Header photo courtesy of Nancy Bishop, AKC Breeder of Merit The decision to get a puppy is a big one. First, there's deciding what kind of puppy you want, choosing a breed, and then, finding a reputable and professional breeder to ensure you are getting the dog of your dreams. And finding the right breeder […]

For 54-year-old Army veteran Rob Shaw life is a rollercoaster of psychological turbulence triggered by PTSD, severe depression, and anxiety disorder. In other words, there is plenty of bite behind the bark. For the past three years, a dose of Pepper has been the best prescription medicine in his attempt to overcome the challenges, all […]

There's no nose like a dog's nose. First there were bomb sniffing dogs, then, electronics detection dogs, and now Angus. Angus is a two-year-old English Springer Spaniel and he is trained to sniff out and detect a superbug, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).     This superbug, found in hospitals, is a deadly bacteria that causes […]

Yesterday, AKC GR reported that Massachusetts Senate Bill 2370 was passed by the Senate with amendments.  Since then, we have learned that the bill has been given a new bill number and descriptive title, and assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee.  Now numbered as Senate Bill 2390, the bill is described as, “An […]

A 4-year-old police dog passed away Tuesday, June 28, while trying to protect his partner and other officers from an armed suspect during a SWAT call-out. Credo, a Belgian Malinois with the Long Beach Police Department in California, was struck by gunfire while trying to apprehend a suspect that had charged at officers, NBC reported. […]

Meet Jaquie Blake and her one-year-old Golden Retriever, Harlow. Harlow is an unbelievably special pup, who works hard every day training to be a service dog for Jaquie.     A photo posted by A service pup in training! ♿�� (@helper_dog_harlow) on Jun 17, 2016 at 1:55pm PDT Jaquie suffers from epilepsy and narcolepsy, among […]

By Jessica Acito, GR Intern, and Phil M. Guidry, J.D., GR Sr. Policy Analyst Last week the Oregon Supreme Court handed down a decision in Oregon v. Newcomb regarding the relationship between animal cruelty and a dog’s legal status as personal property.  The court allowed a blood sample, taken from a dog seized without its […]

Coconut THDD CGC spent his first three years of life in a basement until his owner turned him over to a shelter. Dr. Elizabeth Lynch of Greenwich, CT, saw something special in Coco and took him home. With a lot of love, training and trust building, Coco has become a wonderful therapy dog and recently […]

Yesterday, Massachusetts Senate Bill 2370, the “Act Relative to Protecting Puppies and Kittens” (previously Senate Bill 1103), was passed by the Massachusetts Senate.  The bill will now be sent to the Massachusetts House for its consideration.  AKC has several concerns with the bill including: New amendments– including expanded restrictions on dog breeders—to a measure that […]

The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce a title designed to celebrate the lifetime achievement of dogs that excel across all AKC agility classes – the Agility Grand Champion (AGCH). To earn the AGCH title, the following number of qualifying scores must be earned:  Master Standard & Master Jumper with Weaves – 100 qualifying […]