As a child, Dresden Graff remembers being terrified. First, there was the fear that loomed over him in Baptist school: What if I'm gay? What will my parents think if they find out? Then, there was the scarier question: How would my parents handle me coming out as transgender? Coming into his own identity as a teen was […]

Coast Guard Activities New York, the largest Coast Guard field unit, welcomed a special new addition to New York City’s Fort Wadsworth on Friday, October 29. The Staten Island War Dog Memorial was officially dedicated on a crisp autumn day before a crowd of service men and women from the U.S. Coast Guard and the […]

What happens when you and your dog are injured? If you're anything like Connie Griffith and her Poodle, Streak, you get back up and you keep going.

How do Juniors who don't own dogs show? The AKC Junior Pilot Program allows Junior Handlers to show dogs they or their immediate family members don't own.

Sophia Rainna Jean Norman from Cincinnati, Ohio got started showing dogs when she was just five years old. Now twelve, she's a seventh-grader and an avid dog sports competitor with her American Eskimo Dog Sailor “CH Wintersun's Making Waves RN SNB SNE CGC TKN.” Getting Started At five, Norman started showing as part of Peewee […]

Competing in dog sports allows you to bond with your four-legged friend and gives you the opportunity to create friendships with other dog owners. Your canine companion will also sharpen their mental abilities and stay physically active. Dog sports are a deeply rewarding endeavor — and they're quite fun! Today, hundreds of people with various […]

Cassidy Hayes first stepped into the ring as a toddler—and this year she'll be competing at Westminster for the second time. While she still might be considered young, this 16-year-old from Indiana is already deeply committed both to the sports of purebred dogs and to making dog shows welcoming for newcomers. Family Fun "My parents […]

Angel Warren already had two rescue dogs when she got started in her local 4-H dog program at age nine: Durango, a Miniature American Shepherd, and Aspen, a Border Collie mix. "It was my first introduction to dogdom and I was immediately intrigued," Angel remembers. This intrigue is what led Angel to get her first […]

Handlers participating in dog sports, especially agility, are prone to knee and back injuries. Strength and fitness training routines for handlers can help to minimize agility injuries. Ease into any fitness training slowly to avoid injury, and be sure to always warm up first. Competing in dog sports can be fun and physically challenging for […]

At a Glance: Researchers identified four distinct therapy dog handling styles: hands-off, permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian The new study suggests the dog's handler may impact the success therapy dog sessions Therapy dogs can have a tremendous impact on the people they interact with. From senior centers to hospitals to schools, these dogs bring joy and […]