Smith, the 2012 AKC Breeder of the Year, attended his first dog show with a Dalmatian in 1956 and has been involved in the sport ever since. He quickly gravitated to the terrier rings and acquired a Wire Fox Terrier in 1957. His first Smooth came in 1962. The AKC delegate from the Dalmatian Club of America for […]

Mary Burch is the Director of AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and an experienced dog trainer. Most modern dog trainers can name several people who popularized the use of clickers in dog training. But do you know about the history of clicker training? In 1951, B.F. Skinner published […]

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 […]

There are times when it makes sense for a breeder to stamp more than just a "thumbprint" of influence on a breed. Dogs are generally thought to have descended from wolves. Kim Campbell Thornton's recent article "Looking Back to the Beginning" (AKC GAZETTE, September 1999) describes research that has determined, through DNA sequences, that the […]

We often hear dog shows accused of being nothing but “beauty contests.” In reality, they’re organized more like job fairs. At AKC shows, dogs are exhibited in seven groups organized by the original work the breeds were created to do. The dog judged best in each group becomes one of the final seven to vie […]

– Breeders Honored at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship – New York, NY — Gwen DeMilta and Carissa DeMilta Shimpeno were presented with the 2014 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for their Alisaton Doberman Pinschers at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Sunday, December 14, 2014. The annual award honors those breeders who have made an impact […]

George Washington was first President of the United States and the father of our country, but he also had another distinction—America’s first crazy dog man.When Washington wasn’t out leading revolutions and presiding over the birth a nation, the Virginia plantation owner was obsessed with his pack. Fox hunting was one of his greatest pleasures, and […]

New York, NY — The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today the 2014 AKC Breeder of the Year Award group recipients, recognizing seven breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups that are dedicated to excellence and the advancement of the purebred dog. “Breeders are the heartbeat of the American Kennel […]

The exercise needs of these ten active breeds would keep any owner in shape! Walking, jogging, biking, hiking, swimming and playing Frisbee with your dog are all fun workouts you can take part in together.   American Staffordshire Terrier Courageous and strong, the Am Staff's athletic build and intelligence make him ideally suited to many […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Diana Wilson and Guy Fisher have been hired as AKC Executive Field Representatives.   Wilson will join the staff May 5, 2014 in the Denver, Colorado area, while Fisher will join the staff on June 2, 2014, working out of the AKC […]