April 10, 1936 - the first official "Regulations and Standard for Obedience Test Field Trials" was published. The first licensed test held in accordance with these regulations took place on June 13, 1936, and appropriately enough, was held with the North Westchester Kennel Club all-breed show at Mount Kisco, New York. Tracking was originally part […]

AKC Obedience Trials owe their existence to a pioneer in the sport of purebred dogs, Mrs. Helen Whitehouse Walker. Helen was a breeder of Standard Poodles and the dogs of her Carillon Kennels were quickly gaining recognition as dogs with outstanding quality and character. Like many Poodle breeders, Helen had to fight the stereotype that […]

Anyone who aspires to be a breeder rather than merely a producer of puppies must first understand the nuances of correct type, following the recipe given in the breed standard. Just what is type? In general, with regard to purebred dogs type means those physical features and characteristics that define the breed—that make a Golden […]

Ensure That Your Dog Chews the Right Type of Bone. There was a time when people didn’t give much thought to what, or how, they fed their dogs. Almost any kind of bone was tossed Fido’s way. Now that we’ve learned a lot about canine nutrition and safety, our word of advice about bones is: caution. […]

More and more we will read stories about brave military working dogs saving the lives of servicemen and -women—and suffering traumatic war injuries. So why aren’t these dogs decorated with the medals given to their brave human counterparts? It all goes back to Chips. In 1942, the mixed-breed dog was volunteered to the war effort by his […]

"Lie down..." "...Lie down." "Lie down!!" "Joe, I said lie down!" Dogs are gifted with an incredible sense of hearing. Research has proven that fact. Thousands of independent home studies have proven it too ask anyone who has accidentally bumped the 'cookie' jar lid and they'll tell you that even sleeping dogs three rooms away are […]

First, you have to have a mental image of a perfectly correct "square flank". This involves the relationship between the dog and SHEEP not the handler. Dogs do not square flank off the handler, they square flank off the sheep. As the dog runs in half circle or part of a circle around the sheep […]

The Stop will be one of the most important commands a handler can teach their dog. The dog stopping in an exact spot can make the difference in accomplishing a chore correctly, winning or losing in a trial situation, or even saving a dog's life. Introduce the stop command to a dog away from stock. […]

Most herding dogs are naturally fetching dogs. That is, they always want to bring the sheep towards the handler. Some herding dogs are naturally driving dogs. That is, they move sheep in any direction without regard to the location of the handler. A very few herding dogs are both naturally driving and fetching dogs. You'd […]

First AKC Spanish Water Dog Herding Titles Awarded August 22-23, 2008 - Battle Ground, WA Two Spanish Water Dogs wrapped up the first AKC herding titles, earning PT titles on sheep this weekend (August 22-23) at the All Breed Herding Club of Western Washington AKC herding trial at Brigand's Hideout, Battle Ground, WA. "Pink" (Ch. […]