Wondering why your dog is chewing on weeds and grass on your walks? Here's a few of the reasons why dogs may chew on grass.

Dog vomiting can range from being no big deal to signaling something serious. Learn more about why dogs vomit and what to do to help them.

Wondering how healthy your dog is? The proof is in the poop. The below infographic shows how the shape, size, content, color, and consistency of a dog’s poop can give clues into any internal problems you and your vet may have missed or may need to investigate. For instance, watery stools may indicate an [...]

Why does my dog eat leaves? It's not harmful to eat leaves occasionally, but if they're eating leaves all the time, it could be an issue.

Ask AKC   Dear AKC: I have a 14-month old pug who eats earthworms every chance he gets. He eats the same amount dry dog food as his brother but eats the earthworms as snacks during his outside time. His brother does not eat earthworms. I'm sure hunger isn't the issue. Is he missing something [...]

If you know your dog drank coffee or ate coffee grounds or beans, you need to monitor them for toxicity. Here's what to do if your dog drinks coffee.

Keep your dog safe by learning which household items could be extremely harmful to them. Make sure to keep these safely away from your pet.

Dogs can come into contact with internal parasites at any point in their lives, including before they are born. These parasites—which are often different types of worms—can cause problems once they find their way into your dog's gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Depending on the parasite, your dog may experience symptoms, but this isn't always [...]

It’s that time of year again. Flea and tick season is upon us, and nothing annoys a dog more than those pesky pests. Responsible dog owners know that their canine companion’s warm body and soft fur is a personal paradise for these insects. But once they move in — and begin feeding on your [...]

Harvest season is upon us and that means we are well into autumn. “Old Man Winter” is just around the corner. I am not a cold weather kind of a person, so I am already wishing for spring. With spring in mind, let’s look at a couple of fall tasks that will make a [...]

Summer means ice cream, hikes in the woods with your dog, swimming in ponds, running through fields, and generally having a ball while soaking up the warmth. In This Article Foxtails and Mean Seeds Toxic Blue-Green Algae Preventing Algae Exposure Maggot Infestations Hot Pavement Risks FAQs About Summer Dangers for Dogs All that fun in [...]

If you're outside, your dog and foxtails have likely been acquainted. Learn more about these dangerous seeds and what to know.

Dogs do a lot of strange things when they poop—they sometimes kick their back legs over it (find out why here) and some dogs even eat it, but even more prevalent are dogs who spin around before squatting. A video by DNews discussed various theories surrounding this behavior, including that patting down the [...]

Consider your dog's age, breed, and size when choosing the healthiest dry dog food. Look for protein-rich food packed with vitamins and minerals.

Who can resist that "sourmug" face?! In honor of Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day (yes, it's a real thing!), we've rounded up some of our favorite Bulldog-centric products that celebrate this friendly and dignified breed. Bulldog Leash and Collar Set Images of Bulldogs are woven into this colorful collar and leash set. The collar has a [...]

Spring is here, and warm weather can bring about hazards and new behaviors. Learn what to look for and how to prepare your dog.

by Lacey Herbel "Don't chew on that!" "Bad puppy! We don't potty inside!" "No! No! No! Stop barking!" When buying a new puppy, many people find that they don't come already trained. There are plenty of things that need to be tweaked before beginning training for a herding dog. Many times a new or even [...]

Keeping a flock of sheep for stockdog training is an option that many handlers would love to have, but many feel they don't have the facilities or knowledge to maintain a flock of sheep. A little bit of research into this species of animal can take much of the mystery away and open up great [...]

By Karla Deithorn, Executive Field Representative When a terrier or a Dachshund does not progress through the levels of Earthdog tests to the owner's expectations, a common question asked is whether or not you need to train the dog for the tests. There are a wide variety of opinions on this subject and that is [...]

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   [...]

The Spotlight shines on a dog representing Coonhounds – breeds not often seen in the agility ring. Barley is a handsome Treeing Walker Coonhound who not only holds his Novice Agility titles and runs agility on his League team in Ohio – he is the top TWC in AKC Fast CAT in the nation! His owner, Heather [...]

by Elissa Kirkegard Ch. Realta's Galileo CD TD SH MHU QAA CGC (IWSCA ALL AROUND RETRIEVER AND IWSCA WCX) Who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks? Nine year old veteran retriever and hunting dog, Gali, owned and handled by Elissa Kirkegard, took to the spaniel hunt test game with gusto. This is the [...]

Marthina Greer First presented Pure Dog Talk Jan 2023 Bladder stones are the quintessential “which came first, the chicken or the egg” question. By this, we mean that a dog can have a bladder symptoms that are caused by a bladder stone, or the bladder infection can cause bladder stones to form. Which then becomes a [...]

Presenting Koa – star of the Wild West Tricks Dog Show! Koa was born blind and deaf. When his breeders discovered this, they turned him into rescue. Morgan Gross fostered the puppy and then adopted him, giving him the best life possible. Koa has proven to be smart and responsive and, last year, earned the top [...]

Rescue Dog Helps Owner Recover from Tragedy Michele Hernandez gave Dezi a new life after her former owner abandoned her on the street. Dezi is now rescuing Michele, aiding her recovery as a survivor of the country’s worst mass shooting. Dezi’s former owner tied her to a pole and walked away, never to [...]

The AKC works with non-AKC service and sports organizations to recognize the titles that AKC-registered dogs earn in their programs. This includes the AKC Therapy Dog program and the AKC Search & Rescue program. AKC also recognizes titles of the Barn Hunt Association (BHA); North American Diving Dogs (NADD); the North American Flyball Association (NAFA [...]

Photo by Smooth Shots by Bill Koda Dane Lincoln Mo Rausch CA BCAT RATM CGC is the first All-American Dog to earn the new AKC Fast CAT title in the sport of Coursing Ability, on May 14, 2016, at the Blue Grass Coursing Club test in Radcliff, KY. Koda is also tied for first place in the [...]

First All-American Dog to Earn Fast CAT Title: Koda Dane Lincoln Mo Rausch CAX FCAT2 RATM CGC TKN & Jeanette Rausch of Mount Juliet, TN Koda was the first All-American Dog to earn the first-level AKC Fast CAT title of BCAT on May 14, 2016, at the Blue Grass Coursing Club test in Radcliff, KY, and he [...]

Rio Grassle Rozzi TD CA DCAT SWM CGC TKI owned by Mariana & Cory Rozzi of Westfield, IN The Rozzis rescued Rio in November of 2021 and at the time, they knew nothing about dog performance sports. They began private lessons with their dog trainer, John Krasich, shortly after getting Rio. “Starting those lessons turned out [...]

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 [...]