ance outside and must have regular exercise. Azawakhs bond strongly with their owners and are affectionate, playful companions. They can be aloof towards strangers. To become an AKC recognized breed there must be a minimum num- ber of dogs geographi- cally distributed through- out the U.S., as well as an established breed club of responsible owners and breeders. Breeds work- ing towards full recog- nition are recorded in AKC’s Foundation Stock Service® (FSS®). Addi- tional information on the process can be found at akc.org.

Photo courtesy AKC

MEDIA CONTACT: JESSICA D’AMATO American Kennel Club 212-696-8346 Jessica.Damato@akc.org

Photo courtesy AKC

176 • S how S ight M agazine , J anuary 2019

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