Kennel Club Is in the Doghouse Over Its New ‘Bible’

The American Kennel Club is recalling the latest edition of its bible, “The Complete Dog Book,” after pet owners objected that some of the nation’s most popular breeds were listed as not good with children.

Scotties, Dalmatians, Yorkshire terriers, Rottweilers, dachshunds and 35 other breeds were deemed unsuitable for kids in the recently released 19th edition of a book that has sold more than 2 million copies since 1929. Within days of the new edition’s release, breeders and owners complained that the new classifications were wrong.

The Kennel Club quickly recalled the $33 book and said it will be reissued. Sam Perry, a vice president and general counsel for the club, refused to discuss what revisions would be made.

The Chicago Tribune, however, reported that the club was eliminating the new feature that has caused the uproar: boxes that mark breeds as excellent, good or not good with children.

The not-good-with-children list includes Chihuahuas, toy poodles and whippets, while breeds with more dangerous reputations, like the American pit bull, are listed as good with children.

Paddie Swift, a mother of two walking her Dalmatian, Griffen, with her children in New York’s Central Park on Wednesday, mused that Disney could change the name of the movie to “101 Dalmatians Ready to Eat Your Kids.”