The sounds of "Stars and Stripes Forever" were blaring from a CD player in the backyard and children splashed in the pool. Matthew and Susan were hosting their annual Fourth of July cookout. As guests arrived in festive red, white and blue attire, they would ring the doorbell and immediately hear a few quick barks […]

Guardians of the ZooAfrican elephants are the unexpected residents of 724 acres of lush forest and pasture in southwest Pennsylvania. Even more surprising, is a group of elite canines that helps to protect these endangered animals from wildlife and human intruders. The International Conservation Center (ICC), which is part of the Pittsburgh Zoo, is dedicated […]

Therapy Dogs Can Help During Stressful Court HearingsCertified therapy dogs have proven their worth in providing comfort to seriously and terminally ill people. But therapy dogs have also ventured into the courtroom to help crime victims cope with the prospect of giving testimony. Twenty-six states now have programs in which therapy dogs are working in […]

Meet Officer Sammy of the Walnut Cove Police Department, Walnut Cove, NC Did you think all police dogs were German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois? Not so! A mixed-breed dog who was abandoned by his owner is a valued member of a police department in North Carolina. Officer Sammy was not always deemed law enforcement material. […]

Food allergies can appear at any age, but most dogs eat an offending food for two years before symptoms appear. Here are the most common signs of allergy.

By Joan Harrigan and Susan BeegelMuch is demanded of show dogs – they must be adaptable, calm, and tolerant in addition to meeting the requirements of their breed standards. Two Beaucerons, both champions and exhibited at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, have show careers that are secondary to their day-to-day work. For Beaucerons […]

ASK AKC  Dear AKC: I have a German Shepherd Dog and a Pomeranian. I walk both dogs at the same time but I wonder how much is too much of a long walk for the Pomeranian. The German Shepherd Dog seems unfazed by the time and length of the walk. My Pomeranian seems OK, but she […]

Ask AKC   Dear AKC: I have a 4-month-old German Shepherd Dog. She is wonderful, loving, sweet, and does all that she can to please. However, we have a big problem. She is peeing in her crate every night. I read that by 4 months this should stop - it hasn't. She comes out in the […]

Whole books, not to mention thousands of web pages, are devoted to describing the minutiae that distinguish one breed from another. However, the official AKC breed standards are supposed to be the breeders’ blueprints, so I found myself wondering if we could recognize the distinct personality of the Belgian Malinois based solely on its description […]

Ask AKC   Dear AKC: We have a 14-month-old German Shepherd. She refuses to bark to be let out or let back in. Instead, she scratches at the door. We've been unable to teach her to "speak". Do you have any suggestions? -- Knock Knock Dear Knock: Since your dog is smart enough to go […]