Since December 2019, the countdown clock has been ticking on the American Belgian Laekenois Association website for the coming-out party of what its members believe to be America’s best-kept purebred dog secret. Well, the secret’s out of the bag as of July 1, 2020 when the tousled wire-coated newcomer with shade variations from fawn to […]

Reading through posts on social media, breeders seem to agree that dealing with puppy inquiries can be frustrating. It is certainly a time-consuming aspect of raising dogs and having a public presence; it always has been. But compared to decades ago, before the Internet and personal computers, when breeders had to type individual responses, perhaps […]

Good morning, everybody. It certainly is the dawn of a new day when our meeting of the AKC Delegate Body takes place over the Internet via Zoom. Although it’s a depressing set of circumstances that has brought us together in this way, I'm grateful that we have been able to convene safely and efficiently. I'd […]

Curiosity didn’t just kill the cat. It did in the duck, too. Over the centuries, bird hunters have come up with creative ways to close in on their quacking prey, in part by breeding specific dogs to help in that endeavor. Centuries ago, hunters in the Netherlands came up with perhaps the most outside-the-box idea for […]

If you're interested in taking part in a low-cost and accessible activity with your dog, why not try the lesser-known dog sport of Treibball? Professional dog trainer Dianna Stearns is the President of the American Treibball Association (ATA). She explains that sport was first introduced in Germany by Jan Nibjoer, and then, in 2009, a […]

First, the good news: You cannot get lice from your dog, nor can your dog pick up this parasite from you. Lice are species-specific; those that thrive on your dog’s blood won’t change their dining preferences if they land on you, or vice versa. But there is plenty of bad news where this parasite is […]

The Belgian Laekenois will soon be the AKC's newest recognized breed. For an in-depth introduction to the breed, come back on July 1. Her name was Diva but nothing could have been further off the mark appearance-wise in June 2018 when a bedraggled Belgian Laekenois first set foot permanently in Sharrii Hunt’s life. Chevalric’s Darling […]

As strong as it is swift, the Borzoi was bred for centuries to course fox, boar, hare and, famously, wolf – hence its moniker, the Russian Wolfhound.

Increasing demand for pets and restrictive breeder laws mean that U.S. breeders cannot meet the demand for dogs in the U.S. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates approximately one million dogs are imported into the United States annually. This has resulted in increasing reported incidents of imported dogs bringing contagious diseases […]

Here are some highlights of the regulatory issues AKC GR has recently addressed.  Visit AKC’s Regulatory Resource Center for more information on these and other significant regulatory issues addressed by AKC Government Relations. FEDERAL – Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the adoption of updates […]