AKC adds 3 dog breeds for 2026, including Teddy Roosevelt terrier

Body

The American Kennel Club added three dog breeds to its roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday, a move that makes them eligible for many U.S. dog shows and likely increases their visibility with pet owners ahead of 2026.

AKC’s three newcomers are the basset fauve de Bretagne, the Teddy Roosevelt terrier and the Russian tsvetnaya bolonka. The breeds join the AKC’s overall catalog of 205 recognized breeds, according to the report.

The basset fauve de Bretagne is described as a terrier-like hunting hound with measurements of 12.5 to 15.5 inches at the base of the neck and 23 to 39 pounds, and with a topline that portrays a hardy, sociable, compact dog capable of hunting all day while still requiring both mental and physical activity. The report also includes a pronunciation guide—bah-SAY’ fove deh breh-TAHN’-yeh—and translates the name as “Fawn-colored, low-set dog from Brittany.”

In its history section, the report says versions of the coarse-coated, tan-hued hounds date to at least 16th-century French aristocratic circles, and it credits South Carolina service dog trainer Cindy Hartman with bringing back fauve puppies from France in 2001. Hartman said in the report that fauves are “wicked smart” and that while they may not suit owners looking for a dog to “just lay around all day,” they are happy to come in mentally and physically challenged and “curl up on the sofa for the evening.”

The second newcomer, the Teddy Roosevelt terrier, is presented with a smaller frame—8 to 14 inches at the base of the neck and 8 to 25 pounds—and with a topline that emphasizes an energetic small dog for roles such as ridding a barn of rodents, alerting to strangers, doing dog sports or entertaining owners. The report also says the breed was originally seen as a short-legged variant of the rat terrier and was recognized as its own breed in 1999.

For the name, the report attributes the Teddy Roosevelt label to the president’s fondness for dogs, including terriers. Cindy Rickey, described as secretary of the American Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Club in the report, said “They know how to get you to laugh,” adding that while many terriers can be independent-minded, her Teddy competes in obedience and has “this tremendous desire to please.”

The third newcomer is the Russian tsvetnaya bolonka, described as a “sweet but clever” companion that seeks playful interaction as well as snuggling, with sizes of up to 10¼ inches at the base of the neck and 7 to 9 pounds. The report provides pronunciation—zvit-NEYE’-ah boh-LON’-kah—and translates the name as “Russian colored lapdog.”

The report says the breed was developed in Soviet-era Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, after World War II as a pet for apartment dwellers. It also says American fans have worked to establish bolonki, the proper plural, in the U.S. since the early 2000s, and it quotes Denise Dang, secretary of the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka Club of America, saying that owning a bolonka can be “like having a 3-year-old kid running around your house,” along with a note that owners must keep the dog entertained. The report also says Dang described the need for care of a thick, wavy coat that is low-shedding but can mat, and that even if cut fairly short, “a bath every couple of weeks is wise,” she said.

Beyond the breed profiles, the report describes a “big picture” in which AKC recognizes breeds through a longer process involving breeding, documentation and consensus-building, and it says AKC does not limit the number of breeds it might recognize. It quotes AKC spokesperson Brandi Hunter Munden saying the club is not “adding dogs indiscriminately,” and that AKC provides “an established framework for growth, breed standards, competition and education in the U.S.”

That approach continues to draw criticism from animal-rights advocates, the report says, with the criticism hardening this year into a lawsuit over the health of French bulldogs, pugs, dachshunds and Chinese shar-peis. PETA is seeking a court order to stop AKC from continuing to promulgate the current “standards,” and the report says PETA accused the kennel club of providing “blueprints for the breeding of deformed, unhealthy dogs.” The report says the AKC denies the allegations and asked a court to dismiss the case as frivolous, saying it “has been — and remains — firmly committed to the health, well-being and proper treatment of all dogs.”