AKC Adds 3 New 'Good Dogs!'

They're ready to embark on 2026. Three more dog breeds joined the American Kennel Club's roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday, making them eligible for many US dog shows and likely increasing their visibility to the pet-loving public. One of the newcomers is a terrier named for a US president. Another is a toy dog from Cold War-era Russia. The third is a centuries-old French hunting hound. Here's a closer look, courtesy of the AP:

The basset fauve de Bretagne

• The stats: 12.5 to 15.5 inches at the base of the neck; 23 to 39 pounds.
• The topline: A hardy, sociable, compact hound that can hunt all day—and needs mental and physical activity.
• The pronunciation: bah-SAY' fove deh breh-TAHN'-yeh
• The translation: Fawn-colored, low-set dog from Brittany
• The history: Versions of these coarse-coated, tan-hued hounds go back at least as far as 16th-century French aristocratic circles. The breed has been championed in the US in recent years by Cindy Hartman, a South Carolina service dog trainer who brought a pair of fauve puppies back from France in 2001. She has since trained and placed about 20 fauves as medical alert dogs for people with diabetes, she said.
• The quote: "They're wicked smart, and so if you're wanting a dog that's just going to lay around all day long, a fauve is not for you," Hartman said.

The Teddy Roosevelt terrier

• The stats: 8 to 14 inches at the base of the neck; 8 to 25 pounds.
• The topline: A solid, energetic small canine that will rid your barn of rodents, alert you to strangers, do dog sports—or just entertain you with its antics.
• The history: Originally seen as a short-legged variant of the rat terrier, these dogs were deemed a breed of their own in 1999. The breed was named for President Theodore Roosevelt because of his fondness for dogs, including terriers.
• The quote: "They know how to get you to laugh," says Cindy Rickey, the secretary of the American Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Club. "They're terriers, no doubt about it, but they also have this tremendous desire to please."

The Russian tsvetnaya bolonka

• The stats: Up to 10¼ inches at the base of the neck; 7 to 9 pounds.
• The topline: A sweet but clever little companion that wants playful interaction, not just snuggling (though they like that, too).
• The pronunciation: zvit-NEYE'-ah boh-LON'-kah
• The translation: Russian colored lapdog
• The history: The breed was developed in Soviet-era Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) after World War II as a pet for apartment dwellers. American fans have been working to establish bolonki (the proper plural) in the US since the early 2000s.
• The quote: "Having a bolonka is like having a 3-year-old kid running around your house. … They can enjoy their time lying on the couch with you, but you've got to be prepared to play with them and keep them entertained," says Denise Dang, the secretary of the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka Club of America.

The big picture

• The AKC recognizes 205 breeds, including these three newcomers. Fanciers of many others—though, as yet, no "doodles" or other popular poodle hybrids—have voluntarily entered a pipeline that takes years of breeding, documentation, and consensus-building.