Kennel Club Recognizes 3 New Dog Breeds

The American Kennel Club has recognized three exotic breeds, clearing the way for the pooches to compete in the highest level dog shows. Though new to the AKC, these aren't Labradoodle-style canine innovations: the Icelandic Sheepdog, for example, one of the newly recognized breeds, may be the oldest established breed in the world, notes the Today Show.

The Icelandic Sheepdog is joined in the AKC by the Leonberger, a long-haired breed from Germany often used as a rescue dog. Like the Sheepdog, the Leonberger is new only to the AKC, with records of the residents of Leonberg, Germany, breeding them as early as 1800. Lastly, the Cane Corso—a rare breed until the 1980s. The Cane Corso is a mastiff, and like its relatives is a strong animal used for hunting boar.
(More American Kennel Club stories.)