That’s right! Big or small, shaggy or sleek, fast or slow, every dog has the makings of a hero. That’s the message from Jennifer Arnold, founder and executive director of Canine Assistants, an organization that trains service dogs. Arnold was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 16 and had trouble obtaining a four-footed helper because the […]

Over the years, a number of authors have projected the annual cost of raising a dog. In many cases, even with food, supplies and veterinary care considered, the estimated costs have seemed low. Two veterinary students from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have recently updated the statistics related to costs involved in […]

Like people, some dogs don’t like strangers getting too close. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog is mean, aggressive, or dangerous. He is just not the kind of dog who will happily accept petting from groups of strange children or adults, or is at ease with other dogs. He may be sick, recovering from […]

ASK AKC Dear AKC: I have a question about the possibility of registering my Scottish Terrier with AKC. At the time of purchase I was given an application from another kennel club's registry because the father of the puppy was AKC registered but the mother was not. Does this mean my Scottie can NOT be […]

A visiting dog did her best, but she could not raise the 10-year-old’s spirits. “He looked at Kacey and was just lying there and petting her head a bit while she had her head on the bedside,” Kacey’s owner John Smead recalled. Then the boy’s mother began reading Kacey’s “bio” card that shows her picture […]

Since Maggie entered into the phase of life known as senior, thoughts that I never dreamed I’d have keep floating through my mind, thoughts like: * I love my sponge mop, so, so much. * The world is a better place because of the existence of seven-foot-long, washable, waterproof hospital pads. * Whoever it was […]

Merrick, a 4-year-old black Labrador Retriever, works as guide dog for a blind man. But his career as a savior started when he was just a tiny pup. Lorraine Trapani, the volunteer puppy raiser who took 11-week-old Merrick under her wing in 2011, says that this tiny bundle of black hair, high spirits, and energy […]

The first animal care professional that many dog owners know and trust is the veterinarian. As a growing number of veterinarians are recognizing the benefits of early training for dogs, there is an increase in CGC and AKC STAR Puppy classes in veterinary settings. Dr. Judy Little of the Osceola Veterinary Clinic (Iowa) has arranged […]

Our Sweet Waally Waally Wabbitt CD BN PCD RAE owned by James & Barbara Roberts of Lakeland, FL Wabbitt wondered up to Jim and Bobbi while they were working out in their yard. His eyes were so infected that he could not see, and he was running into bushes and trees. “He was so very […]

Aggressive Dogs: Body Language It’s very important to learn to recognize signs of an aggressive dog and potential dog fight. It can mean the difference between a romp at the dog park or a day in the veterinary emergency room. You have to be able to decode the body language of an aggressive dog. Here […]