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2025
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AKC DDTF Webinar Series: Essential Skills All Breeders Should Know – Part Two, May 21, 2025, 7:30pm ET
You are invited to join the AKC Detection Dog Task Force for our next webinar on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:30 PM (ET).
Dr. Carmen Battaglia, Co-Chairman of the AKC Detection Dog Task Force and author of the newly published book, Training Your Puppy: A Guide to Their Development, is returning for Part Two of his presentation, Essential Skills All Breeders Should Know. In Part One, Dr. Battaglia shared eight vital skills for breeders and introduced a unique way to spot faults and patterns in pedigrees using his “stick dog” coding method.
We will begin Part Two discussing the importance of Maternal Influence and delve into topics on health and socialization.
This online event will take place Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:30 PM (ET). It will last for approximately 1 hour.
Special Opportunity: Dr. Battaglia will respond in his presentation to a limited number of pre-submitted questions. Please respond to this email with any questions you would like to pre-submit.
All webinar attendees will be entered into a raffle to win an autographed copy of Dr. Battaglia’s book. The winner from Part One was Frank Leatherbury, of Alabama!
Pre-registration is required. Please click here to register: https://akc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RHp9ubtQSvCW8Q9lvoDyYA
AKC DDTF Webinar: Essential Skills All Breeders Should Know
May 6, 2025
Recently, the AKC Detection Dog Task Force (DDTF) hosted the first webinar of a two-part series Dr. Carmen Battaglia, AKC Board Director and DDTF Co-Chair, on the foundations of building an exceptional breeding program.
In “Essential Skills All Breeders Should Know, Part One”, Dr. Battaglia identified eight skills for successful breeders:
- Breed Knowledge
- Purpose of the breed
- Important dogs in the breed
- Dreaded, inheritable diseases
- Breed Standard
- Method to Select Sires and Dams
- Evaluate Pedigrees (depth/breadth)
- 3 generation pedigrees (depth)
- Littermates (breadth)
- Evaluate Litters
- Allow litter to grow and develop
- Pick Best Puppies
- Record System
- Manage, Feed and Develop What You Keep
- Nutrition
- Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
- Maternal Influence
- Better backs
- Better elbows
- Better feet
- Fewer missing testicles
- Socialization
Dr. Battaglia noted that when selecting a sire and dam, it’s crucial to offset their strengths and weaknesses. Evaluating them for correct and balancing structure is one of the first – and most important—steps in making breeding decisions. He explored the seven traits described in breed standards that identify physical characteristics that give a dog its unique shape, movement and overall appearance and enable it to perform the job it is intended to do. He also introduced attendees to a unique coding strategy to identify faults/disorders, including his “stick dog” pedigrees, to highlight trends and patterns in a dog’s pedigree.
When evaluating a litter and individual puppies it is important to remember that a puppy’s brain isn’t fully developed until around 14 weeks of age, he said. “Testing puppies before they are 14 weeks old is high risk”.
The information provided in this webinar focused on detection dogs but is relevant and beneficial to all dog breeders and enthusiasts who seek to produce and raise working dogs that can perform at high levels while maintaining pleasant demeanors and structural soundness.
Dr. Battaglia will continue with part two of this program on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7:30pm ET. Click here to register.
All webinar attendees were entered in a raffle to win an autographed copy of Dr. Battaglia’s latest publication, Training Your Puppy: A Guide to Their Development. The winner is Frank Leatherbury, of Alabama! Mr. Leatherbury, look for special mail coming your way!
To learn more about Dr. Battaglia’s tools “Stick Dog & Symbol pedigrees” click here: https://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/
To view the webinar in its entirety, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIRrTcmrr88
Nicholas King Presents ‘Selection & Development of Working Canines’ Webinar
January 10, 2025
The AKC Detection Dog Task Force (DDTF) welcomed industry expert and Patriotic Puppy Program Mentor, Nicholas King, of Von Der King Kennels and Training (VDK) for its latest educational webinar, “Selection & Development of Working Canines”. King delved into a wide variety of topics including cost analysis, building your individual skill set, selection of puppies/dogs and development of a breeding program and business.
Cost analysis plays an important role in the framework and decision making of your breeding program. He ran through a variety of scenarios for developing breeding programs and a business, including how to analyze and make smart decisions. For example, should you consider opening an LLC? When is it best to breed versus when is it better to buy a puppy?
He reminded participants about the value of well-thought-out decisions when creating a budget to keep monthly and overall costs to a minimum. Considerations should include food, health preventatives, vaccinations and radiographs. Know when to cut your losses. Thoughtful choices will leave you with a larger profit margin.
How to start building a skillset. Consider attending industry seminars, conferences, webinars and virtual meetings. Finding a mentor or professional in the field can offer new opportunities and introductions to other subject matter experts. AKC offers at no additional charge the AKC Confident Puppy course , which leverages broad expertise from the DDTF and the Patriotic Puppy Program to help dog owners and enthusiasts raise resilient, well-socialized and confident dogs. The course provides a collection of educational resources for individual breeders, trainers, and puppy raisers.
Nature v. Nurture: Genetics do matter! Utilize great genetics in combination with good training and development to increase your success. Develop individualized criteria for selection for breeding and/or buying. Considerations should include environmental testing, toy drive, and hunt/self-discovery. Nurture is crucial to the development of the selected genetic package. Genetics and training complement each other; genetic capability will not be reached without proper training and development.
View this link to watch the webinar in its entirety.
- Breed Knowledge
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2024
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AKC Detection Dog Task Force Hosts Webinar Discussing Canine Nutrition and Working Dogs
February 22, 2024
Nutrition is a critical part of caring for a working dog. Not just to ensure the dog’s health, but also to help the dog perform its jobs at the optimum level.
Yesterday, the AKC Detection Dog Task Force (DDTF) hosted a webinar entitled “Working Canine Nutrition – The State of the Science” with guest speaker Dr. Erin Perry, Ph.D., M.S., from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Perry shared her extensive expertise and knowledge to cover a broad range of issues surrounding this important topic.
Perry’s detailed, scientific talk included how nutrition can impact everything from a dog’s brain function to its sense of smell, and how understanding the specific needs of your working dog is essential to optimal performance. She also noted that diet should vary based on the dog’s breed and activity level. Dr. Perry also provided scientific studies and facts surrounding various diets often discussed by the general public, including vegan, raw food, and grain free diets.
Yesterday’s webinar is part of the ongoing AKC Detection Dog Task Force Webinar Series, and is the second in which Dr. Perry discussed the importance of nutrition for working dogs.
Dr. Perry will speak in greater depth on this topic at the AKC 2024 National Detection Dog Conference, where she will be presenting, “Canine Nutrition – GI Stability in Working Dogs: Managing Diets to Improve Gut Health.”
To learn more about the AKC Detection Dog Task Force and view past webinars and DDTF resources visit www.akc.org/edc.
View this link to watch the webinar in its entirety.
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2023
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October 2023 – AKC Detection Dog Task Force Hosts Webinar: “Ways to Improve Training Efficiency” (Blog and link to recording)
June 2023 – DDTF Webinar: Working Dog Veterinary Care, Your K9 Athlete’s Health (Blog and link to recording)
April – Law Enforcement K9s: The Crucial Value of Proper Training and Certification (Blog and link to recording)
January – Robustness in Training with Jay Crafter – Part 2 – K9 Handler Selection in Crucial Conservation Work (Blog and link to recording)
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2022
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December 2022 – Robustness in Training with Jay Crafter – Handler and K9 in Crucial Conservation Work (Blog & click link to view recording)
June 2022 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – Now Available Online: Latest Detection Dog Webinar: 9 – 12 Month Puppies, Getting Started Right For Detection Work (Blog & click link to view recording)
April 2022 – Webinar Examines the Impact of Pandemic on Detection Dog Industry (Blog & click link to view recording)
March 2022 – Detection Dog Task Force Launches The Confident Puppy e-Learning Course (Blog & click link to view recording)
January 19, 2022 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – Industry Experts Discuss Key Factors in Raising 6-9 Month Puppies for Detection (Blog & click link to view recording)
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2021
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November 10, 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – Recap and Recording: Dogs that Work Need Diets that Work (Blog & click link to view recording)
August 31, 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – Webinar Highlights Essential Qualities at 3 – 6 Months for Future Detection Dogs (Blog & click link to view recording)
Questions & Answers: 3 -6 Month Puppies, Getting Started Right for Detection Work
July 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – Webinar Highlights Program Changes That Could Positively Impact Detection Dog Shortage (Blog & click link to view recording)
June 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – Getting Puppies Started Right for Detection: Experts Compare and Contrast Successful Approaches – Part 2 (Blog & click link to view recording)
May 2021 – In-Person Seminar in Hillsborough NC – ‘Detection Dog Training Begins with a Responsible Breeder’. Please click here to view a post seminar blog about the event.
April 1, 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – “Exploring Issues, Challenges and Recommendations for Improving Government Acquisition of US-Bred Working Dogs”. (Blog & click link to view recording)
Feb. 25, 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – “So Your Dog Isn’t Cut Out for Explosives Detection? Here Are Other Opportunities.” Click here to view a recording
January 6, 2021 – AKC DDTF Webinar Series – “Getting Puppies Started Right for Detection: Experts Compare and Contrast Successful Approaches.” Click here to view a recording
*Jan. 25, 2021 – Please find Questions & Answers from the webinar.
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2020
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*Please find a recording of this online event here:
AKC’s Patriotic Puppy Program: Program Updates and a Conversation with Stacey West
*Please find Questions & Answers from this Webinar: Q&A_Final