A Tip from the AKC GoodDog! Helpline Humans are busy. We work; we go to school; we have families to take care of, errands to run, social lives to maintain, and hobbies to enjoy. Sometimes your dog takes a backseat to the rest of your life. Is that why he's suddenly chewing up the furniture […]

Resource guarding is a challenging behavior to combat for new and experienced owners. Guarding possessions or food can occur between dogs in a household and/or between dogs and humans.  Early training is the best method to preventing resource guarding. It is important for puppies to learn at an early age that people touching their food […]

Congratulations to Mack whose cute face is featured on the box of the Purina Alpo Variety Snacks treat box! Four-year-old Mack was once a stray dog, but thanks to his owner and trainer Mary Mackenzie of E. Carondelet, IL, he is now a beloved pet, as well as an agility competitor and a professional model […]

AKC Gazette breed column, Wire Fox Terriers: There is no reason that an owner-handler cannot compete with professional handlers and do some winning. You have a lovely dog who should be shown. You are not sure you can afford a professional handler, and you wonder if you should show him yourself. There is no reason that […]

All anyone has ever seen is a glimpse of these creatures, and there have been many different accounts, but there are two constants in all Bigfoot sightings. They are "as big as a man, and covered with hair from head to foot," one newspaper reported in 1884. Hmmmm. That could easily describe any number of […]

It continues to amaze me that there are people out there who breed and show but do not belong to their breed’s national club. When I ask why they don’t belong, the answers most commonly heard are “I don’t need the club” or “What will the club do for me?” The fact is people have […]

Dogs have strong jaw muscles, which allow them to tear and chew many things. We have to remember, however, that their gastrointestinal tract is almost the same as a human’s. Anything (aside from dog food) that we would not eat, our dogs should not eat. There are three categories of foreign objects that dogs tend […]

AKC GoodDog! Helpline Trainer Breanne Long shares some tips on introducing your dog to the water so they have a positive experience and learn to love to swim. Many breeds are natural-born swimmers. Many retrievers and spaniels will swim with little encouragement, but dogs with body types less suited to swimming, like Bulldogs, may need more […]

If you are serious about success at high-energy performance sports, your dog must be lean. Yet the lean body condition required for speed leaves little room for feeding error. Veterinarians like to see a fat cover of about an eighth to a quarter inch over the ribs and spine (a bit more for middle-aged and […]

How do you celebrate your dog’s birthday? If you are lucky like Leo, his owner Louisiana resident Dorothy Diehl bakes him a cake! If party plans for your dog include cake or cookies, remember that human bakery items are not good for dogs. Try this simple recipe with dog friendly ingredients that can be used […]