Earlier this week, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new rule for the importation of dogs into the United States. The rule, which becomes effective on August 1, 2024, will require all dogs to be at minimum six months of age prior to import into the U.S. The American […]

Understanding the genetic modes of inheritance is vital for dog breeders, as it helps them predict the likelihood of traits or genetic disorders appearing in offspring. This article provides simplified explanations of different modes of inheritance, which will be expanded on in coming articles.   Genetic Building Blocks: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the molecule that […]

The Junior Showmanship competition at Westminster celebrated its 90th year. Junior Handler Octavia Stensen took home 2024 Westminster Best Junior.

Tennessee’s legislative session ended on April 25, 2024, and the American Kennel Club (AKC) is pleased to report multiple legislative successes that benefit dogs and dog owners. AKC thanks members of AKC-affiliated clubs, sportsmen, and every individual who contacted their state lawmakers about bills that affect our dogs. Special thanks go to the Nashville Kennel […]

The California legislative session is in full swing and AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) continues to track many bills of interest to dog owners. In addition, we will continue to watch for any amendments or other actions that could affect responsible dog ownership. The following are current statuses of bills that AKC GR is following, […]

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Joint Judiciary Committee will accept public testimony on a list of bills, including SB 427, which seeks to add protections for police K-9 and volunteer search and rescue dogs.  The bill would (1) increase the penalty for intentionally injuring a police K-9 or dog in a […]

Order AKC DNA + Health Kit Activate AKC DNA Kit DNA Resource Center All AKC DNA + Health Kits include: The AKC DNA Profile of 201 markers for genetic identity and parentage verification purposes 328 genetic variants for health and traits, including coat color Results are delivered by our trusted service provider (Neogen) with the […]

Owner-handler Kyllian Genzmer, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, got her Belgian Sheepdog to be her pet. "Legend" ended up being so much more.

Committees in the Hawai’i State Legislature are scheduled to consider dog-related bills on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.  Hawai’i residents are encouraged to review the bills listed below and share concerns with the appropriate committee members. Senate Bill 2874 seeks to establish a non-refundable income tax credit for residential landlords who lease a unit to a […]

On Tuesday, February 13, a Kansas committee will consider House Bill 2542, which make numerous changes to the Kansas Pet Animal Act.  The most concerning provision of the legislation will allow the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture to enter contracts with any licensed animal shelter or rescue to seize animals and provide care for […]