Canine Partners Blog

Photo by Clark Kranz  Kola is a rescue terrier mix whose favorite thing in life is lure coursing – a sport that allows dogs to release their prey drive. Dogs chase a lure – white trash bags – tied to a pulley system that moves it jerkily around a field. Most dogs love to chase […]

PACH Keno Ocb owned by Paula Maxwell of Harrisonburg, VA Paula was exiting her local shelter after an unsuccessful search for a new dog at the same time a man was entering with three puppies to surrender. She knew immediately that she wanted the smallest puppy that was “cuddly but fearful,” she said. “Right from […]

Barney THDD CGC owned by Leah Kochi of Orange, CA I adopted Barney from a local shelter in 2008 when he was about 1 year old. Barney completed basic and advanced obedience training in 2009 to earn his AKC Canine Good Citizen title. After becoming a registered pet therapy team in 2009, we started visiting […]

In 2002, I pulled a tiny, emaciated red female Doberman from a local shelter. She was just 13.5 weeks old, and had been in the shelter more than four weeks. Since I had a young male that was taking a lot of my time, I thought I would get her healthy, and find a great […]

Two mixed-breed dogs in the AKC Canine Partners program have now won nine of the top AKC Agility titles! They are: MACH9 Logan Lake Hope (pictured above) – owned by Kimberly Barton of Johnstown, OH MACH9 Samantha (pictured below when she won her 1st MACH) – owned by Don & Leah Eicher of Laurel, DE […]

Harry of SharonDale VCD1 PCDX GN RE OAP OJP has become the fifth mixed-breed dog to earn the AKC’s prestigious Versatile Companion Dog (VCD) title. The program honors dogs who earn titles in three of the AKC Companion Events: Obedience, Agility and Tracking. From being found wandering down a country road in fall 2008 as […]

Rayne, a Belgian Malinois-Labrador mix, is the first dog in the country to earn the Air Retrieve Senior Excellent title from the North America Diving Dogs association (NADD). She achieved this “first” on April 15, 2016,  in Perry, GA, at a NADD competition held as part of the Peach Blossom Dog Show circuit. Air retrieve […]

Adorable Gizmo’s motto is “Cuz we’re frens!” and that is precisely what he does – make friends around the country through his work as a therapy dog. Gizmo is a therapy dog with Paws For Friendship (PFF) Inc., and Jenifer says they "are grateful to share his love" at Eastern CT Health Network Hospitals, Manchester […]

Jamie Ohman of Camillus, NY, tells us how her fearful rescue dog gained confidence and became the multi-titled Dancing Cavy’s Pain in the Butte RAE BN CA. Risa is my first dog.  I adopted her from a shelter when she was 2.5 years old, and I had dreams of competing with her in dog sports.  […]

The rescue group, which focuses on English Setters, agreed to take her. When the transport driver arrived and asked for “the setter,” he was given Amber who was clearly not a setter. But the driver was true to his mission and took her any way. After a few months of fostering, Amber got posted to the A&B […]