This is the fifth of a series of features on 2017's AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence Winners who will be honored Dec. 16-17 at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin in Orlando. You might call Duke an impact dog. He affects the lives of many people around him, particularly his owner, […]

Not so long ago, De'Angelo Wynn was taking 11 medications for the anxiety, PTSD, and other mental-health struggles he had faced since returning from military deployment in Afghanistan. Now, he's down to just two medications. What changed? The arrival of Jug, a Labrador Retriever who came into his life a little over a year ago. […]

Let’s get this straight right from the outset: If you’re thinking Dogo Argentino (Dogo), you must be a leader and an experienced dog owner. In other words, firm, confident, and consistent. That’s the clear message from Amy Collins, a Dogo Argentino owner since 2000 and secretary of the parent club, the Dogo Argentino Club of […]

Dogs require a degree of sacrifice, which owners happily make for the pleasure of having them in our lives. We invest in quality veterinary care and the best dog food we can afford. We buy lint rollers in bulk and learn to live with saliva streaks on our glass doors and windows. And we scooch […]

We had Jaco less than 10 months when it happened. Jaco was a German Shepherd Dog exported from the Czech Republic when he was 16 months old. I wanted him to be my next scent-detection dog, a partner in the work I’ve done for more than a decade, finding the missing and the dead. He […]

I wasn’t initially too worried about the impact the lockdown would have on my dog. We live at the top of Courmayeur, a town with a population less than 3,000, in the Italian Alps, at the foot of Mont Blanc. It’s a tranquil location, nearly 5,000 feet above sea level, with access to stunning mountain […]

A hot topic in June is the announcement by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it is temporarily banning the importation of dogs from countries at high risk for canine rabies, effective July 14. American Kennel Club Government Relations quickly responded with a legislative alert on the issue and a blog […]

Chollie was a gift meant to ease grief. That’s one of the first things I learned about my friend Gail Sheehy’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. After losing her Tibetan Spaniel in 2007 and her husband Clay Felker in 2008, Gail welcomed Chollie into her life at just the right moment. After two sad and lonely […]

Rottweilers, also known affectionately as Rotties, are one of the most popular dogs in the United States. They are well known to be powerful, protective, and loyal, famous for their instinct for guarding.  But Rottweilers are also easily trained, making them loyal, loving, and confident guardians. Here are some things you might not know about […]

"Use it, or lose it,” so the saying goes, and this applies to dogs as well as people. That’s why regular exercise becomes more important with each passing year, and especially impactful for senior dogs. “Many older dogs often lose strength in their rear limbs, as well as proprioception—essentially the ability to know where their […]