2 new breeds get American Kennel Club’s nod

NEW YORK >> A powerful Argentine big-game hunter and a sociable French water dog have made the American Kennel Club’s list of recognized breeds.

The club announced Tuesday that the barbet and the dogo Argentino are now part of the 195-breed pack.

That means they can compete starting Wednesday in many traditional, breed-judging dog shows (many agility trials and other canine events are open to all dogs, purebred or not). The newcomers can’t vie for best in show at the famous Westminster Kennel Club show until 2021, however.

The newcomers are “offering dog lovers very different choices,” AKC spokeswoman Gina DiNardo said in a statement.

The curly-coated, bearded barbet (pronounced “bar-BAY’) has a long history as a hunter’s helper in France, where accounts of it go back centuries. Traditionally finders and retrievers of waterfowl, barbets — like some other breeds around the globe — dwindled during the world wars, but fanciers eventually built their numbers back up.

The medium-size dogs have a cheery, friendly reputation and often take to agility contests, enthusiasts say.

The dogo Argentino, developed by an Argentine doctor in the last century, is a large, strong and tenacious dog designed to hunt animals as large as mountain lions and wild boars. Aficionados prize the breed’s loyalty and athleticism, but dogos also are among breeds that have been banned in some places. Even the AKC cautions that only experienced dog owners should get them.