I got Cleo from a local no-kill shelter.  She was only 7 months old, and I was her fourth home.  I enjoy outdoor activities: hiking, backpacking, skiing, etc., and Cleo was friendly and athletic. But when I got her home, I discovered I adopted Houdini. She got out of every fence/kennel I had.  Cleo and […]

Contributed to AKC Canine Partners by Kari Koulmentas “Wait at the door” differs from stay in that your dog will get to move forward after given permission.  It doesn’t matter if they sit, lie down, or stand as long as they don’t move forward without permission.  We first use the door as the prompt, but […]

One day in April of 2010, I was walking past a cemetery with my Standard Rat Terrier, Lucky, when a puppy came from behind a house across the street and began following us. Despite my efforts to shoo her off, she followed us for about three blocks. When she nearly got hit by a car, […]

AKC GoodDog! Helpline Trainer Elizabeth Sandling teaches therapy dog classes and is a long-time therapy team volunteer with her Shetland Sheepdogs, Sandy and Nivy. Here she gives owners some helpful tips on becoming a therapy dog team with their canine partner. Why Volunteer As a Therapy Dog Team: Therapy dogs provide affection, support, and comfort […]

Two-year-old Scout is a Basset Hound-Cocker Spaniel mix who keeps his owner, Sarah Rose, busy. “Scout loves to do things like dock dive, swim in the lake with friends, and chase the squirrels! He's pretty quick so he gives them a run for their nuts!” Sarah Rose said. He also often joins his owner and […]

A little over one year since we adopted him, our dog Finn earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen title on Sept. 2, 2015. We adopted Finn from a rescue group in Florida called Plenty of Pit Bulls. Finn is one of many dogs rescued during what is now often referred to as the #367 case […]

Repo was just a 5-pound puppy dodging cars in a busy parking lot when the Munden family of Pasco, WA, spotted him and saved him. Unable to find an owner, the Mundens kept him and discovered that they had an extremely smart pup on their hands. Christie Munden tells how Repo has become an AKC […]

Guira’s Bella THDD CGCA CGCU & Eileen Guiry of Dover, DE Bella, a 10-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, was a rescue dog living in the Kent County SPCA shelter when Eileen Guiry of Dover, DE, adopted her. Eileen quickly recognized that Bella had the makings of an excellent therapy dog. “When I first got Bella, she was […]

Scout is ready for Independence Day festivities with in his red, white and blue top hat! The adorable 2-year-old mixed-breed dog, who is a member of the AKC Canine Partners program, shares life with Sarah Rose Stewart of Jacksonville, FL, and holds the AKC Canine Good Citizen title! Holidays are a great to spend extra […]

Stella was found as a puppy in a warehouse, and I adopted her at 4 months of age from a rescue group that advertised her as a Border Collie-terrier mix.  Stella didn’t act like a terrier and kept growing, and growing. A DNA test indicated that she is 25% Great Pyrenees, 25% Old English Sheepdog, 25% […]