Riley peered through the tunnel, as if he were Alice about to tumble down the rabbit’s hole into Wonderland. Such a small space, such a big dog, it seemed impossible. Yet, on a bright, sunny Sunday morning in May, Riley’s trusted, well-loved human, Jay Cruz, was asking the 14-month-old Mastiff to squeeze his whole […]

Some dogs regularly chomp on fingers while taking their treats. Some only do it when they are excited or all revved up.  Either way, taking things gently in the mouth is a learned skill for some dogs, especially when they are excited! If your dog is a regular “Jaws,” he needs to learn that fingers […]

Rosemary Strasser of Omaha, NE, was not looking for a new dog, but a friend with Midwest Rescue Network kept telling her she had just the dog for her. “For two weeks she kept saying, ‘You have to come meet him; he’s just your type of dog,’ “, Rosemary said. “We fostered him, and I […]

PACH Beautiful Kim Bianca AX AXJ MXPB MJPB PAX owned by Narae Kim & Ron Ellis of Concord, CA Bianca is an 11 year old Border Collie-mix who was with a Border Collie rescue group before Narae and Ron took her on as a foster dog. “I couldn't find a home for her because she […]

“We both enjoy doing this because we like seeing how the residents light up when Max enters the facility,” Burn said.  “It provides joy to all involved in the encounters.” Steve rescued Max from the Arlington (TX) Animal Services Center in December 2009. He is a mixed breed and, according to a DNA test, he […]

The 7-year-old dog passed the Variable Surface Tracking (VST) test held Oct. 4 by the Great Salt Lake Dog Training Club. The club held the test on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. To obtain the CT status in the AKC Tracking program, dogs must earn three titles – Tracking […]

Today (Oct. 7) is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, an event created by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, to educate owners that dogs, cats and other pets need to be kept in shape for their health. A great way to exercise your dog is swimming. It is easy on the joints so it is great […]

We know you will enjoy this wonderful video of rescue dog Murray’s Road to the AKC Master Agility Championship! https://vimeo.com/104271983. MACH Paved With Good Intentions MXB MJB XF owned by Tamar Fuhrer & Jon Faria of Culver City, CA Tamar and Jon adopted Murray in March 2011 from LA Harbor Shelter. He had already been […]

Originally ran in the "Dogsport 101" column of AKC Family Dog Dog sports aren't only for purebreds. Since 2010, the AKC has awarded thousands of titles to mixed-breeds. Why shouldn’t your clever, athletic mix join the fun? And why shouldn’t you enjoy the bragging rights that come with putting an AKC title on your dog? […]

Rowdy Cuz E Iz CD BN RAE owned by Mary Patterson of St. Michael, MN Mary brought Rowdy home when he was an 8-week-old puppy and started training soon after. The now 6-year-old Shih-tzu – Poodle mix is “extremely smart and a wonderful performance dog,” Mary said. “I've never really cared for obedience until I […]