We all know dogs we describe as amusing, entertaining, or downright hilarious. Dogs can make us laugh. But do the dogs, themselves, have a sense of humor? Do they know they’re being funny? Do canines find things amusing? Do dogs laugh, and if so, what makes them laugh? Is playfulness the same as a sense […]

Late last week, the United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published new technical, medical, and behavioral standards recommendations for explosive detection canines. These standards are a response to legislation  (HR 4577 - the Domestic Explosives Canine Capacity Building Act) that the American Kennel Club (AKC) worked to advance in 2017 and 2018.  That legislation directed […]

As dogs age, their health and nutritional needs evolve and change. Keep your senior dog going strong through proper nutrition, diet, and lifestyle choices.

The first step in navigating any culture is learning its etiquette: Never blow your nose at the dinner table in Japan, avoid public displays of affection in Sweden, and expect to encounter close talkers in Spain. A vibrant subculture in its own right, the dog-show world also has unspoken rules of conduct that might not […]

According to a friend, Dr. James Price McCain started exhibiting dogs in the 1930s to “relieve the nervous tension of his medical practice and perhaps most of all to participate in an activity in which his success or failure would be determined in merit, not solely upon the color of his skin.” Dr. McCain’s merit […]

Thousands of dogs compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show. Check out some statistics on the breeds and groups who've taken the trophy.

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2020 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2020. The 2020 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

They grab some Z's on recliners, hog the bed, and circle the kitchen counters hoping for a handout. There's no question the seven, eight, or even ten German Shorthaired Pointers who routinely hang inside Dave and and Lee Walker's home in Forsyth, Georgia, live the good life. These liver-and-white dogs, along with other GSPs the […]

AKC Senior Breeder Field Representative Stacy Mason has spent a lifetime breeding, showing, and training dogs. Here, she shares her plans for making 2020 a great year for her and her dogs. We are already several weeks into 2020, and I am still wondering where 2019 went! Once again, I didn’t get my Christmas cards to […]

National Champion is First Toy Group Winner in the History of the Show GCH CH Pequest Wasabi, a Pekingese known as “Wasabi” triumphed over more than 5,200 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 14-15, 2019 in […]