ASK AKC Dear AKC: My wife and I are having a disagreement about whether to let our new Boston Terrier puppy sleep on the bed with us at night. Is this a good practice or will it create problems for us or the dog down the road? -- Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Dear Sleeping Dogs: […]

California fanciers, take note! The Animal Council reports that SB1548, a bill pertaining to veterinary medicine, was amended last week to include a ban on ear cropping for dogs. Violators will be charged with a misdemeanor unless the procedure was done for treatment of disease or injury to the dog. The bill defines "disease or […]

SB1548, which includes language that would make ear cropping a misdemeanor, easily passed the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions this week. The majority of the bill pertains to other aspects of veterinary medicine and has the support of the veterinary community. AKC is therefore urging fanciers to contact the bill sponsor and ask her […]

On Wednesday, July 28, SB1548 was amended to clarify an enforcement question by including the following language: "Any person who crops the ears of any dog or procures the cropping of a dog's ears within the State of California, except for treatment of disease or injury of the dog, is guilty of a misdemeanor." For […]

The 2017 National Parent Club Canine Health Conference was held in St. Louis, August 11 to 13. Presented by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and Nestle Purina Pet Care, the conference was a gathering of scientists, veterinarians, AKC parent-club representatives, fanciers and veterinary students from around the world. They received cutting-edge information and research on […]

Making New Strides in Canine Health Whether our passion lies in the show ring, the field, the whelping box, or any combination thereof, our goal to produce, raise and own healthy purebred dogs is one we all share. With that objective in mind, I would like to tell you about the incredible advancements that we […]

New York, NY - The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced recently that Delaware County Kennel Club (Pennsylvania) and the Pasco Florida Kennel Club have been honored with AKC Community Achievement Award for the first quarter of 2012. The AKC Community Achievement Awards support and recognize outstanding public education and legislation efforts of AKC-affiliated clubs, AKC-recognized […]

The word kennel is believed to have originated in France to describe a pack of hounds and their housing. Today, it describes the most important environment in any breeder’s home. Once primitive man hooked up with dogs in a permanent ongoing relationship, the two learned to live together. Over the centuries, man began to construct […]

Pyometra, or uterine infection, remains a serious health threat for intact bitches. E. coli is the most common cause of canine pyometra, and many strains of this bacteria are known to produce a biofilm. Biofilm is a surface layer of microbes and the slimy extracellular polymeric substances they produce (polysaccharides, proteins, etc.). Biofilms protect bacteria […]

An outbreak of the contagious disease brucellosis has hit Iowa, after starting at a dog breeding facility in Marion County, southeastern Iowa. Brucellosis is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium brucellosis, specifically Brucella canis in dogs, which can result in infertility, abortions, and stillbirths. Brucella canis can devastate a kennel, and it is zoonotic, meaning it can infect […]