By Cheri Rankin It all started when my daughter, Erin, wanted a "sled dog" for her fourth birthday (because she was enamored of sled-dog movies like Iron Will and Balto). I've been a dog lover all my life and had always had a dog growing up, but at that point we had not had a […]

By Marcia Woodard Our 2013 litter of Basenjis—two boys, two girls—was our first in 17 years, because it took that long for the memory of the hard work involved in whelping and raising a litter to fade, and for the excitement and anticipation to take over. The two girls—Lani and Lili—live large with us. In […]

Once again, I sit on the edge of the whelping box eagerly awaiting the new arrivals. How many boys? How many girls? What colors will they be? Will Carrie be a good mother? I am curious, and excited. I am soothing Carrie — who has no idea that she is about to embark on the […]

By Mary Fish ArangoWhen you add a pet fish to family life, you’re pretty much guaranteeing lessons about changing the water, life’s need for oxygen, and the daily responsibility of feeding and caring for another living being. A little later, you step up the game and get a pet guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, or rat. […]

When we lose one of our beloved companions, sometimes a person will say, “Hey, it’s just a dog.” Those of us who have had dogs in our lives look at that person as if they’ve lost their mind. How can you say this is just a dog? He was a part of my life, and […]

Years ago our Komondors routinely wore the “fur saver” choke collars very popular in our breed. These collars have elongated (thus fewer) links, smooth edges, and do minimal cord damage. One afternoon my husband Alan and I were relaxing on the deck when our Komondor, Eos, began to display what I first thought was a […]

Tacarra Andrade of Novi, MI, and MACH8 Prince Doggie are the most titled team in the AKC Canine Partners program, holding eight AKC Master Agility Championships and having qualified for the AKC Agility Invitational and AKC National Agility Championships on multiple occasions. Princey is Tacarra’s first agility dog -- she had never heard of agility […]

Wheaten Terriers have a penchant for making friends wherever they go, and it should come as no surprise that they excel at therapy work, provided they receive obedience training and have the right temperament. Participation in the AKC’s STAR Puppy program followed by Canine Good Citizen® certification is a great way for a dog to […]

Most quality breeders sell their puppies with contracts in regard to breeding, showing, and good management. The AKC allows breeders to limit registration so that certain pups may not be shown and any puppies subsequently bred from them may not be registered. That can be later changed by option of the breeder petitioning AKC, and this […]

So after the months of preparation in organizing and testing before the breeding, praying and crossing fingers that your girl “took,” fretting before, during and after the whelping, the constant vigil for weeks after the whelping, the 24/7 care of your girl and the litter, the vet visits, testing and evaluating your pick, it is time […]