Strolling with a happy, tail-wagging companion securely by our sides is one of life’s greatest joys. We love our furry, four-legged friends.  While dogs are America’s most beloved pet, humans have bred and domesticated dogs for thousands of years for important work functions. Modern day working dog are employed in tasks ranging from drug and […]

Originally ran in the "Dogsport 101" column of AKC Family Dog Dog sports aren't only for purebreds. Since 2010, the AKC has awarded thousands of titles to mixed-breeds. Why shouldn’t your clever, athletic mix join the fun? And why shouldn’t you enjoy the bragging rights that come with putting an AKC title on your dog? […]

By Allan Reznik   By Allan Reznik (Reprinted with permission from Dogs in Review and author Allan Reznik, from the November 2014 issue of Dogs in Review magazine. People get into a new breed for all kinds of reasons: the need to downsize, a desire for less grooming, a thirst for greater challenges, even the search […]

Gander Raises Awareness of Service Dogs’ Healing Magic     When the 2014 winners of the AKC Humane Fund Awards of Canine Excellence (ACE) were presented at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championships, the roll call included a former shelter dog who almost lost his life and a military veteran who nearly took his own life. Gander […]

“Most Popular Dog Names” is a common search term, with lists going out almost as regularly as your dog does. But we don’t usually come across ones that connect popular names to their specific breeds. Based on 2015 data sourced from members who included pet information in their profile settings on a social network called […]

The Labrador Retriever has done it again. The intelligent, family friendly breed held onto the number one spot on the most popular list for the 24th consecutive year, continuing the longest reign as the nation’s top dog in American Kennel Club history. For the full list of breed rankings, click here. While the Lab holds strong, […]

New York, NY - The Labrador Retriever has done it again. The American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced today that the intelligent, family friendly breed holds tight to the number one spot on the most popular list for the 24th consecutive year, continuing the longest reign as the nation’s top dog in AKC history. While the […]

Finding your first family dog is a daunting process—one that's up there with dating and house-hunting. And like parenting, when it comes to raising a dog to be perfectly well-behaved, successful, and sociable, well, let's just say practice makes perfect. But, these breeds, while they appeal to different interests, are easily trained and friendly (especially with children), […]

As you look down at the Best in Show judging from your seat in the nosebleed section at Madison Square Garden (or from your own couch), you might be inclined to offer your own take on which dog is worthy of the top honor at Westminster.“That pug is the cutest dog in the ring,” you […]

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 […]