The American Kennel Club (AKC®) continues to expand the educational content available to breeders via our online learning platform, AKC Canine College. The most recent course additions to Canine College round out content provided by famed dog author and breeding expert Claudia Waller Orlandi, Ph.D. Breeders will now have access to detailed courses on […]

In October 2016, the American Kennel Club (AKC®) joined the world of online learning with the launch of AKC Canine College. Canine College brings robust, interactive learning content to breeders and judges. Subject matter for groomers and trainers is in development and will be coming soon. AKC’s growing catalog of online courses features educational material […]

It’s easy to anthropomorphize our dogs. Sometimes they seem to have such human-like qualities that we forget that they’re probably not having the same experience we’d like to pretend they’re having. That being said, science has shown that our canine companions actually do feel a lot of human-like emotions—perhaps more than we give them credit […]

  Pet owners might sometimes wish their dogs could talk, but according to new research, we may have a better idea than we realize of what they’re thinking and how they feel. A recent Hungarian study asked 40 volunteers to classify recorded dog growls taken during three scenarios: during a play session, while protecting food […]

Dogs are social creatures, we know, but they’re also extremely food motivated. So scientists wondered: Would dogs be willing to share food in a social circumstance? That speculation led to a study conducted by researchers at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna. During the study, the dogs were trained to touch three tokens, each leading […]

  We call them man’s best friend, but how well do dogs really “get” us? We may never know entirely what goes on inside their fuzzy heads, but as researchers continue to study canine cognition, we’re learning more and more about the intuitiveness and emotional maturity of our four-legged friends. In the last several years […]

  It’s possible the key to understanding social intelligence in humans might be sniffing his own butt at this moment. New research conducted by scientists at the University of Arizona found that dogs have similar social skills to two-year-old children. The researchers, who published their findings in Animal Behavior, examined the ability of dogs (including […]

  If you’re deciding whether to finally cave to your kids’ pleading and get them a family dog, consider this: it may help their mental health now and later in life. A new study by University of Florida in Gainesville found evidence that dogs may help reduce stress levels in children. The researchers asked about […]

While breaking out the red, white, and blue, you should also make a few preparations to ensure your dog is safe and comfortable during the celebrations. Confirm your dog’s microchip information is up-to-date. More pets go missing on the Fourth of July than any other day of year. If your pet is microchipped, take a moment […]

The old saying “dogs are man’s best friend” is just as accurate as it is cliché. Various studies have proven the effects dogs have on our health and well-being. For instance, in 2011, the American Psychological Association found that pet owners had “greater self esteem, were more conscientious, were more extraverted, tended to be less fearful, […]