If you are a judge, do you find it harder to go from judging Great Danes to judging Yorkshire Terriers, or to go from judging English Cocker Spaniels to judging American Cocker Spaniels? In other words, is it harder to turn the page in your mind and adjust for the vast differences between two breeds […]

AKC Gazette breed column: West Highland White Terriers Very often, dog fanciers will gravitate toward some features in their dogs more than others. It’s understandable. There’s a downside, however. One can get carried away with a specific feature to the point of tolerating glaring blemishes, while genuine virtues go ignored. We’ve all heard about “tooth fairies,” “size […]

Sometimes it can take years to know what judge to show under. You can rely on the knowledge of other experienced competitors, and even that can be wrong. Learn what the breed standard says, and not what you fantasize it to be. The only way to succeed is to look objectively at how to achieve […]

Every litter is a new and exciting adventure. The months of research into pedigrees, rereading notes on dogs that appear in various pedigrees and evaluating their influences, have come to fruition, and the future is now in the whelping box. The genetics are set; now the puppy socialization  begins. Handling puppies daily from day one […]

When you think of howling, you might think of wolves. But howling is also a common dog behavior, too. So why do dogs howl? Is it a throwback to their wolf ancestry? Or are there different reasons behind the call?

The Greenwich Kennel Club (GKC), one of the oldest all-breed dog clubs in the tri-state area of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey which held its first annual all-breed dog show in 1930, is in the final preparation stages for their 2015 annual outdoor dog show that is taking place on June 6th. This well-established […]

In order to confidently evaluate any dog, you must have experience and intimate knowledge of his breed. This should enable you to decide whether the dog is just a nice specimen or an outstanding example that should be used in an extensive breeding program. This background information stored in your own personal computer (your brain) […]

Next time you fill out a show entry, consider checking the box to show that you'd like to participate in the AKC National Owner Handled Series. NOHS competition is conducted following Best of Breed judging in each breed ring. The ring steward asks all professional handlers and household members and assistants to current professional handlers […]

We get a lot of questions from dog owners each week asking why do their dogs behave in certain ways. One of the most common questions we get is 'why does my dog bark so often or all the time?' There could be lots of reasons why this might be happening, sometimes it is that […]

ASK AKC Dear AKC: I have a pet rabbit in my house and I'm thinking of getting a Beagle puppy. Is there a problem keeping them both in the same house? The puppy would only be loose when someone is home. -- Hound & Hare Dear Hound: Before considering adding a dog to your household […]