AKC Gazette breed column: Giant Schnauzers — The proposed AKC rule change to include an obedience path without group stays will provide an option for owners and handlers who are concerned about group-stay safety. Hopefully this is a question we will be able to ask ourselves when competing in AKC obedience. The creation of another […]

AKC Gazette breed column: West Highland White Terriers Very often, dog fanciers will gravitate toward some features in their dogs more than others. It’s understandable. There’s a downside, however. One can get carried away with a specific feature to the point of tolerating glaring blemishes, while genuine virtues go ignored. We’ve all heard about “tooth fairies,” “size […]

By Kathy Lorentzen "Reprinted with permission from Dogs in Review and author Kathy Lorentzen, from the April 2015 issue of Dogs in Review magazine." Having been raised in dogs by old-school breeders who were true animal husbandry experts, I have long believed that my dogs should be natural easy breeders and whelpers and fully capable […]

June 12, 2015 The Oregon State Senate is scheduled to vote on House Bill 3494 on Monday, June 15th and your opposition is needed! The measure will ban the practice of debarking unless it is medically necessary to treat an injury, illness, or congenital defect.  This legislation restricts the rights of responsible dog owners to […]

Lucy is showing her patriotic spirit in honor of Flag Day on Sunday, June 14. Her owner, Katherine Star of West Hollywood, CA, shared this great picture - and trick - of her cute little All-American Dog, who is a member of the AKC Canine Partners program. Don't forget to display your red, white and […]

Barn HuntsInformal types of “barn hunts” could often be found at terrier and earthdog events, sometimes called “varmint hunting.” Can you think of a Terv who would not be ecstatic about being told to go find a critter hiding in some hay bales? What good herding dog would not let you know there was a […]

An easy way to keep your dogs cool and occupied during the spring and summer heat is to just turn on the sprinkler in the yard. Many dogs love playing in the water, like York and Titan, two members of the AKC Canine Partners program, owned by Tracy Reust of Florissant, MO. Just remember to always […]

MACH Shilo’s Wicked Revenge Elphaba MXB MJB owned by Ann Khanna of Hortonville, WI Elphie is a 3-year-old Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix who Ann first encountered as a 5-week-old puppy. Ann said she immediately noticed that Elphie was special and reluctantly decided the puppy had to join her family. “For eight years I had been […]

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 Anne Bowes: What is involved in creating a breeding line? Here are some observations gleaned from a lifetime of trying Totally dedicate oneself to the pursuit. The lives of breeders revolve around the reproductive cycles of their bitches and the requirements of their puppies. Many other normal human activities are subjected to these considerations […]