AKC GoodDog! Helpline Trainer Breanne Long shares some tips on introducing your dog to the water so they have a positive experience and learn to love to swim. Many breeds are natural-born swimmers. Many retrievers and spaniels will swim with little encouragement, but dogs with body types less suited to swimming, like Bulldogs, may need more […]

June 17, 2015 AKC has learned that these ordinances have been pulled from the June 23rd agenda. The Washoe County Commission has directed animal services to return to the drafting board and has indicated that they do not want ordinances that will negatively impact responsible breeders or animal oriented businesses in a negative manner. AKC […]

While going through boxes of dog-related material one day, I came across some interesting facts about porcupines. I live in a small country town nestled in an area consisting of mostly woods, streams, stone walls, and rock formations, where an all-too-curious Red and White might possibly encounter this prickly creature. Since two of my Red […]

June 16, 2015 On June 23rd the Washoe County Board of Commissioners will be considering changes to their animal control ordinance that will define commercial animal establishments and commercial breeders. Two separate ordinances are proposed. The ordinances will impose significant fees and burdens on small, local, responsible breeders. State law already defines and regulates certain […]

It is easy to understand how and why a singleton puppy would or could develop into being a dominant dog. Why not? The singleton puppy never had any littermates around to dissuade this notion. The singleton will always be the only being in his or her universe (other than Mom), unless he or she is […]

By William GivenIn any serious conversation about the future of our sport, we have to acknowledge the importance of our youth and the need to bring more young people into our sport. Today’s junior handlers are the “future of our sport.” They will be the exhibitors, breeders, mentors, professional handlers, judges, stewards, show chairmen, superintendents, […]

Golden Retrievers — We now have the benefit of “clearance” testing and the mapped canine genome that could help guide intelligent crossbreeding decisions and the possibility that new breeds might eventually be developed. In the 19th century, as gentleman farmers and sportsmen kept breeding records of their canines and began to exhibit the best of their […]

“We’re thrilled to welcome such a great selection of dogs to the AKC family,” said AKC Spokesperson Gina DiNardo.  “Each of these breeds is unique and will make wonderful companions to a variety of people.  We urge potential dog owners to visit akc.org and learn about all 187 breeds to determine the right dog for […]

Amstel Thresher THDD, owned by Alison Thresher of Port Chester, NY, has earned the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished title for making more than 400 visits to help others. Alison adopted Amstel from the North Shore Animal League in November 2004 at the age of 7 ½ weeks. She had such a great temperament and did […]

Doberman Pinscher Club of America National is a time when the Doberman family unites to celebrate our breed. Here are some highlights of our 2014 event. It was a whirlwind week of shows, parties, meetings, seminars, and shopping for everything Doberman. Here are some of the highlights. The event area was ready for the “showdown in the heartland.” Decorating […]