We all know dogs we describe as amusing, entertaining, or downright hilarious. Dogs can make us laugh. But do the dogs, themselves, have a sense of humor? Do they know they’re being funny? Do canines find things amusing? Do dogs laugh, and if so, what makes them laugh? Is playfulness the same as a sense […]

Look at Me! By Mara Bovsun for AKC Family Dog, September/October 2019 Issue Look-At-Me-AKC-Family-Dog-Sept-Oct-2019 Printable Version Digital Version Directions: Read and Annotate. Then answer the questions below. Next to your answer, provide the paragraph number that supports each answer. 1. How did Winky’s performance in the Agility Championship compare with the winning performance? a) Winky was […]

AKC Family Dog March/April 2012  The Things Those Poodles Will Do! By Mara Bovsun   Digital Version The-Things-Those-Poodles-Will-Do-printable-version Directions:  Read and Annotate. Then answer the questions below.  Next to your answer, provide the paragraph number that supports each answer.   What does coif mean?     What image do many people have of poodles?   […]

  Atlanta's top 5 most popular breeds for 2013 "In keeping with the national trend, Atlanta loves its big dogs," said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "Lovable large breeds clearly dominate the city's top five." Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog Boxer Cavalier King Charles Spaniel * Registration data pulled from Atlanta zip codes as […]

Demonstrating the usefulness of a dog as a companion to humankind, AKC Obedience is a sport with rules, regulations, judges, conditioning, training, placements and prizes. Objective: Dog and handler teams are judged on how closely they match the judge's mental picture of a theoretically perfect performance as they execute a series of specified exercises. Accuracy […]

Life may be a box of chocolates, but after you’ve nibbled enough bonbons, you know which flavor you like best. Over the past four decades, Nancy Edmunds of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, has owned quite a Whitman’s Sampler of purebreds, including Cocker Spaniels, Manchester Terriers, Whippets, Brussels Griffons, Poodles, and Afghan Hounds. But in 1985, she finally came across her forever breed: the Vizsla. After almost 30 years breeding those Hungarian […]

At the 144th iteration of the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held in New York City's cavernous Madison Square Garden, judge Robert H. Slay pointed to “Siba" the black Standard Poodle for Best in Show. That win — in an entry of almost 2,600 dogs — marked the fifth time one of these elaborately […]

Competition & Title Updates  We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles in Agility, Coursing Ability, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, and Tracking. AGILITY Congratulations to the winners at the 2019 AKC Agility Invitational AKC Canine Partners congratulates the All-American Dogs and their owners who competed and won honors at the AKC […]

Central Park in autumn splendor was the scene of a very special picnic in honor of Balto, the single representative of canine sculpture in New York City's flagship park. The much loved sculpture by Frederick George Richard Roth depicts the famous sled dog, Balto, who led the team that raced through hurricane-force winds and minus-50-degree […]

To celebrate the dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind, the AKC Humane FundSM is seeking YOUR nominations for its AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).  Nominations are open now through July 31st and winners will be announced in the fall of 2020. Each year, the AKC Humane Fund pays […]