To celebrate the dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind, the AKC Humane Fund is seeking YOUR nominations for its AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).  Nominations are now open and winners will be announced in Fall 2016.   Each year, the AKC Humane Fund pays tribute to five dedicated, hardworking dogs […]

North Carolina legislators and staff were thrilled to once again welcome the American Kennel Club to the state capitol for the annual AKC Canines at the Capitol event.  The AKC invited them to “come hug a dog on your lunch break” and they did just that – posing for pictures with the dogs and cheering […]

Silver GCh. Pleasant Hill Magnum of Samara, HC, aka "Magnum." Credit: In Focus by Miguel The Canaan Dog, also known as Kelev K’naani, descends from the Middle Eastern “pariah dog,” feral canines that date back to pre-Biblical times existing in the Land of Canaan, where they first originated. The Israelis first used the dogs for guarding and tending […]

You’ve likely heard of CDs and music playlists designed for babies—there are even prenatal tracks available for moms-to-be to hold against their belly in hopes of it having the so-called Mozart effect, helping their kids grow to be more intelligent adults. (Some researchers find this theory to be a load of baloney.) But how about […]

Harry of SharonDale VCD1 PCDX GN RE OAP OJP has become the fifth mixed-breed dog to earn the AKC’s prestigious Versatile Companion Dog (VCD) title. The program honors dogs who earn titles in three of the AKC Companion Events: Obedience, Agility and Tracking. From being found wandering down a country road in fall 2008 as […]

Rayne, a Belgian Malinois-Labrador mix, is the first dog in the country to earn the Air Retrieve Senior Excellent title from the North America Diving Dogs association (NADD). She achieved this “first” on April 15, 2016,  in Perry, GA, at a NADD competition held as part of the Peach Blossom Dog Show circuit. Air retrieve […]

Bad news for people who love to hug their dog. While some canines, especially those trained as therapy dogs, can tolerate this interaction, in general, dogs do not enjoy it. Dogs rely on body language as a method of communication with humans and each other. Putting a limb over another dog is a way of […]

How many times have we heard comments during the heat of summer such as “Boy, your dog must really get hot”? Fortunately, Samoyeds, and Arctic breeds in general, have a number of ways of adapting to variations in temperature. The nature of a Samoyed coat (which is a double coat) makes for a very efficient […]

Iyong Tapat Kaibigan CAX5 owned by Stephanie Markgraf of Locust Grove, VA Photo by Kate Renner Kai, a 5 year-old Catahoula Leopard dog mix, loves lure coursing. There is no other way the rescue dog would rather spend his time than chasing the lure around the field. His great skill at the sport had earned […]

Stories are part of the social fabric of man’s best friend. And boy does Coren, a professor of emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, weave together a bizarre – and engaging – mix of spirited entries. For instance just take a look at some of these chapter titles – […]