Responsible breeders do everything they can to keep their puppies safe and healthy from before they were born until the day they leave their kennel. Around 8 to 12 weeks old, the puppies depart from their breeder, and their new lives begin in their meticulously, hand-picked homes. By discerningly choosing the right family for each […]

  As active breeder-exhibitors, much of our lives are tied up in numbers. Progesterone testing. Gestation periods. Keeping track of puppy weight gain. AKC registration numbers. Tabulating majors and point totals as we show our next generation of young hopefuls. One of the most important numbers we must keep in mind at all times is […]

  You’re a successful breeder-exhibitor who’s been involved in the sport for 30 years, with scores of homebred champions to your credit. You have held positions on your parent club’s board and are a respected judge of your breed. One day, you receive an email from an up-and-coming fancier whom you’ve met once or twice, […]

  Opinion: Nothing is more frustrating to a dedicated breeder-exhibitor than hearing that a wonderful owner with unlimited potential in the sport has purchased a dog from a commercial kennel. After all, your breed parent club works hard to update its website and offer a cornucopia of relevant information. You attend dog shows regularly, breed […]

How did you start breeding Old English Sheepdogs? Michaelanne: The OES was my dream dog as a young girl. When Doug and I got married, I was looking at ads for houses and there was an ad for Old English Sheepdog puppies for sale. We went to see them—just to look—and Doug purchased my first […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) joins the world of online learning with the launch of AKC Canine College -- an initiative that will extend robust, interactive learning content to breeders and judges, adding subject matter for groomers and trainers in the near future. Anyone interested in learning more about the dog world will find a […]

Golden Retriever breeder Denise Hoyt of Granbury, TX, shares two good tips for stud dog owners – on maintaining a confident attitude and a good grip! It's natural for male dogs to attempt to mount females who are not in heat, to mount other male dogs, and even mount a friend's leg or a sofa […]

Earlier this week, AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) provided an action alert on two Massachusetts bills of major concern, House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 1155, in preparation for their committee hearing next week. Since then, additional bills have been scheduled for consideration next week.

Massachusetts residents, take action now! AKC Government Relations has learned that House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 1155, which seek to be impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protections laws is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on Tuesday, […]

In addition to bills to be considered by the Joint Judiciary Committee, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture is also scheduled to consider several dog-related bills on Tuesday, September 12.