MEMORANDUM: The American Kennel Club welcomes the introduction today of the Healthy Dog Importation Act of 2021 in the U.S. House of Representatives. AKC is grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Congressmen  Kurt Schrader, DVM (D-OR-5) and Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD- ALL)  in sponsoring the bill, and believes this will go a long way to addressing concerns […]

While good hygiene habits are essential for a healthy dog, unlike humans, most dogs do not require daily hygiene and grooming habits. What is required, and how often, depends on the breed. The Afghan Hound, Poodle, and Komondor — just to name a few — require regular grooming (but are certainly worth the effort), whereas […]

Courtney Hume sits patiently in the hectic waiting room of the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island, N.Y. on a sunny August afternoon. Her pale, unadorned hands are folded neatly in her lap, loosely grasping a red leash marked with "Service Dog" in clear white letters along each side. At the end of that leash, […]

Lori Wells, of Lancaster, Calif., and her search-and-rescue partner, Piglet, take a break during a deployment in the Las Vegas area. This is the second of a series of features on 2017's AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence Winners. There is nothing about the name "Piglet" or "Catahoula Leopard Dog" that would suggest an […]

There seems to be no end to the things scent-detection dogs can be trained to find. A dog's nose is a powerful tool for discovery for everything from banned cell phones in prisons to deadly bacteria to bedbugs. Can that amazing sense of smell help to preserve an important part of humanity’s cultural heritage, as well? Areas in the Middle […]

Heartworm is a potentially deadly parasite that is transmitted only by mosquitos, which pick up larval heartworms, called microfilaria, circulating in the bloodstream of infected animals. Dogs and other canids, such as fox, wolves, and coyote, are considered the primary heartworm hosts, but these parasites can also affect other mammals, including cats and ferrets. There are treatments […]

Like many dog owners, I have a dog who loves to eat. Dog food, goose poop, birdseed – you name it. Nothing very harmful in that, right? Well, it turns out that birdseed should be saved for the birds. And here’s why. Aflatoxin Poisoning It’s not unusual for dogs to graze for birdseed under a […]

Just like their owners, dogs are susceptible to minor injuries and are not immune to getting cuts, scrapes, or burns. But can you use Neosporin® on dogs? The answer isn’t completely straightforward. In some instances, applying the topical, antibiotic ointment can help heal your dog’s wound, but there are situations when it is not advisable or […]

Last week, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the temporary suspension of the importation of dogs from countries classified as high risk for canine rabies, or of those arriving from countries not considered a high risk if the dogs have been in a high risk country during the previous six […]

Like the humans who care for them, dogs are not exempt from the battle of the bulge; they, too, struggle with weight gain and the health problems that come along with carrying around extra pounds. “Dogs of all ages can be obese, although the greatest prevalence of obesity occurs in dogs between 5 and12 years […]