Being a dog owner has plenty of perks, but did you know that it can also positively affect your health? Walking your dog daily has proven to reduce heart disease risk, and dogs provide positive effects on people's mental health.

As all owners know, walking your dog is a top priority to keep pups happy and healthy. Walks provide great low-impact exercise for dogs of all ages and their owners. It also allows dogs to explore the wide world that exists outside of their own backyards. Dogs are stimulated by sights and sounds, and they [...]

Dog exercise can improve canine mental health. Learn how your getting your dog moving can improve their well-being from the inside out.

"Use it, or lose it,” so the saying goes, and this applies to dogs as well as people. That’s why regular exercise becomes more important with each passing year, and especially impactful for senior dogs. “Many older dogs often lose strength in their rear limbs, as well as proprioception—essentially the ability to know [...]

Training your dog with games is not only fun but effective. These games will help your dog listen despite distractions and polish their obedience skills.

Considering hydrotherapy for your dog? Learn how water-based exercise can help dogs regain strength, improve mobility, and recover from surgery or injury.

Bringing a dog into your life is not a decision to be made lightly. Pet ownership is a major responsibility, and choosing the best breed for your lifestyle requires careful consideration. If you’re seeking a confident, loyal, toy-sized companion, consider the Pekingese. In This Article Personality Overview Size And Grooming Needs Training Expectations Family [...]

Everything is more fun with a friend! Sometimes, it can be difficult to stay focused when training your dog alone. However, there are some benefits to finding a partner who's also training her canine companion. Here are some ways "buddy walks” can help you and your dog. Motivation Just like with a workout partner, having [...]

2026 AKC STAR-SPANGLED SCURRY! It’s time for the 2026 AKC FIT DOG Star-Spangled Scurry 5K. Find out how to participate in this exciting event with your dog! LEARN MORE Now more than ever, fitness is important for both dogs and people. The most commonly recommended exercise to improve fitness is walking. Walking is considered a safe [...]

The spotlight shines on a unique team of all veteran dogs that hail from Anchorage, Alaska. Relics in Action competes in the Limited Senior division. Seven senior dogs, ranging in age from 10 ½ to nearly 13, comprise the team that runs at Alyeska Canine Trainers, along with six other League teams! Captain Sherri Spangler tell us how [...]

Teaching Responsible Dog Ownership A sample CGC course outline (for an 8 week class) is provided at the bottom of this page to help instructors who are planning a class. Please remember that the CGC concept applies to both ends of the leash and all CGC classes should include training for the owner on responsible dog [...]

The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program is the gold standard of behavior for dogs in our communities. Almost one million dogs, both purebred and mixed breed, have participated in the program since it began in 1989. Canine Good Citizen is part of the AKC Family Dog Program and many dog owners choose CGC as their [...]

Earlier this month we had a prime training opportunity: a Christmas Market held just two blocks away. With pop-up stalls, crowds, lots of unusual objects, overhead announcements, music, generators, and dancing, the market provides quite a challenge for socialization and environmental stability. We knew that these two pups were not ready for that level of [...]

Learning Objectives Students will devise, write, edit and present research on a topic relating to canine exercise. *Note: This is a multi-day lesson.   Grade Levels 9-12   Common Core English Language Arts Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose [...]

Earlier this month we had a prime training opportunity: a Christmas Market held just two blocks away. With pop-up stalls, crowds, lots of unusual objects, overhead announcements, music, generators, and dancing, the market provides quite a challenge for socialization and environmental stability. We knew that these two pups were not ready for that level of [...]

Fighting Canine Cancer in Memory of Deuce  Amber Koerner received the 2022 AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Inspiration Award for her work to raise funds for canine cancer research. The Wisconsin resident organizes an annual walkathon in memory of her dog, Deuce, who she lost suddenly to cancer at age 7. She shares their story with AKC [...]

AKC Virtual Programs: Opportunities Grow for At-Home Titles AKC’s Virtual Title program offers opportunities to earn titles during the pandemic, and many owners have successfully taken advantage of them. Just added to the line-up is Virtual Home Manners. When you get a puppy or new adult dog, this program can get you started on [...]

Photo by Michael Blake Southern Californian Michael Uy lives for the outdoors and luckily his canine companion keeps up with him. Abbie holds her own with Uy whether jogging, mountain biking, hiking or even paragliding. One of their favorite stops is the local dog beach where they both like to swim in the ocean. During [...]

Bonnie Bird shared this photo with the AKC Canine Partners News of her dog, Jigi, commandeering a tractor-trailer while on a hiking trip a few years ago. “Some friends and I were out walking on Chuckanut Mountain near Bellingham, WA, when we came upon a semi-tractor trailer parked beside the road,” Bonnie said. “Jigi jumped [...]

KOKO HERZ ... JAN. 3, 2003 - FEB. 19, 2015 Steven Herz of New Jersey wrote this moving memorial for Koko Herz who was the first All-American Dog to earn the AKC Therapy Dog title and who passed away from cancer in February at age 12. We are honored to share it with you. "I waited half my life to get [...]