We all know the cliché of the starving stray, wandering around the streets raiding the trash and begging for scraps. A Brazilian homeless dog named Bolinha (one English translation means "ball") has turned that image on its ear by becoming so fat that he could barely waddle. It all started about 13 years ago when […]

AKC GoodDog! Helpline trainer Hilarie Erb provides tips for starting a jogging program with your dog. It is important to do this safely and provide the proper training before you take off running! If you are a runner and think that your dog would be the ideal running partner, you may be right. However, there […]

It's natural for dogs to defend their territory, but it's potentially dangerous. Learn to recognize territorial aggression and what you can do about it.

Ask AKC  Dear AKC: I have two Siberian Huskies. We got our female at 14-weeks-old about a year ago and recently we added a 3-year-old male. We would like to have her in the house more but she absolutely will not settle down even with toys and our undivided attention. Outside, she digs, chews, and […]

Ask AKC  Dear AKC: We have a ten-month-old puppy that we got when he was three-months-old from the local shelter. He has a lot of energy and when he runs around the house he knocks things over and jumps on the kids. I keep him out in the garage most of the day now because he […]

Livestock-guardian breeds like the Anatolian Shepherd Dog have been bred for centuries to work much of the time independently of man. It comes as no surprise, then, that of all the dog-training commands, the recall command (“come”)—the most important obedience lesson of all—is the most difficult one to teach them. First-time owners are often taken […]

Owning a dog is a huge commitment, but is arguably one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have in your life. While there are a lot of decisions to make when it comes to choosing the right dog for you, you might find you’ll have to make some compromises. Temperament, exercise requirements, and level […]

When kids go on a campaign to get a dog, they’re in it to win it. They’re not going to let up until they’re zooming around the back yard or curled up on a club chair with a furry four-legged fido. So you may come to realize that it’s time to add a canine to the […]

This story originally appeared in the summer 2012 issue of the AKC Canine Partners News and later was reprinted in a 2013 issue of AKC Family Dog magazine. The story won first place in the 2013 Dog Writers Association of America writing competition in the category of “Magazine Feature Article with the topic of Rescue.”Since […]

Drafting and carting are sports that are open to all breeds of dogs, including mixed-breeds, by several national breed clubs. Pulling carts to help transport items was a task that many dogs were – and still are – trained to do to help around farms. Dogs like to pull – and this gives them an acceptable […]