When he debuted as the voice of Westminster in 1990, David Frei was an outsider in many ways, even though he had been a breeder-owner-handler of Afghan Hounds for the previous 20 years. Next month, the affable New Yorker leaves after 27 years as a national television personality and the voice for all dogs. Frei, […]

Dr. Klein brings with him over 35 years of experience in the Veterinary field. Currently, he is the Supervising Veterinarian at the Chicago Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center. He is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Veterinary Medical Association, Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society, […]

On Wednesday, September 10, Elizabeth II surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history—and that’s a ton of history! The 89-year-old Elizabeth set the record at 5:30 p.m. (BST) by having reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours, and approximately 30 minutes. Around here, Elizabeth is best known as a true-blue […]

Each of the AKC registered breeds are assigned to one of seven groups representing characteristics and functions the breeds were originally bred for. Current as of June 1, 2023 [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Herding Group"] HERDING GROUP The Herding Group, created in 1983, is the newest AKC classification; its members were formerly members of the Working Group. […]

Deep in the AKC Gazette photo archive is a battered old Kodak film box. It contains several rare—and extremely fragile—glass negatives taken by Rudolph Tauskey. They date to the early 1920s. Canine photography buffs have assumed for years that all of Tauskey’s glass negatives were lost, but six survive. Using a sophisticated scanner, the AKC Publications […]

You have whelped your dream litter and watched over them amid numerous cups of coffee and several sleepless nights, and now they are almost 8 weeks old. By this age a pup will be looking like a miniature of what he or she will be as an adult. It is now time to decide which […]

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 […]

  After a one-year hiatus, the Detroit Kennel Club dog show returns to the Motor City this weekend with events Saturday and Sunday, June 20–21, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in the Detroit suburb of Novi, Michigan. This year’s show features a number of special attractions, including obedience and rally trials, demonstrations, AKC National Owner-Handled […]

In order to confidently evaluate any dog, you must have experience and intimate knowledge of his breed. This should enable you to decide whether the dog is just a nice specimen or an outstanding example that should be used in an extensive breeding program. This background information stored in your own personal computer (your brain) […]

Originally published in the AKC Gazette. Writing in 1667, Nicholas Cox describes small land spaniels of courageous mettle, “strong, lusty and nimble rangers, of active feet, wanton tails and busy nostrils”—still a good description of the Cocker Spaniel. A less flattering description was given in 1647 by the “Witch-Finder General,” whose dubious job it was […]