• KENNEL:

  Van Cleve

• AKC:

  Working, Herding

A member of the American Kennel Club Board of Directors. He was instrumental in the development of the AKC DNA program and is president of the AKC Companion Animal Recovery organization. Dr. Battaglia is the son of first-generation Sicilian immigrants. He attended Florida State University on a football scholarship and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology, a master's in criminology, and doctorates in criminology and sociology. In 1960, he and his wife, Nancy, established the Van Cleve line of German Shepherd Dogs. He has since bred and managed top dogs in the breed, finishing several himself. He proudly notes that many of his winners have come from the American-Bred class and from futurity and maturity shows, "where competition is among the best breeders". His breeding and research has led to a number of influential books and articles. He is the author of Breeding Better Dogs, now in its fifth printing, and Caring for the German. He has published his findings in the AKC Gazette, Dog News, Dog World, and in leading journals abroad. He is a popular judge of herding and working breeds, one of the few who has presided at a German Shepherd national specialty in America, Canada, and Mexico. He has judged national specialties in several other breeds. A sought-after speaker on the seminar circuit and has been a guest on many television and radio programs.