New York, NY – Giving responsible owners a whole new level of achievement for their dogs, the American Kennel Club (AKC) announced today the launch of “AKC Urban CGC” to the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training program. The new title focuses on city-dwelling dogs and the special skills they require. Since 1989, more than 700,000 […]

Strategies for Recovering Your Lost DogLosing a pet is scary and upsetting. Being calm and logical will help you make the best decisions to help you get your beloved pet back home safely. Recovering a lost dog isn’t impossible. Here are a few actions a dog owner should take: Before your pet has time to […]

Some Breeds Might Be Better Choices for People with AllergiesNo breed of dog is totally hypoallergenic. However, certain breeds seem to tolerated better by people with persistent allergies. In a recent study investigating people with animal-related allergies, researchers found that the worst animal for hypersensitive people to own was guinea pigs, followed by rabbits and […]

Getting Your Dog to Ignore the Chaos and Obey Your Commands If your dog is unaccustomed to compliance in unpredictable, high-pressure situations, his training could fail him when it matters most-in speeding traffic, for instance. Distractions should be very slight at the beginning of training and gradually increase in degree of challenge. As with training […]

Be Selective about the Toys You Give Your DogDogs are tremendously "oral" creatures and they experience much of the world through their mouths. Depending upon the breed, some dogs can exert 150 to 450 pounds per square inch with their jaws. As a result, we need to safeguard our dogs from chewing excessively (with their […]

April 23, 2015 The Nebraska Legislature has given initial approval to a series of amendments that would change the Commercial Dog Breeder and Operator Inspection Act.  They also approved Amendment 1194, which would allow the court to force owners to relinquish their animals for suspicion of cruelty – even before a court hearing begins. The […]

South Carolina resident Lois McCracken and her American Water Spaniel "Blew" traveled to the Big Apple earlier this year to compete in the 2015 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  Blew, formally known as GCH Carolina's Running With The Hare BN RN SH JHR CGC, won Best of Breed at the prestigious event. The South Carolina House […]

There is a general movement within the dog world that has breeders and their clubs looking for new ways to make breed improvements. This is occurring because of the growing arsenal of tools available to breeders and their clubs. Given these conditions, the opportunity for making improvements is well within the reach of most clubs […]

By Gary N. Sadler It may be hard to imagine, but at 14, Kayla is an "old hand" when it comes to training and running pointing dogs in AKC Hunting Tests. Around dogs all of her life, Kayla was introduced at age six to German Shorthaired Pointers by her Grandmother, Stacie Smith. At seven, Kayla […]

North Carolina’s Senate Bill 209 aims to establish an animal-welfare hotline and website within the state attorney general’s office as well as a court fee to support the investigation of animal-cruelty violations. The AKC supports this bill and AKC Government Relations sees the proposed law as an important step in safeguarding the health and welfare […]