AKC President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung presented the Award to United States Capitol Police Chief Matthew R. Verderosa, Assistant Chief Steven A. Sund, Deputy Chief Fred P. Rogers and Technician Shawn Haynes, who were accompanied by Will, a black Labrador Retriever. “I am honored to present this award,” said Sprung. “It is a token […]

  The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and advocate for all dogs, continues its commitment to students pursuing veterinary studies with the announcement of the 2017 AKC Veterinary Outreach Scholarship recipients. This scholarship is designed to support individuals with a background in AKC events and programs, who seek to promote […]

The signature event held by the AKC is the dog show, also known as a conformation event. During a conformation event, dogs are judged according to their written breed standard. And contrary to what you may think, it's not just a beauty pageant, although the dogs are certainly beautiful. The goal of conformation is to […]

Whether it’s learning pedigrees, wrapping your head around difficult breed standards, or staying on top of important medical issues that can adversely affect our beloved show dogs, achieving success in our sport demands that we remain lifelong students. We pore over a wealth of data and try to make the wisest, most objective decisions possible. […]

Bonnet started as Horton's Novice A dog. The pair competed successfully all the way to a UDX title. The Norwegian Elkhound survived a stroke and was "truly a hero," showing her owner "what was important in life that I did not already know" he says. While he doesn’t have an iconic Superman "S" on his […]

When we first began our individual journeys in the sport of dog breeding and showing, we did so with the highest of ideals, hoping not only to succeed, but also to make worthwhile contributions to our breed and the fancy. Along the way, we meet those who are prepared to cut corners and do what’s expedient, if not in the […]

Ever wonder how handlers get into conformation? Well, many of them start out in Junior Showmanship. And it turns out the kids have a lot to say! We chatted with 12 youngsters ranging from the ages of seven to 16 years at the annual Seattle Kennel Club (SKC) Dog Show at Centurylink Field on March […]

As all dog breeders know, you’re only as good as your latest generation. After all, those promising newbies are the ones on which you build your future. The sport of dogs is governed by the same principle: Newcomers in all venues — from conformation to obedience to agility, not to mention breeding — are vitally […]

I recently participated in my local all-breed kennel club’s annual show weekend. As always, it was a friendly, laid-back event, less than 1,000 dogs — although the entry was up by 150 this year — and the shows drew some nationally ranked Top 10 canines from many far-flung states. I made myself useful stewarding each […]

Picture this. A couple is sitting at a Seattle sidewalk café with their young daughter and a pair walks by with a “distinctive” dog neither of the parents recognized. Whoa! What ensued was an introduction to the Rhodesian Ridgeback and it wasn’t long before this "Dogless in Seattle" family was hooked. Annie Wickham recalls that […]