Chambersburg Area Kennel Club

If you have a show dog, breed for show dogs, a mixed breed or just love dogs and want to learn more about the world of dogs, why not come to a meeting and learn more about us?

AKC now allows mixed-breeds to compete in agility, obedience, rally and other performance competitions to earn titles. All dogs competing at an AKC event need to have a PAL/ILP, or Canine Partners registration from AKC if they are a mixed-breed or unregistered pure bred dog. Dogs that are already registered with AKC use their registration numbers.

AKC has recently added CGC as a title. CAKC offers CGC testing at various times during the year.  We support the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and offer a discount to dogs that have been adopted from the shelter for their CGC test.

If you have a special interest concerning dogs, please come to a meeting and talk to the club about it.

Are You Looking Dog Training?

As a club, CAKC does not hold obedience classes, but recognizes the need to help your best friend fit in well with your household. Visit our page of links to area trainers and classes.

Training Resources Link

If you offer training and wish to be included as a resource, please use our Contact Us form and tell us about your program.

Are You Looking for a Dog?

Use the AKC Breeder Referral Program as a starting point to find a well-bred dog. Always ask to see the parents’ CHIC and OFA test results. Ethical breeders perform these tests to be sure the puppies will not carry genetic diseases. AKC registration is just a record of parentage, not of health.

If you are looking for a particular breed of dog and don’t necessarily want a puppy, do a web search for rescue organizations devoted to that breed. Many AKC Breed Clubs are affiliated with rescue groups.

The AKC website has a lot of information about breed rescue groups, what to expect, and whether a rescued dog is the choice for you. The article link “How to Choose the Right Dog Rescue Group” will open in a new tab or window.

This article on the Psychology Today website tells you how to avoid ending up with a puppy mill dog.

Some Helpful Information About Dog Shows …

How can a judge choose the “best” dog from different breeds? Why aren’t mixed-breeds in dog shows? Find those answers on the AKC Website, “Why No Mixed Breeds? And Other Questions About Conformation Dog Shows.” It will open in a new tab or window.

However, mixed-breed and dogs may compete—and often do well—in events where the dog is judged on its ability to perform, not on its looks and structure. These include obedience, rally, dock diving, tracking, and many other fun activities. Before entering an event, your mixed-breed dog needs to be registered as an AKC Canine Partner. Click the link to open the page in a new tab or window.

Purposeful and Responsible Breeding

This article published by the Canine Chronicle is full of information about what goes into a litter of dogs bred with attention to health and the purpose for which the breed was created. The “read full article” link will take you to a log-in page, but it is free to read as a PDF in your web browser.

This link will open in a new tab or window: “Purposeful and Responsible Breeding.”