1. It helps your heart.  The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity) to promote heart health. Sure, a long walk each day after work can do the trick, too, but by increasing the intensity of the […]

A few simple measures can keep your dog safe and happy through the winter.   Avoid Thin Ice Too often we hear stories of dogs that had to be rescued from icy waters (and those are the lucky ones). It might look like fun to slide across that frozen pond, but ice can easily crack and your […]

The Missouri House Local Government Committee will consider a bill tomorrow (Wednesday, February 22), that seeks to protect the rights of responsible dog owners in Missouri by prohibiting municipalities from enacting breed-specific policies. All who reside or participate in dog events in Missouri are encouraged to contact the House Local Government Committee in support of […]

All who reside or participate in events in Indiana and wish to comment on this bill are encouraged to respectfully contact the bill sponsor and Senate Civil Law Committee.

House Bill 570 seeks to establish licensing, inspections, regulations, fees, and penalties for dog and cat breeders.

An emotionally-driven, but problematic bill in Florida seeks to provide for compensatory damages for the injury or death of a pet. The bill will be heard by Senate Committee on Judiciary tomorrow, March 14, 2017.

A problematic bill to regulate pet breeders is scheduled to be heard by the Montana House Business and Labor Committee on March 23, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. House Bill 582 seeks to require licensing, inspections, rules, fees, and penalties for certain dog and cat breeders.

Because HB 2992 is in line with the Misuse of Service Dogs position statement, AKC supports HB 2992.

The Alabama House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider a bill tomorrow (Wednesday, April 26) that would allow a private citizen to forcibly enter a vehicle if they believe a person or pet in the vehicle is in danger. Alabama citizens are encouraged to contact the committee prior to the meeting tomorrow to respectfully express […]

Assembly Bill 485 is scheduled for consideration and a vote by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, May 17. Like many other measures that reference 'retail pet sales" or "pet stores", this measure is aimed squarely at restricting the availability of purpose-bred dogs and cats. California residents are strongly urged to contact members of the […]

A bill is moving in the New York Assembly that would require someone to pay for non-economic damages in cases involving the wrongful death of or injury to a companion animal. This would mean that in addition to the fair monetary value of the animal and veterinary bills, a person would be liable for the […]

The Joint Judiciary Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider four dog-related bills at its upcoming hearing on Tuesday, September 12, 2017.

The Guilford County (NC) Commission is holding a public hearing on Thursday, September 21, on a proposal that would require cat and dog owners to spay/neuter their dogs by the age of 6 months or pay a $200 fee for an intact animal permit. The proposal offer a few exceptions, however AKC believes that the […]

The Guilford County (NC) Commission is holding a public hearing this afternoon, Thursday, September 21, at 5PM, on a proposal that would require cat and dog owners to spay/neuter their dogs by the age of 6 months or pay a $200 fee for an intact animal permit.

Massachusetts residents, take action now! AKC Government Relations has learned that House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 1155, which seek to be impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protections laws is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on Tuesday, […]

After much coaxing from a friend, a Greenwich Village antiques dealer reluctantly agreed to attend the Westminster Kennel Club show. If on that cold day in 1920 the antiques dealer had been more adamant or the friend less persuasive, a great career in dogs might never have been. “It was my first show and I […]

If you share your life with a dog that can take up half the bed, eats more than the average teenager, and whose head is larger than the body of some toy breeds, you know he needs gear suitable just for him. The holidays are upon us, and who deserves to be showered with gifts […]

The Chinese Shar-Pei has an incredible story, going from exceedingly rare to exceedingly popular in only a couple of decades. Here are some interesting things you didn't know about the Chinese Shar-Pei: 1. They Originated in Ancient China The Chinese Shar-Pei has been around since at least 200 B.C. Archeologists discovered statues that bear a […]

AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  |  Day 8 Day 9  |  Day 10  |  Day 11  |  Final Day  |  In Conclusion Photo Coverage   Historically the sport of field trialing has its roots in southern quail hunting. The first pointing breed field trials in American were held near Memphis TN in 1874. The area is […]

[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  |  Day 10  |  Final Day  |  In Conclusion  |  Photo Coverage   Day 1 – AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship The 2013 AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship returns to Branched Oak Lake near Lincoln, NE for the 20th […]

Chapter 3 A. First Meeting: First organizational meeting select/elect Chairperson and each committee's leadership. Determine scope of event and necessary work force. Make a list of preferred judges, possible event facilities, dates and livestock contractors. Timeline 12 to 18 months prior to event: Have organizational meeting B. Chairperson: Communication is important to conducting a successful […]

Searching for a new purebred puppy isn’t necessarily as easy as it seems. Sure, anyone can post an advertisement for healthy, purebred, AKC-registered puppies on sites like Facebook and Craigslist, but that doesn’t make them true. It is important for dog owners to know where exactly their new furry friend came from to ensure their […]

In last November’s election, we saw a fair amount of misuse of the term “animal rights” and even outright support for “animal rights” by candidates that otherwise seemed to support the human-animal connection, kindness to animals, and proper care of animals based on sound science. Policymakers know semantics matter. We urge every policymaker and their […]

With the Litter number and Dam (female parent) certification issue date from your Dog Registration Application or Registration Certificate, you can enter or maintain contact information for new owners of your puppies. AKC then contacts the new puppy buyers with a letter explaining the benefits of AKC registration. Litter Authentication helps ensure the continued health […]

  "APO" is a magnificent German Shepherd Dog born 2/1/2012 and has had a most interesting, unusual, and intriguing life. He is now retired from the U.S. Army and did complete two tours of duty in IRAQ in 2013 and 2014 as an Explosive Detection Officer. If he could only talk, can you imagine what […]

  Purebred dogs are purpose-bred dogs and come in all shapes and sizes. The characteristics that make each of these dogs unique also help them perform the function for which they were bred. The physical appearance of the dogs illustrates this, and is also an important part of the breed’s history. For example, the thick […]

  2016 was another busy year for AKC Government Relations, its state federations, and responsible dog owners and breeders advocating for dogs. Over 2,200 bills impacting animals were monitored by AKC GR. Several new laws impacting dog owners and breeders were enacted over the past year. It is imperative for responsible owners to ensure they […]

Barking…chasing..rushing..splitting…gripping…overflanking…ignoring…not stopping…these are just a few of the negative things our dogs may exhibit on occasion during the training process. Running…hollering…pushing…repeating…allowing…grudging…Well, folks, these are just a few of the negatives things handlers may exhibit while in the training process! And, if you haven't guessed it by now, these things are, more often than not, closely […]

(c) 2007 Ernest Hartnagle and Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor Some historians propose Basques and their sheepdogs from the Pyrenees played an insignificant role in the history of the Australian Shepherd breed. Secondly, Basques did not to go Australia with their "little blue dogs" and then come to the U.S. with boatloads of sheep. Thirdly, the Basque […]

by Lori Herbel   Wouldn't it be nice if you went to a trial and knew what the judge was looking for? Many times exhibitors go to a trial and have no clue what's important to that judge, that day. Of course they all judge by the rules and regulations in the orange book, but […]