Originally published in the AKC Gazette: In my work as an agility instructor, I find that the use of quotations and sayings does two valuable things: It brings some humor to the teaching process, and it gives students key phrases to help them remember specific handling theories. Here are a few that I use. Playing […]

Bellarina CGC, also known as just Bella, discovered water over the summer, says her owner Debra Savarese of Polk City, FL. She had her first experience at Key Largo (photo above) and then had a cute encounter with water while on vacation at Tybee Island, GA. Bella is a member of the AKC Canine Partners […]

According to an article on Continental Toy Spaniels by Baron Albert Houtart, the spaniel family, regardless of size, belongs to the “braccoid” classification of the canine species, as defined by Pierre Megnin. One distinction that Houtart makes is that all spaniels characteristically have short hair on the skull, muzzle, and fronts of the legs with […]

Much about dogs can translate from one breed to another. Soundness and basic structure is not that different among many breeds. Structural soundness in a Dalmatian is not that different from structural soundness in a German Shorthaired Pointer, for example. Type, outline, breed personality, and all of the little things that make each breed unique […]

Dachshunds are bound to pop up anywhere, doing anything. But who has time to keep track of all those Dachsie doings? As a public service, AKC Dog Lovers goes around the corner and around the world to bring you (cue deep-voiced announcer with lots of reverb) DACHSHUNDS IN THE NEWS! EL PASO, TEXAS—You never know […]

We were saddened to learn that Patches, one of the first dogs in the AKC Canine Partners program, passed away at nearly 16 years of age on Saturday, Sept. 19. Patches was formally known as He’s a Patchwork Puppy CD BN GN RAE OAP OJP OFP. He and his owner, Sheila Dempsey of Jane Lew, […]

The Hempstead Town Board is continuing to debate a proposal that would regulate breeders, pet sellers, and mandate the sterilization of dogs prior to sale- even if they are only 8 weeks old.     Residents of the Town of Hempstead are encouraged to contact the Hempstead Town Board as soon as possible and respectfully ask […]

A bill has passed two Michigan Senate committees that would prohibit local governments in the state from enacting or enforcing laws that focus solely on a dog’s breed.  The AKC supports Senate Bill 239, which would ensure that local governments regulate dogs based on specific actions, rather than their appearance.  Governments could still pass animal […]

Many often think of microchips as a way of tracking down a pet owner when a dog or cat is found lost or as a stray. But they can also be used as evidence in pet-theft cases, which continue to be on the rise. That was the case for Robert Lucier, whose Cairn Terrier, Waffles, […]

This week the North Carolina General Assembly approved the state budget for next year.  Previous versions of the budget had included items of significant concern to the AKC, such as a transfer of the animal welfare budget and oversight away from the Department of Agriculture.  Another version included a tax on veterinary services.  Neither of […]