The Hawaii House of Representative's Agriculture Committee is scheduled to consider several dog-related proposals on Friday, February 3, that severely restrict the rights of responsible dog owners.

The Hawaii House of Representative's Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider dog-related proposals on Thursday, February 23, both of which the American Kennel Club (AKC) is concerned with.

In anticipation of the 2016 North America Diving Dogs (NADD) and AKC/Eukanuba Dock Diving National Championships, the NADD Facebook page posted this:   Could records be broken this year? We thought we'd take a look at the current records and explain a little bit about what those mean in terms of diving dog competition. As […]

Agility - Frequently Asked Questions   1. How do I find a local Agility training class for my dog? Look in the Yellow Pages under Pets or Dog Training for your local AKC club or dog school. Check this website for the training resources page and search for upcoming Agility Trials in your area.   […]

Approximately 40 legislative liaisons, federation leaders, and dog owners and advocates from across the country travelled to Alexandria, Virginia, and Washington DC this past weekend to attend the AKC Government Relations team’s second regional legislative conference of the year. The purpose of these conferences is to empower club members, dog fanciers, and leaders with the […]

  After a one-year hiatus, the Detroit Kennel Club dog show returns to the Motor City this weekend with events Saturday and Sunday, June 20–21, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in the Detroit suburb of Novi, Michigan. This year’s show features a number of special attractions, including obedience and rally trials, demonstrations, AKC National Owner-Handled […]

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 […]

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, […]

Sunday, July 12, 2009 -- Beaver Dam, WI History was made today as the first Airedales to ever enter a Spaniel Hunting Test got the breed off to a successful start. Airedales became eligible to enter the Spaniel Hunting Test program on July 1, 2009. It didn't take long for Mark and Karen Werner of […]

Each year there are hundreds of exhibitors who leave the ring unhappy about the placement of their dog. Some are disappointed because they did not win others because of a comment made by the judge. Here is an example of a comment that will upset many owners and handlers. "I liked your dog but it […]

  Somewhere above us is a Mount Olympus of dog-show gods—“god” is, after all, “dog” spelled backward—whose favorite form of entertainment is lobbing disappointment and defeat to the leash-clutching mortals below. Instead of thunderbolts, these diabolical divinities rain down all the vagaries that test the soul of the purebred dog fancier: That once-in-a-lifetime sire that […]

On Saturday and Sunday, August 15-16, the weekend of AKC obedience and rally trials at On The Run! Canine Center in Ham Lake, Minnesota, arrived—and with it heat and humidity, as is typical for this time of year. But that didn’t stop local dog folks from showing up early to help set up and run the annual Cambridge […]

AKC appreciates the time that was taken to complete the survey about Junior Showmanship.  We will be including results throughout the next few issues of the Junior Newsletter.  We appreciate the comments and suggestions and are pleased to share the following with you.  The AKC Board of Directors approved Reserve Best Junior at the February […]

(Originally edited and written by A. Hamilton Rowan, Jr.; updated by M. Sue Richey, from material submitted by George C. Wanner.) In the early 1930s, the short-lived U.S. Dachshund Field Trial Club held the first organized field trial for Dachshund. The hounds were put to ground in artificial rabbit burrows and were judged by rules […]

By AKC Field Representative Jim Odle Bassett Hound Field Trials are exciting and a lot fun for the hound and huntsman. These events date back to the 1930's. Basset field trials are designed and conducted for the purpose of selecting those hounds that display sound quality and ability to the best advantage. Shortly after the […]

THE FOLLOWING DOGS HAVE EARNED VCD TITLES ON THE DATES LISTED BELOW FOR 2012: VCCH 3/25/2012. TC OTCH CT Outburst Chasing Butterflies UDX RAE HSAds HSBds HIAds HIBd HXAds MXB MJB NAP OJP, BRDR COLLS. Owned by: Gerianne F Darnell of COUNCIL BLFS, IA. VCCH 6/2/2012. VCCH MACH3 Redwoods Sea Fox UDX3 OM3 RE MXC MJB2 MXF THD, […]

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 […]

Ways to Increase the Chance of TV News Coverage for Your Dog Show TV crews are eager to cover local stories and your hometown dog show easily fits the bill. Even if there may be a bigger dog show, your local show can serve as a lead-up, building anticipation toward larger shows. Luck sometimes plays […]

  The Sussex Spaniel is a True Original: Among the First AKC Registered Breeds in History "Stump" and owner-handler Scott Sommer won Best in Show at the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Show. The American Kennel Club®, a non-profit organization whose rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year including the famed Westminster Kennel Club […]

Dog owners will be able to travel to Hawaii with their pets more easily now that the state's quarantine rules have been eased. Previously, animals were quarantined for at least one month upon arrival. Effective June 30, pets entering Hawaii may be released in five days or less if their owners meet several pre-arrival requirements. […]

Urgent help is needed from Massachusetts dog owners regarding a proposed budget amendment that will negatively affect responsible breeders. The Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs reports that having been unsuccessful at pushing through an onerous commercial breeder licensing bill (H4537), Rep. Paul Kujawski plans to introduce an amendment to the House budget bill on April […]

The Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs reports that late-night budget talks in the House last week resulted in yet another change to Rep. Kujawksi's proposed breeder amendment. The final budget bill that was sent to the Senate for consideration now requires regulation for those who breed and sell more than five litters of puppies or […]

The AKC has learned that Massachusetts's budget bill was sent to conference committee late last week. Thanks in large part to lobbying efforts by purebred dog fanciers, the Senate version of the bill does not appear to contain any language that will impact breeders. However, the House version does still include an amendment that would […]

The Louisville Metro Council Committee on Government Administration, Rules, Ethics, and Audit Agenda will meet at 4pm Monday, February 27th to discuss the proposed changes to the animal control ordinance. It is critical that fanciers and concerned dog owners contact their council members and ask them to oppose this measure. The American Kennel Club and […]

The Indianapolis City-County Council Rules and Public Policy Committee is considering a proposal that would require all animals to be spayed or neutered and would require all dogs and cats to be microchipped. The committee will accept written public comment until this Friday, September 29th and will hold a public hearing October 10th. It is […]

UPDATE! The Louisville Metro Council has approved changes to their animal control ordinance. The proposal was amended by the full council to remove the breed-specific language. However, the measure will still negatively impact fanciers, breeders and responsible dog owners by enacting pet limits, requiring expensive intact animal licenses and inspections of home kennels. Concerned dog […]

The Dallas City Council will consider proposed changes to the Dallas animal control ordinance on Wednesday, June 18th, at 9:00 AM, at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas. These changes include mandatory spay/neuter, breeder permitting, and limits on the number of pets that can be owned. It is vitally important that Dallas-area responsible dog […]

The Dallas City Council will vote on the proposed changes to Dallas' animal control ordinance on Wednesday, June 25th, 9:00 A.M., at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas. These changes include mandatory spay/neuter, breeder permitting, and limits on the number of pets that can be owned. It is vitally important that Dallas-area responsible dog […]

The American Kennel Club would like to answer some specific concerns that people have raised with regard to the new version of California Assembly Bill 1634. We would also like to encourage people to read the bill closely as it has been changed dramatically in the last few weeks. Please click here to read the […]

The North Carolina Senate will take a final vote on Senate Bill 460 today. As passed out of the Rules committee yesterday, this measure has been largely gutted. The newly revised version of the bill is now available. AKC appreciates many of the changes that have been made that address some of the AKC’s concerns […]