On a balmy Saturday in June, three Leonbergers and two Samoyeds completed one of the first group AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen (CGC) tests in the nation. The new test assesses a dog's ability to manage tasks that city-dwellers may face every day, such as using public transportation, navigating crowded streets, and waiting calmly in […]

Quick Tip for Keeping Your Dog Off the FurnitureFrom the AKC GoodDog! Helpline Team If your dog insists on sleeping on your favorite chair or couch and you prefer that your dog stay off the furniture, try this approach to create a more desirable sleeping spot for your canine buddy. Buy a very comfortable, cushy […]

[caption id="attachment_53675" align="aligncenter" width="298"] Photo: AKC Reunite ©[/caption] Thousands of Illinois pet owners will now have a better chance of being reunited with their beloved pets thanks to House Bill 4029, which was signed into law recently by Governor Bruce Rauner. The Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners (IFDCO), AKC’s official Illinois state federation, worked […]

Humans aren’t the only members of the workforce!  The American Kennel Club (AKC®) celebrates the evolution of our canine coworkers – what jobs they were originally bred to perform and what work you can see them doing now.  Dogs go above and beyond each and every day, not only as beloved family pets, but as […]

Zoey, an adopted mixed-breed dog, has learned numerous tricks and great impulse control skills, as you will see in this video. All dogs, including mixed-breeds, can be part of the American Kennel Club through the AKC Canine Partners program.

Some dog show judges go over each dog very thoroughly, while others seem to do a more cursory exam, but what matters is that the final decisions are sound. Judges develop individual techniques as they go about the process of evaluating dogs in the show ring. Exhibitors give each individual’s technique considerable leeway, within the […]

With a joyful bark and bound, Philo, a 5-year-old Samoyed, pressed his shoulders against his padded harness. Behind him, a cart loaded with gray concrete cinder blocks slowly moved forward, as his handler called out, “Work, work, work.” On that day, Philo pulled a load of more than 1,800 pounds—winning the event at Doggie U […]

On Saturday and Sunday, August 15-16, the weekend of AKC obedience and rally trials at On The Run! Canine Center in Ham Lake, Minnesota, arrived—and with it heat and humidity, as is typical for this time of year. But that didn’t stop local dog folks from showing up early to help set up and run the annual Cambridge […]

One-year-old mixed-breed, Jade, has an amazing array of tricks up her paw for such a young age! Mixed-breed dogs can join the American Kennel Club through the AKC Canine Partners program for all dogs, including rescues.

Dogs are like people: sometimes they need a break. For many reasons, some dogs need space and time to themselves. Learn to recognize when and how to give dogs space.