Two dog breeds recently added to the American Kennel Club鈥檚 pack are not recognized north of the border, but the Canadian Kennel Club is hoping to add 12 others that are gaining popularity with dog lovers.

Andrew Patton, spokesman for Canada鈥檚 primary registry for purebred dogs, says 2018鈥檚 incoming class could include the Portuguese sheepdog, Tibetan mastiff, rat terrier and Spanish water dog, if they get the stamp of approval from Agriculture Canada.

But they don鈥檛 include the Nederlandse kooikerhondje or the grand basset griffon Vendeen, recently added by the American Kennel Club.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 recognize them only because no club has organized here in Canada and taken the initiative,鈥� said Patton, whose agency also guides responsible owners and breeders.

The Canadian club鈥檚 members are championing several other breeds instead.

Proposed additions include the Anatolian shepherd, Australian kelpie, black Russian terrier, and Finnish lapphund. Then there鈥檚 the Glen of Imaal terrier, lagotto Romagnolo, mudi and Shikoku.

They would be the first additions since 2004, when the club welcomed 12 more breeds. Patton said Thursday that he expected the additions to be confirmed by Agriculture Canada by the summer.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e super busy with other stuff, I think the file is sitting on someone鈥檚 desk and we just need the rubber stamp,鈥� said Patton, adding it鈥檚 rare for a submission to be rejected. 鈥淭hey usually are very good about that.鈥�

The Canadian kennel currently recognizes 175 breeds. Patton admitted to liking some more than others.

鈥淭he Glen of Imaal terrier is perhaps the ugliest terrier on the list, perhaps of all the dogs we register. I probably shouldn鈥檛 say that but that鈥檚 just my opinion,鈥� he said, listing various attributes among the likely new additions.

鈥淭he Spanish water dog is surprisingly a lot like a Portuguese water dog, but it鈥檚 more kind of slightly more refined and it鈥檒l never be as popular, obviously, as the Portuguese water dog, thanks to Mr. Obama. But it鈥檚 still a fascinating breed,鈥� he said, referencing the former U.S. president whose family obtained two dogs while in office.

The Nederlandse kooikerhondje (pronounced NAY鈥�-dehr-lahn-seh KOY鈥�-kehr-hahnd-jeh) goes back hundreds of years in Holland. The smallish, brown-and-white, spaniel-style dogs were trained to help hunters attract ducks into net-covered canals.

Patton said the breed is relatively little-seen here, but it is one of the sources for the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, well-established in North America.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e super smart, super friendly, great family dogs but they鈥檙e pretty high energy because they鈥檙e hounds. Any hound is going to have a bit of an attitude.鈥�

He didn鈥檛 know much about the grand basset griffon Vendeen but said the small version 鈥� the petit basset griffon Vendeen 鈥� is also fairly well-known in Canada.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a French scent hound that鈥檚 pretty established. They鈥檙e not hugely popular, but they are present, they鈥檙e always present,鈥� said Patton, speculating that its larger cousin could one day be recognized here, too.

Toronto dog lover Neil Trilokekar said he鈥檚 eager for Tibetan mastiffs to gain official recognition, partly because that would allow him to compete at dog shows closer to home.

The only time he鈥檚 shown a Tibetan mastiff is in the United States. In Canada, he competes with Lhasa apsos.

鈥淚t would certainly be nice, I don鈥檛 have to travel as much or as far but, again, I might not have competition here,鈥� said Trilokekar, a spokesman for the Tibetan mastiff breed in Canada.

鈥淚t鈥檚 better to have competition on the breed level鈥�. You鈥檇 want a few dogs (to compete with).鈥�

Patton said non-recognized breeds can compete in Canada as long as they meet certain criteria, but it can involve additional red tape.

Getting official recognition has other benefits 鈥� namely the ability to better track the progeny of specific dogs, making it easier for breeders to assess heritage and quality, he added.

Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press

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