Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — A Spanish farm and fishing dog, a Sicilian rabbit-hunting breed, an Italian sheepdog with a distinctive matted coat and a rugged South African watchdog are joining the American Kennel Club pack.
The kennel club announced Wednesday that the Spanish water dog, the Cirneco dell'Etna (cheer-NAY-koh-dehl-eht-nah), the Bergamasco and the Boerboel (BUHR'-buhl) will become recognized breeds Jan. 1.
They'll be eligible to compete in many AKC-sanctioned dog shows next year, though not in the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club show until 2016.
The newcomers range from medium-sized, curly-haired Spanish water dogs to the big, mastiff-style Boerboels. The Cirneco dell'Etna is keen and sleek. The sociable Bergamasco is hard to miss with its long locks.
With them, there will be 184 AKC-recognized breeds. Criteria include having several hundred dogs of the breed nationwide.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
