As we continue to breed, show, and finish generations of our dogs over the years, it’s important that we never function on autopilot, participating in the sport mindlessly just because “it’s what we do every weekend.” The cancellation of shows over many months this year gave us a new appreciation of our passion. We learned […]

A passion for terriers and dog shows led 17-year-old Royal Miller, from Pennsylvania, to become ranked as #7 Junior Handler in the Terrier group. "I never expected to be in the top 10 in my group because of COVID-19," Royal explains. "Yet there I was, winning in juniors and moving up to #7 in the […]

In 1977, 14-year-old Maris Sienstecker read about a pregnant blue whale dying a slow death on a whaling dock. The story upset the teenager to such an extent that she and her mother resolved to help other marine mammals avoid a similar fate. Together they founded Save the Whales. The Seaside, California organization dedicated its […]

Talk about a three-peat – just make sure you spell it with a capital “P.” A winning family trio for more than four decades, David and Pamela Peat of Scottsdale, Arizona, along with their daughter Maggie first made a name for themselves in the sport with Longhair Dachshunds. Their Pramada kennel has produced more than […]

When Maria B. Moya was growing up, she always wanted a dog, but it wasn’t possible where her family lived. Then she got out on her own and moved to Hoboken, New Jersey. In her new town, everyone, it seemed, had a dog. Many of them were the trendy mixed-breeds, known as "Goldendoodles." Moya, who […]

  You didn’t want your lowlife cousin to come to the party, but he came uninvited with your sister. Dog breeding can be like that. Some relatives can’t be avoided. Genotype, the genetic makeup of a dog, involves the extended family. My mentors taught me that linebreeding, the practice of breeding dogs who are somewhat […]

From the Dalmatian Club of America breed column in the March 2016 AKC Gazette “I only breed for myself” is a phrase I’ve heard frequently over the years. It does sound rather noble: I’m not in it for the money, I’m not filling shelters with surplus dogs, and most importantly, I’m not a backyard breeder/puppy […]

Tuxedos are usually reserved for formal affairs, but Brittany Cipriotti of Warrenton, Virginia, lives with that striking black-and-white pattern day in and day out. Under her Ellenni banner, she breeds mantle Great Danes with her mentor and co-breeder Kristi Allison of Blackstone Great Danes, as well as similarly patterned but more vertically understated Boston Terriers. That’s not to say this Silver Breeder of Merit is monochromatic: Cipriotti also breeds fawn and brindle Danes with Marion Clark of […]

Volunteers may soon be seen throughout Colorado collecting signatures to put a measure on the November 2022 ballot that they will claim will protect animals in the state. The American Kennel Club joins many other animal welfare, livestock and animal husbandry groups in expressing grave concerns and opposition to the proposal. We urge all dog […]

Kalamals Kennel is a family-run show kennel in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where Eric and Julie Kalamaja have been cherishing and sharing their lives with their beautiful Alaskan Malamutes since 1988. Their focus is on health, temperament, longevity and total well-being, producing happy and affectionate companions, as well as champion show dogs. AKC: […]