Yesterday, the New Mexico Senate Public Affairs Committee amended House Bill 415 to address the concern that vague language contained in the bill could lead to a statewide mandatory spay/neuter program. Under amendments approved by the committee, the bill would now require the state’s animal shelter board to develop (but not implement) a voluntary statewide […]

New York, N.Y. – The 2015 Obedience and AKC Rally® National Champions were crowned this weekend at the American Kennel Club® (AKC®) National Obedience Championship and the AKC Rally National Championship, held at Purina Farms just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The Championships, sponsored by J & J Dog Supplies, RB Rubber Products, Inc. and […]

  You and your dog can both enjoy working—and playing—together by participating in AKC agility trials. In these events, you will run alongside your dog, urging her on, as she does things like run through a tunnel, jump through a tire, leap over jumps and weave through poles. In order to participate, your dog needs […]

The NY Assembly Codes Committee is scheduled to consider a ban on debarking at a hearing tomorrow (Tuesday, March 17).  The bill has already been approved by the Assembly Agriculture Committee. The AKC opposes this bill, which would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets […]

Most breeders don’t think of themselves as having much in common with retail pet stores. But many anti-breeder extremists already consider you one, and a slew of legislation now appearing in dozens of communities across the country defines just about  anyone who  breeds or sells a dog as a retail pet store.  Throughout the country, […]

A good bill that will help protect dogs and dog owners is getting closer to becoming a law in Georgia. This bill would stop cities and counties from enacting breed-specific legislation and breed bans. Your help is needed more than ever to help keep this bill moving! Senate Bill 184 would prohibit local governments from […]

House Bill 415 passed by the New Mexico House of Representatives earlier this week contains language that could allow local mandatory spay/neuter policies to be enacted in the state. As introduced, HB 415 would have established a statewide spay and neuter account and allowed for an optional tax refund for those who contribute to the […]

New York, NY - As I am sure you will recall, before Ronald Reagan became President of the United States, he had a very successful career as a television and film star and as the head of the Screen Actors Guild. What you might not remember was his long-running role as GE spokesman. Starting in […]

If your dog has received the AKC Canine Good Citizen (and perhaps also the AKC CGCA) title, you may have asked “What’s next?”  One answer could be the AKC Beginner Novice obedience title. The Beginner Novice class is a great “next step” for CGC dogs since it works on advancing the skills your dog has […]

If your dog loves the water and loves to retrieve, then the fun sport of dock diving should be a natural. The AKC began recognizing titles of the new North America Diving Dogs (NADD) organization in June 2014 so now you can also add a dock jumping title to your dog’s AKC records. The sport […]