Is your dog overweight, underweight, or ideal? Calculating a dog's body condition score can help you understand their health.

According to a recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity (APOP), a whopping 59% of US dogs are overweight or obese.

Owning a large breed dog comes with large responsibilities, especially when it comes to choosing the best large breed dog food. After all, you want your dog to live a long, healthy, active life, and that starts with good nutrition. Feeding a properly formulated, high-quality diet is one of the most important things you can [...]

Canine reproduction is a complex physiological event. Even if you provide a nurturing environment and a proper diet, there are no guarantees of success. Fortunately, by monitoring and optimizing the weight of your breeding females, you can increase the success of your breeding program. Breeding Program Checklist: When and How to Monitor Weight Evaluate Body [...]

With so much to do like training, socialization, and more, it can be hard to catch the beginning stages of a sick puppy. Knowing the warning signs can help.

Like the humans who care for them, older dogs are not exempt from gaining weight. Here's how to prevent canine obesity in senior dogs.

Dogs can be underweight due to diet or underlying health problems. How do you recognize if your dog is underweight and what do you do about it?

If your pooch is looking a bit more pudgy than usual, it's actually quite common. The battle of the bulge isn't just something people face — so do pets. In fact, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 55.8 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. And that [...]

Puppies grow rapidly. At times during their rapid growth and development from weaning until approximately 4 to 6 months of age, puppies, depending on the breed, require about twice as much energy, or calories, per pound of body weight as adult dogs of the same breed and a higher nutrient intake to support their growing bodies. "The [...]

One of the most common parasites in dogs, whipworms are treatable parasites that can be prevented. Here is what you need to know about whipworms in dogs.

This Is a Paid Advertisement for The Farmer's Dog In the U.S., 56% of dogs are overweight or obese, and that excess weight is tied to an astonishing array of health problems. When it comes to preventing dog obesity, or even the slow creep of excess pounds, simple awareness—knowing what your dog’s weight [...]

Paid Advertisement No matter how experienced you become at dog breeding and whelping litters of puppies, you may sometimes face scenarios you have not seen before. Purina Pro Plan turned to experts to answer questions related to dog breeding. Purina senior research Nutritionist Arleigh Reynolds, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, and Andrea [...]

The American Kennel Club - National Core Professional Dog Grooming Educational Standards aims to establish clear expectations that ensure all professional dog groomers have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the dog grooming industry. The American Kennel Club -CoreNational Professional Dog Grooming Educational Standard allows flexibility in the design and method of instruction [...]

Visiting the Library & Archives Research & Reproductions Donating Materials Club Records & Archival Deposits Visiting the Library & Archives Do I need an appointment to view or research collections? Yes. Research visits are by appointment only, so that staff can pull and prepare your requested materials. Please provide at least 48 hours’ notice, and note [...]

Learning Objectives Students will compare negative feedback loops in dogs and humans, related to body temperature. Students will define and compare negative and positive feedback loops in humans and dogs. Grade Levels Grades 9-12 Next Generation Science Standards Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis. HS-LS1-3 Disciplinary Core [...]

  Welcome to the AKC . We have put together definitions for dog words that you may not be familiar with. If you have additional questions regarding the glossary, please contact our Special Services Department. A Abdomen The belly or under surface between the chest and the hindquarters. Acetabulum The concave lateral portion of the sacrum [...]

  Background The Conflict of Interest Committee (CIC) was appointed by the Chairman in November 2003. Its charge was to "evaluate all areas of possible conflict of interest situations within AKC and the sport. It should detail the conflict provisions now in place and make recommendations for possible modifications or further provisions if required. Its goal [...]

Training Tip: Send to a Target  This issue’s tip is from Lindsay Clark of LC’s Competitive Edge Dog Training in Reddick, Fla. Lindsay is owner and trainer of “Sooper Cooper,” an All American Dog who has titles in rally, obedience, agility, scent work, barn hunt, coursing and more. The rescue dog won top [...]

  [accordion] [accordion_panel title="AKC Educational Requirements Policy and Recommendations (April 2024 Board meeting; amended May 2025)"] As an additional step in creating a safe and respectful sport environment for all, the AKC Board of Directors approved the following educational requirements policy and recommendations. Effective April 10, 2024: AKC Board of Directors, Inspectors, Field Staff across all sports [...]

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 from Digital Family Dog Magazine July-August 2019 Learning Objectives Students will answer questions by citing evidence from the text. Students will defend an opinion using details from the text. Grade Levels Grades 5-6 Common Core Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences [...]

Use the following resources as a guide to responsible dog breeding. You may also want to watch the AKC webinar on Planning Breedings: Are you ready to breed a litter of puppies? Prepare Yourself for Breeding a Litter of Puppies Breed to Improve Understand the Commitment Choose A Suitable Mate Know Your Genetics Finalize Stud [...]

Photo Coverage Day 1 -- April 1, 2014 The first day of the Championship began under mainly cloudy skies and a very chilly 20 degrees. There was a strong north wind. As the day progressed the temperatures rose into the 50's, the skies cleared, and the winds diminished making for pleasant conditions. Humidity was very low and the ground [...]

The phrase "written standard" is a familiar one to those who are affiliated with the breed ring. In conformation, it is well known that a judge must be extremely knowledgeable about each breed standard before becoming approved to judge that breed. It is the judge's duty to compare each entry with the written breed standard [...]

Non Retrieving Stake -- By Bonnie Hidalgo Photo Coverage Retrieving Stake -- By Tom Maneely Photo Coverage   Day 1 -- Non Retrieving Stake This prestigious all breed Championship kicked off on Tuesday morning, May 6. The site is the Red Rocks BLM field trial area outside of Reno, NV. It is a big, beautiful place that [...]

[AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship]   Gun Dog Homepage Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  |  Photo Coverage Day 8  |  Day 9   [...]

Foster Puppy Returns & Jumps into Agility Ring Karen Powell of Frankfort, KY, fostered two littermates eight years ago and never dreamed that both of them would end up living with her permanently and having successful careers in AKC dog sports. Cody recently earned his AKC Preferred Agility Championship (PACH) through the AKC Canine Partners [...]

Karen Powell of Frankfort, KY, fostered two littermates eight years ago and never dreamed that both of them would end up living with her permanently and having successful careers in AKC dog sports. Cody recently earned his AKC Preferred Agility Championship (PACH) through the AKC Canine Partners program for all dogs, including mixed-breeds and rescues [...]

Dogs have always found me in the past. A few years ago, I lost two senior dogs within 6 months of each other, and my husband took a job that was going to put him on the road. I knew I’d go crazy being in the house by myself so I decided it was time [...]

Originally ran in the "Dogsport 101" column of AKC Family Dog Dog sports aren't only for purebreds. Since 2010, the AKC has awarded thousands of titles to mixed-breeds. Why shouldn’t your clever, athletic mix join the fun? And why shouldn’t you enjoy the bragging rights that come with putting an AKC title on your dog [...]