Last month, the Board of Aldermen of Moreauville, Louisiana, a village of approximately 1,000 residents in Avoyelles Parish, passed a draconian breed-specific vicious dog law that bans the ownership of "pit bulls" and Rottweilers. No exceptions are provided to the ordinance, including for service, therapy, or emotional support dogs. Little public notice was provided when […]

AKC Gazette breed column—Anti-breeding ways of thinking distract people from remembering that it's through the breeding of good dogs that the breed exists and continues. In the 1970s the Doberman Pinscher was among the top five breeds in popularity. At that time, most specialty shows had well over 100 Doberman entries, with some shows having […]

The New York City Council Committee on Health is scheduled to consider several revised measures on Monday, November 24 that would impact pet stores and breeders who sell more than 25 dogs in New York City in a year. Thanks to AKC’s communications with the council, and your calls and e-mails earlier this year, the […]

AKC Gazette, “Times Past”—Joan Ludwig was a leading ringside photographer of the mid-20th century. She could take a routine win shot with the best of them, but what set Ludwig apart was her eye for the unexpected. Alone among her peers, she sought the offbeat, the comical, the ironic. The photo here is a classic […]

Meet the Otterhound.[/caption] AKC Gazette breed column— Giving the public opportunities to meet a rare breed can be the key to its survival. A rare-breed dog is often a delight to own and an enigma to people unfamiliar with them. Taking a rare-breed dog out for his daily walk in the neighborhood frequently results in […]

AKC Gazette breed column: Bedlington Terriers — A judge’s perception of balance can depend on which side of the person’s brain is more dominant in processing information.  The brain is divided laterally into the right and left hemispheres. Theoretically, each hemisphere has a different way of processing information, making some people right-brain dominant and some people left-brain dominant.  Right-brain-dominant people are visual and process the whole […]

From the Siberian Huskies breed column in the AKC Gazette—To a longtime breeder, a setback can mean it’s time to take a step in a new direction. Successful dog breeding is part art, part science, and part good luck. Experienced breeders are well aware that even the best-laid plans do not guarantee a healthy litter. […]

If you live in Marion County, Indiana, letting your pet outside alone to go to the bathroom could now land you in the doghouse. Dog owners in Indianapolis and surrounding areas can now face a fine and even lose their pet if they’re caught leaving their dog outside in extreme weather. A revised city ordinance […]

AKC Gazette, “Times Past”— Here’s an excerpt from our coverage of the 2011 Bonhams New York annual dog-art auction. It’s rare to see identifiable show dogs represented in the annual dog-art sale at Bonhams, so the painting Giralda’s Lola, with puppies instantly caught my eye. Lola is one of 200 dog portraits the British watercolorist […]

At their November 4th meeting the Lee County Board of Commissioners will be introducing a revised animal control ordinance that essentially repeals a problematic ordinance adopted back in February. The revised ordinance will REMOVE the mandatory spay/neuter provisions, the breeder licensing and inspections provisions, and will reinstate reasonable animal control laws in Lee County. It […]