Meet the 3 new dog breeds joining the American Kennel Club pack

The American Kennel Club has added three new breeds to its pack: The lagotto Romagnolo, the berger Picard, and the miniature American shepherd.

Starting July 1, the breeds will be eligible to compete in AKC shows, the organization announced Monday. The breeds have a lot in common, club spokeswoman Gina DiNardo told The Associated Press. "They all make great family packs, and the key is to find the traits and characteristics within a breed that work best with your lifestyle," she said.

The rare Picard was found in northern France centuries ago, but was nearly killed off during the world wars. Before marshes were drained in its native area of northern Italy, the lagotto Romagnolo was used as a water retriever, and in the 1800s, it was trained to sniff out truffles. The miniature American shepherd is smart, and was developed in California in the 1960s. With these three additions, there are now 187 breeds on the roster.

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