In the spirit of the holiday season, let’s stop for a moment to acknowledge the joy that the sport of conformation gives us every week of the year, and the people who contribute to that joy. Let’s be thankful for: Judges who are students of their dog breeds, know their standards, smile, and don’t look up […]

A young family I know recently made a commitment to quality time by banning cell phones at the dinner table. It started as more of a dare than a serious lifestyle change. The husband is a marketing maven, the wife a high-powered lawyer, and the two kids own every electronic device on the market. One […]

Angel Warren already had two rescue dogs when she got started in her local 4-H dog program at age nine: Durango, a Miniature American Shepherd, and Aspen, a Border Collie mix. "It was my first introduction to dogdom and I was immediately intrigued," Angel remembers. This intrigue is what led Angel to get her first […]

Most of us can remember a special school teacher who had a profound influence on our lives during those formative years. In our lives breeding and showing dogs, a great mentor can have an equally powerful influence: teaching us, guiding us, and inspiring us. Talk to the iconic figures in our sport and they will […]

AKC has been notified that California Assembly Bill 702, which would have regulated all breeders in the state, will be pulled from today’s committee hearing agenda and not be considered this year. As such, we no longer need clubs and hobbyists to make phone calls during today’s meeting. AKC extends a huge thanks to all […]

Tomorrow (Tuesday, April 27), the California Assembly Business and Professions Committee will be considering Assembly Bill 702 – a bill that would establish onerous permits for ALL California dog breeders  (including co-owners, stud dog owners, etc.) and requirements including business licenses that may be impossible to obtain if you live in a residential setting or […]

On Monday, April 26, the New York Senate Agriculture Committee will consider a bill which will prohibit retail pet stores from selling any dogs or cats.  Instead, they would only be allowed to “showcase” animals available for adoption from a shelter, rescue, or adoption agency that has no affiliation with breeders. New York residents are […]

Dog owners reap many benefits from their canine companions – love and affection, nonjudgmental friendship, social connections, exercise incentives, stress relievers, guardians – and the list goes on. But, dog ownership also comes with significant financial costs. When buying a house, car, or living room furniture, most people carefully consider and plan for the costs. […]

Bringing home a Newfoundland puppy is unlike raising any other puppy. Not only are they physically huge as puppies—which means giant-size fun and big messes—these large pups also take significantly longer to physically and mentally mature than smaller breeds. This means particular training considerations, both when your puppy first comes home, and for the first […]

When Maria B. Moya was growing up, she always wanted a dog, but it wasn’t possible where her family lived. Then she got out on her own and moved to Hoboken, New Jersey. In her new town, everyone, it seemed, had a dog. Many of them were the trendy mixed-breeds, known as "Goldendoodles." Moya, who […]