My dog is very nervous around other dogs and is often frightened around people he doesn’t know. As you can imagine, because of the spectators and fellow competitors, competing in many dog sports is a challenge. We trained in agility for years as part of his confidence-building program, but competition was not in the cards. […]

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 […]

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Sienna Bay Watermark Dirk DM DS TKN TKI CGC, shows off one of his tricks that helped earn him the new AKC Intermediate Trick Dog title. Eleven-year-old Kya has had an impressive career that includes a conformation championship and rally titles. Being a veteran has limited some of her activities, but that […]

  AKC Breeder Spotlight: Theresa Viesto of Tiger Rose Labrador Retrievers Each month, the American Kennel Club (AKC) profiles breeders to hear about how they got started, their breeding program, and their experience with AKC Marketplace. We recently spoke with Theresa Viesto of Tiger Rose Labradors in Newtown, Conn. Here, she answers questions about her […]

A high school stadium, three sets of bleachers, and one Q-tip dipped in the scent of birch. Finding that tiny swab, planted somewhere in the arena, seemed an impossible task to Suzanne LeRoy, as she and her Border Collie, Rain, faced their first nose work competition. “It was a huge area to search,” the California […]

Gilligan isn't your average dog. Just take a look at her long list of titles: Fishbay’s Merchant of Venice CD BN RE AX AXJ OF RATN DN CGCA TKA WWDX CWDX MAC-3 SROM. The versatile Portuguese Water Dog has earned an array of accolades, including winning multiple agility, Rally, and obedience classes at national specialties. Perhaps most impressive […]

Whether you remember Petey from The Little Rascals, Lassie and Timmy, Benji, Beethoven, or Clifford the Big Red Dog, images of kids hugging and kissing dogs are burned into our minds. For dog trainers, that imagery makes us cringe. We’ve seen some of the painful results of such interactions in real life—the kinds that won’t […]

Lauren Mulvihill didn't grow up with dogs, but that never stopped her from wanting one. Growing up, her cousin's dog Casey — “the perfect Golden to a T" — was friendly, goofy, and smart. Lauren begged her parents for a dog like Casey. “I would ask every single holiday," she says. “I'd be like, please […]

When Bingley and owner Denise Fitzgerald wake up in the morning, he climbs on top of her, places a paw on each side of her neck, and pushes his little flat face against hers. After that greeting, the day just gets better and better for the Templeton, Calif., pair — and everyone they encounter. Bingley, […]

The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program has been the gold standard of behavior for all dogs — both purebred and mixed breeds — since 1989. Thirty years later, one million dogs have passed their CGC test! On August 14, 2019, the AKC recognizes the millionth CGC dog — Fiona the Bernese Mountain Dog, owned […]