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 […]

Bonding with your canine companion, meeting new people, keeping your dog physically and mentally active, and good, pure fun—just some of the reasons people participate in AKC dog sports. For people with disabilities, these benefits may seem inaccessible. AKC dog sports can be and are enjoyed by individuals with disabilities. Today, people of varying physical ability […]

Field trials are all about letting a dog do what comes naturally in a competitive setting. For the Pointing Breeds that means finding birds and showing off their courage, stamina, and keen desire to hunt.  Since 1993, the AKC Gun Dog Championship continues to be one of the largest and most prestigious pointing all breed field trial championship in […]

Bonnet started as Horton's Novice A dog. The pair competed successfully all the way to a UDX title. The Norwegian Elkhound survived a stroke and was "truly a hero," showing her owner "what was important in life that I did not already know" he says. While he doesn’t have an iconic Superman "S" on his […]

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 […]

On this Veterans Day, we want to say thank you to everyone who has served and fought for our country, human and canine. Jeremy Angenend, an Afghanistan veteran, shared his story as a K-9 handler with USA Today, telling of his experience working with Fito, a German Shepherd, and how they were reunited after four […]

In December, a photo went viral showing Rocky, a military working dog, and his handler, Army Specialist Andrew Brown, recovering in a hospital bed together. Both had been injured when an IED exploded during a tour of Afghanistan.     (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); […]

After three long years, U.S. Army Specialist Vance McFarland finally has his war dog back. McFarland hadn't seen Ikar, the tactical explosive detection dog (TEDD) he deployed to Afghanistan with, since 2012. Until last week, when the pair was reunited. While deployed, Ikar and McFarland searched for roadside bombs and IEDs. “We had a dangerous […]

Name: Brittaney Allen Age: 16 Hometown: Cambridge, OH Grade: High School Junior Parents: Jay & Brenda Allen How did Ollie come into your family’s life? How old is Ollie and do you know what breed/mix he is? Ollie is a Border Collie mix who was adopted from our county’s animal shelter in 2012. He is […]

Seventeen-year-old Linnea Corlette and her All-American Dog, Reece, won first place in the Rally Advanced class with a nearly perfect score of 99 at the AKC Juniors Classic. The annual national competition spotlights junior handlers working with their dogs in Obedience and Rally. The event was held in December in Orlando, FL, in conjunction with […]

Melanie Woods and her mother Colleen Woods of Sewickley, PA, rescued Luci, who is now a multi-dog sports titled competitor through AKC Canine Partners. Both Melanie, a junior handler, and her mother show Luci in AKC Agility, Obedience, Rally and Coursing Ability. Luci also competes in Barn Hunt through the Barn Hunt Association (BHA); the […]

Meet Franessa Limpach and her All-American Dog, Sierra, who have earned many agility titles and have competed in the national AKC Juniors Agility competition. Franessa was just 8 years old when she met Sierra, then age 8 months. Name: Franessa Limpach Age: 17 Grade: High school senior Hometown: Racine, WI Family: Father, Roger Mauer; half-brother, […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) has released the 2012 top dog rankings for the inaugural year of the AKC National Owner-Handler Series (NOHS). Rankings are compiled based on the AKC National Owner-Handler Series Point Schedule for Best of Breed, Group and Best in Show placements. “Thank you to all who participated in the AKC National Owner-Handler Series […]

A bill has been introduced in the Arkansas Senate that requires owners of 12 or more dogs of any age to purchase an annual license for the right to maintain ownership of the dogs, regardless of whether the animals are on your property.  "Owner" is defined as someone who meets any of the following criteria: […]

"Drive," the 3-year-old Australian Shepherd, isn't just a dog athlete, he's also a seizure alert dog for "Torch," a dog with idiopathic epilepsy.

Every dog benefits from training, but it can feel overwhelming to figure out where to get started. The first step to training your dog is finding the...

Step aside Dorothy and Toto! A new girl in ruby red slippers and a Cairn Terrier is here. Her yellow brick road? The conformation ring.

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for all dogs, is honored to recognize K9 Vishu of Kankakee Sheriff’s Department in Kankakee, IL., and K9 Biza of Auburn Massachusetts Police Department in Auburn, MA., with the American Kennel Club’s DOGNY Paw of Courage Award. The AKC DOGNY Paw […]

When should you give your dog a reward? Every time they perform a behavior or just once in a while? Learn how to schedule rewards effectively.

Fourteen-year-old Ari Beaudoin of Boise Idaho is now an active agility competitor, but she actually first discovered dog sports through Flyball.

Intelligent and curious, the Belgian Malinois is a tireless worker who maintains a lifelong attachment to their owner. Learn about the breed's history.