(AKC) The American Kennel Club has officially recognized another dog breed in its registry of dogs.

The AKC is the oldest dog registry in the United States. The organization has now welcomed Bracco Italiano to the group.

The organization announced that the ancient Italian bird-hunting dog is the 200th member of the club. That means the powerful but good-natured pointers can now compete at many U.S. dog shows for best in the show. That includes the famous Westminster Kennel Club event in New York state.

The European breed goes back more than 200 years. The AKC said it was brought to America in the 1990s. It is sometimes called the Italian pointer or Italian pointing dog.

The Bracco should be “tough and adapted to all types of hunting, reliable, docile, and intelligent,” the AKC said. It added that the breed is also friendly and not aggressive.

“They’re very easy to live with and be around,” said Bracco owner and breeder Lisa Moller of Portage, Wisconsin. But they are also ready “when it’s time to jump in the back of the truck and go hunting, and they’ve got a job….”

She and her husband Dale had depended on Labrador retrievers to help them hunt birds called pheasants. But, about five years ago, they met Bracco. The two noted the dog’s systematic way of hunting in the field and sweet nature at home: “They’re very Velcro,” Lisa Moller said.

Velcro is a material that attaches one thing to another.

Moller said bracchi Italiani have a deep bark and readily deploy it on sensing wildlife, so “they may not be the right dog for everybody.” AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo called the Bracco an excellent dog for active families who can provide “the love and attention it needs.”

The AKC opened the nation’s oldest dog registry with nine breeds in 1878. In the last ten years, the club has added over 20 breeds.

Many breeds are registered in other places but not by the AKC or are not formally recognized at all. Some dog lovers do not want AKC recognition’s exposure to a breed.

Animal rights activists denounce dog breeding. They argue that adding more breeds boosts demand for purebred animals and the factory-like business producing them.

The AKC says it supports responsible breeding. It says the goal is to keep essential qualities of dogs that enable them to perform different kinds of activities. And, the group says, that can ease owners’ search for a dog they can live with long-term.