You’re a successful breeder-exhibitor who’s been involved in the sport for 30 years, with scores of homebred champions to your credit. You have held positions on your parent club’s board and are a respected judge of your breed. One day, you receive an email from an up-and-coming fancier whom you’ve met once or twice, […]

  Opinion: Nothing is more frustrating to a dedicated breeder-exhibitor than hearing that a wonderful owner with unlimited potential in the sport has purchased a dog from a commercial kennel. After all, your breed parent club works hard to update its website and offer a cornucopia of relevant information. You attend dog shows regularly, breed […]

Karen Powell of Frankfort, KY, has three rescued mixed-breed dogs that compete very successfully in AKC Agility, AKC Rally, and Barn Hunt: Stella CD RAE7 AXP AJP NFP RATN Biggie RAE2 MXP MJP XFP RATN Cody RAE MXP3 MXPB MJP4 MJPB OFP T2BP RATO She started taking classes with her dogs in 2006 because of […]

  One of the greatest frustrations experienced by new puppy owners is housebreaking, but with patience and consistency every dog can learn not to soil their house. The AKC Good Dog! Helpline trainers recommend “S&S” – Scheduling and Supervision – as the most important components when you are “potty training” your infant canine. Feed your […]

So now you are ready for the next step after puppyhood for a potential future therapy dog. A great place to start in preparing your dog for therapy work is to take an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) class. Some therapy dog organizations require a dog to obtain a CGC certificate as a prerequisite for […]

How did you start breeding Old English Sheepdogs? Michaelanne: The OES was my dream dog as a young girl. When Doug and I got married, I was looking at ads for houses and there was an ad for Old English Sheepdog puppies for sale. We went to see them—just to look—and Doug purchased my first […]

There’s no more clichéd name for a dog than Fido. In fact, it’s so overworked that people no longer name their dogs Fido. You’ll find the name nowhere on those Most Popular Dog Name Lists that crowd the Internet. When the word Fido is used today it’s usually as a slang reference to any dog. […]

ASK AKC Dear AKC: What is the difference between a pure white Siberian husky and an "Isabella" white husky.I have a 1-year-old male who is solid white, but I do notice in bright sunlight there is a very slight yellow coloring in some areas. When he was a pup all his points (nose, lips, eye rims) […]

  With their active, friendly, and outgoing personality, it's no wonder Labrador Retrievers have been the AKC's most popular breed for 26 years in a row. The Lab is gentle, intelligent, and easy to train. They are excellent guide dogs, loyal members of search-and-rescue teams, and faithful K-9 owners. They're also perfect family pets and […]

We wish we could always bring our dogs with us when we have to go away, but sometimes that's just not possible. Hiring a pet sitter to stay at your home and stick to your dog's regular routine will help make the time you're away a little less stressful for him (but don't worry—you'll still […]