American Kennel Club welcomes three new breeds

RALEIGH, N.C. — A herding dog, a hound dog and a terrier have been added to the list of registered breeds by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

The organization announced the three newly recognized breeds June 1. They include the American English Coonhound, the Finnish Lapphund (herding group) and Cesky Terrier. With the new additions, AKC now recognizes a total of 173 breeds.

The American English Coonhound is an avid hunter known for its speed and loud voice. It was originally used to hunt fox by day and raccoon by night in the American colonies. They are affectionate dogs that get along well with people and other dogs. They are trainable and eager to please. With a life expectancy of around 11 years, the only noted known health problem for American English Coonhounds is hip dysplasia.

The Finnish Lapphund is an alert and agile breed, AKC says. The first Finnish Lapphunds were the helper dogs of the Sami—a tribe of semi-nomadic people in the northern region of Finland, Sweden and a part of Russia known as Lapland. Originally bred to live north of the Arctic Circle herding reindeer, Finnish Lapphunds have a thick double coat. They are considered intelligent and friendly with people, AKC says. They do well with children and other dogs. Known overall to be a very healthy breed with a life expectancy of up to 17 years, the Finnish Lapphund can be prone progressive retinal atrophy and hereditary cataracts, with very few cases of hip dysplasia.

The Cesky Terrier was bred to hunt vermin, fox and badger, among others. They are active dogs, but their coat requires daily grooming as puppies and brushing twice a week as adults.

Some of the health problems associated with Cesky Terriers, as noted by breed clubs, include Scottie Cramp, progressive lens luxation, patella luxation, degenerative disc disease, urolithiasis, heart disease and cancer.