As dog lovers, it can be difficult to ignore when we see someone doing something we think is bad, harmful, or ineffective with their dogs. Sometimes what someone is doing is abusive or at risk of causing immediate serious injury to a dog, in which case stepping in right away or calling the proper authorities […]

Rottweilers. American Staffordshire Terriers. Loving, loyal, ideal family pets. Yet they are sometimes misunderstood, assumed to have traits that a good representative of their breed would not possess. So why is a story about the smallest of all AKC-registered breeds talking about the big guys? Because Chihuahuas have also been subjected to a few undeserved […]

Linda Brady has been involved in dog training since 1978 but nothing quite prepared her for what she dealt with in early December. A resident of Oxford, Michigan (population 3,586), she was alerted shortly after the shootings at the town high school on November 30. “You always think something like this is never going to […]

It’s one of the American Kennel Club’s smallest recognized breeds, but the Russian Toy is seldom overlooked with its substance and splash. Petite (up to 6 ½ pounds) and personable, it is now fully recognized as a member of the Toy Group after three years in the Miscellaneous Class and AKC companion events such as […]

Teddy is one of five 2021 AKC Awards for Canine Excellence recipients, winning the Therapy Dog category. This category recognizes certified therapy dogs working in hospitals, schools, disaster sites, war zones, and wherever else the affection of a good dog can provide comfort. Team Teddy is all about emotional acuity and familial commitment that elicits […]

Mattis is one of five 2021 AKC Awards for Canine Excellence recipients, winning the Uniformed Service K-9 category. This category recognizes certified therapy dogs working in hospitals, schools, disaster sites, war zones, and wherever else the affection of a good dog can provide comfort. Mattis and Sgt. Mark Tappan check every box when it comes […]

After the ESPN Airing of the popular special, AKC Heroes: 2021 Awards for Canine Excellence on ESPN2, the AKC is excited to share the winners of this year's AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These annual awards celebrate loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and/or communities. Five […]

Benny is one of five 2021 AKC Awards for Canine Excellence recipients. He won the Exemplary Companion category. This category recognizes dogs without formal training or certification that have nonetheless distinguished themselves in some way and have made a meaningful contribution to their owners or communities. Apparently, when they handed out a job description to […]

Antwerp is the world’s capital for diamonds, exquisite gems strong enough to cut glass. But the region is known for another multifaceted jewel, the Bouvier des Flandres, admired the world over for his striking appearance, tremendous strength, and courage. “Initially we are drawn to the Bouvier by the appearance of rugged hairiness, but what keeps […]

There is, carved into a Scottish Highlands farm wall, the image of a short-legged, longheaded, prick-eared, cobbily built dog barking on a wheelbarrow. The image appears to date from around A.D. 200, and is about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, small enough that the viewer cannot make out if the dog is double-coated or […]