American English Coonhounds are sweet, mellow, and too friendly to perform as a guard dog. Bred to hunt raccoons, the breed descends from English Foxhounds brought to America in the early 1800s. American English Coonhounds sound a distinctive howl when locating their quarry. On a rugged hiking trail, a young couple turns around and realizes […]

Kimberly and Colin Fritzer are AKC Breeders of Merit and the owners of Windrock Greyhounds in Grand Junction, Colorado. They are originally from Wyoming and plan to return to their home state next year. The Fritzers have been breeding Greyhounds since the early 1990s, having bred Afghan Hounds before that. Kimberly, who describes herself as “just an old farm kid,” is also a livestock judge with a very critical eye when it comes to animals. She has raised more than 350 champions and […]

If modern dogs were required to have resumés, most would list their job description as “companion." But from the badger-battling Dachshund to the sled-pulling Alaskan Malamute, dogs' bodies – not to mention their brains – still reflect the original purposes for which they were bred. Indeed, dog breeds display a tremendous variety of not just […]

Corkey Basset Hounds is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Christiansburg, Virginia, on 10 acres of wooded land. Nancy and Dan Corkey have been breeding Basset Hounds for almost 24 years, producing a plethora of pet companions and AKC champions.  

With their trailing ears and adorably drooping faces, Basset Hounds are beloved pups—but did you know the breed originated in sixth-century France, as hunting cousins to the longer-legged Bloodhound? Here’s everything else you need to know about these jowly jewels of dogs.

Louis Murr was a renowned Borzoi owner, breeder, exhibitor, and judge. Most authorities of the time considered Murr's Ch. Vigow of Romanoff to be the greatest Borzoi ever bred on American soil A tragic event cut Vigow's career short Murr died in 1978, two years after retiring from judging, at age 84 Never mind Rasputin's […]

Being the "first" to achieve something takes a lot of determination and tenacity, something that Scottish Deerhound Brodie and his owner, Linda Beisswenger, know all too well. In St. Louis, Missouri, Brodie came to Beisswenger as just a puppy. Previously, Beisswenger competed in AKC Tracking with her Borzoi. "I just fell in love with Tracking and I'm still in love […]

When you think about breeds competing in Obedience and earning a Utility Dog (UD) title, an Afghan Hound probably isn't the first breed that comes to mind. Count on Golden Retrievers, Shetland Sheepdogs, Border Collies, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs to lead the pack of breeds who achieve UDs in obedience. But Hope, a blue and white […]

AKC Breeders of Merit Brenda and Neil Brody have been involved with Afghan Hounds for more than 46 years — since before they were married. In fact, they met because of Brenda’s pet Afghan Hound Disraeli. In 1970, she was walking him on East 65th Street in New York City, and Neil was walking with a friend in the opposite direction. When they passed each other, Neil commented on Disraeli, and “young and naïve” Brenda responded.   Today, they are […]

The sleek and graceful Saluki has hunted with humankind for thousands of years. Because the history of this ancient sighthound reaches back long before the invention of breed clubs and written records, the breed's origin is veiled in mystery. Here are 10 interesting facts about this beautiful breed. 1. The Saluki Is One of the […]