After his 16-year-old son, Joshua Devon Biggles, tragically drowned, Michael Biggles purchased Rambo, a male Rottweiler puppy. Biggles fell head-over-paws with the brawny working breed. So much so, that he went back the next day and bought Retro, the male littermate he didn't select. Six months later, Biggles and his girlfriend, Mariama Myers, added Rascal, […]

In 1962 when Marybeth Hearn was 10 years old, she convinced her parents to let her volunteer to raise a puppy for the California-based nonprofit Guide Dogs for the Blind. She wasn’t sure what to expect when they brought home a black Labrador Retriever named Lepta, but she knew one thing for certain. “I do […]

Each year, the AKC Humane Fund pays tribute to five dedicated, hardworking dogs for making significant contributions to an individual or entire community. One award is given in each of the following categories: Uniformed Service K-9, Service, Therapy, Search and Rescue, and Exemplary Companion Dog. In a split second in 2006 Ryan Garrison’s life changed forever. Fast forward nine years […]

It wasn’t exactly the tender, affecting environment for love at first sight. But when double lower amputee Marine Sgt. (ret.) Patrick Brown and an anxious German Shepherd Dog puppy Drea first cast eyes on each other in August 2017, a union of soul mates was established. That dream moment occurred at a Mutts With A […]

If you’re looking for a job description for Louie, you better sit down and set aside a few minutes. Kelly Raudenbush, a child and family therapist at The Sparrow Fund in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and the 4-year-old Golden Retriever’s owner-handler, will only smile and tell you how he has grown into his job as a co-therapist […]

International vintners depend on dogs to find wine-tainting molecules Alejandro Fantoni Sr. was waiting in an airport security line when one of the detection dogs caught his attention. Fantoni struck up a conversation with the handler. “[My dad] started talking with the trainer of the dog, asking, ‘Can you train dogs to detect any kind […]

With wildfire season stretching longer each year, dog lovers in fire regions should always make sure they know how to keep their dog safe if a blaze breaks out. But what about all the ways dogs have kept humans safe from fire over the years? That's right: man's best friend has also long been a […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2021 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, 2021. The 2021 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

The relationship you have with your dog is unlike that of any other pet. Although your cat or your horse may read your emotions, no other animal reads human gestures like a dog. In fact, even mother-reared chimpanzees, one of our closest living relatives, can't compete with dogs when it comes to reading the gestures […]

What’s New from AKC Government Relations The work of dog advocates is making a difference! On the federal level, the American Kennel Club, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Animal Interest Alliance, and leading dog advocacy organizations continue working on passage of the Healthy Dog Importation Act. This bipartisan measure seeks to require that […]