There are times when it makes sense for a breeder to stamp more than just a "thumbprint" of influence on a breed. Dogs are generally thought to have descended from wolves. Kim Campbell Thornton's recent article "Looking Back to the Beginning" (AKC GAZETTE, September 1999) describes research that has determined, through DNA sequences, that the […]

By Bruce T. PaddockIt’s a well-worn cliché that dogs are “man’s best friend,” but surely there can be no greater act of friendship than to save a person’s life. Two different breeds, the Saint Bernard and Newfoundland, were developed to do just that. Rescuer of the Alps: The Saint Bernard There is only one pass […]

Big dogs equal big love and loyalty. Here are the large dog breeds that earn their place at the top of the size chart. Most people will know the Great Dane but what about the lovely Leonberger? When considering getting a dog, size is a factor, but only one of them. The dog’s personality, activity […]

There was a time not long ago that nearly every advertisement featuring a child with a dog seemed to include a Lab or a Golden Retriever, consistently among the most popular dog breeds in America. Today, there’s a bit more variety in the breeds being photographed with children for commercial advertising. Perhaps the public perception […]

  Riley peered through the tunnel, as if he were Alice about to tumble down the rabbit’s hole into Wonderland. Such a small space, such a big dog, it seemed impossible. Yet, on a bright, sunny Sunday morning in May, Riley’s trusted, well-loved human, Jay Cruz, was asking the 14-month-old Mastiff to squeeze his whole […]

Ensure That Your Dog Chews the Right Type of Bone. There was a time when people didn’t give much thought to what, or how, they fed their dogs. Almost any kind of bone was tossed Fido’s way. Now that we’ve learned a lot about canine nutrition and safety, our word of advice about bones is: caution. […]

  You and your dog can both enjoy working—and playing—together by participating in AKC agility trials. In these events, you will run alongside your dog, urging her on, as she does things like run through a tunnel, jump through a tire, leap over jumps and weave through poles. In order to participate, your dog needs […]

We often hear dog shows accused of being nothing but “beauty contests.” In reality, they’re organized more like job fairs. At AKC shows, dogs are exhibited in seven groups organized by the original work the breeds were created to do. The dog judged best in each group becomes one of the final seven to vie […]

Every year, the AKC releases the list of most popular breeds. But which breeds were top 10 from 2000-2009? Find out here!

The country’s top breed of the 1990s, the Labrador Retriever, continues in its popularity to this day. The Rottweiler, accepted by the AKC in 1931, makes its first appearance in the decade’s top ten as the number-two breed, the highest ranking of any first-timer on the list (since the Boston Terrier in the 1900s). The […]