Every dog lover knows the telepathy between man and his best friend: that doggy sixth sense that has them loving on you when you're sad and even seeming to anticipate your commands. But how did dogs get to be so excellent at communicating with people in the first place? Putting Puppies’ Communication Skills to the […]

After delivering a single stillborn puppy, Foxy became frantic. The Flat-coated Retriever believed her puppies were lost and looked for them constantly. It was a sad scene for her owner Anya Dornak. “I would have to take her out on leash because she would get into the bushes and dig and would not come,” the […]

For 15-year-old Allison Chism of Ocala, Florida, there has never been a time that she hasn't been at dog shows. "I've loved being able to grow up and watch my mom, sister, and my grandmother succeed, which has given me the inspiration to follow in their footsteps," she says. Chism officially stepped into the ring […]

While a toy puppy may increase its birth weight by a factor of 10 to 20, a giant-breed puppy may grow to be 100 times bigger than when he was born. Consider this: A newborn Chihuahua may weigh only three ounces at birth and three pounds at maturity. A newborn Great Dane, however, may weigh […]

When Mandy Middleton first started competing in AKC events, almost no one knew what breed she was showing. That breed — the Mountain Cur — is rare in the U.S., despite its patriotic roots. Considered the All-American pioneer dog, Curs were a necessity to frontier families, who relied on them to catch wild game and […]

For millennia, the Cirneco dell’Etna has lived in the shadow of Mount Etna. Scrambling over the rocky, volcanic Sicilian soil in pursuit of rabbit, these small red dogs were invaluable sources of sustenance and protection for their peasant owners. But by the time the 20th Century dawned, the Cirneco was facing its own sunset of […]

The Vizsla was developed in Hungary centuries ago as both a versatile hunting dog and a devoted companion, and the breed today retains those combined qualities. Vizslas typically love to do things with their owners, and they’re curious and interested in all kinds of activities. Vizslas are athletic and exuberant. (Bob Holmes/AKC Photo Contest) With […]

AKC GoodDog! Helpline Trainer Milena Barreto has taught her Standard Poodle, Phoebe, dozens of tricks and they often entertain as a therapy dog team at assisted living centers and hospitals. Here, she tells us how to teach one of the crowd favorites. What can be more rewarding than showing off that your dog is a […]

​Stephanie Sherwood, a Canine Ambassador and member of the Kaystone Vizsla Club in Malverne, PA, visited a second-grade classroom with her Vizsla, Judit this past March and it was nothing short of adorable. Stephanie and Judit have been participating as AKC Canine Ambassadors for about a year now, visiting schools, nursing homes and partaking in […]

Did you know that there are 190 dog breeds registered by the AKC? While many of them are familiar faces, there are several breeds that most people have never seen before, or even heard of. Some are newly registered, and some are just less common in the United States. Here are some facts about a […]