More than 60 All-American Dogs will compete in the 2018 AKC National Agility Championship, which is right around the corner. The event takes place March 23 – 25 in Reno, Nevada. There is a total of 917 entrants. To qualify, dogs must have earned seven double Qs, meaning they must have qualified in both Masters […]

Puppy-proofing should be one of the first things on any new dog parent's checklist. After all, puppies are curious creatures. They'll sniff, chew, and swallow things that interest them. Unfortunately, some of those things in your house might be harmful or poisonous to them. Therefore, make sure your home is puppy-proofed before the little one […]

“A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” -- Colin Powell There are many reasons to put in the time and resources necessary to earn recognition of your dog’s abilities: You might do it to show off his superior abilities; or you might do it for the personal […]

The rumors you've heard about chocolate are true. Chocolate might be your favorite treat, but it has deadly consequences for dogs of all sizes and breeds. Chocolate is highly toxic to dogs and can be potentially fatal. Unfortunately, dogs have a way of sniffing out chocolate treats, which means we need to be alert for […]

If you’re used to seeing dog food advertisements, you likely think that a dog’s sense of taste is very highly refined. However, this is quite far from the truth. A dog’s sense of taste is much less discriminating than that of humans. In fact, while humans have roughly 9,000 taste buds, dogs have only around […]

The digging, the barking, the chasing: Welcome to Westie world. Don’t panic. There’s no need to sign him up for couch time with an expensive Park Avenue shrink. All you have to do is take a moment to consider what has been genetically hardwired into the spunky little critter. Once you know what drives your […]

Like many things your dog does, kicking the ground after it eliminates is a very instinctual behavior and may have multiple purposes. This behavior can be traced back to a dog’s wolf ancestors. Like wolves, dogs have scent glands located between the pads of their paws. These scent glands secrete pheromones which are released with […]

We've all been there. You're taking your dog for a walk, enjoying the great outdoors, perhaps breathing in the fresh air. In that moment of distraction, it happens. Your dog has found something truly repulsive and is rolling around on top of it, paws in the air, thoroughly coating himself in whatever foul substance he's […]

What do you think about when you picture your life with a dog? Games of fetch in the backyard, long walks in the country, lazy afternoons snuggled together on the couch? Maybe you want a friend for your children, a guardian for your home, or an athlete to train for and compete in AKC events. […]

Dogs are surprisingly good at communicating with people, considering they can't speak. They use body language and vocalization to express their wants, needs, and fears, but sometimes it is hard to figure out what dog sounds actually mean. Some dogs have a wider range of vocalizations than others. Rottweilers "purr," Siberian Huskies"talk," Shiba Inu "scream," and Basenjis "yodel" instead of barking. For […]