We previously listed the many ways children benefit from dog ownership, such as being more empathetic and compassionate, having higher self esteem and less stress, and having a decreased chance of developing allergies. But that list just keeps on growing. According to a Swedish study published November 2 in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, children […]

On June 12, "Hamilton" swept the 70th annual Tony Awards, taking home 11 wins, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Lead Actor (Leslie Odom Jr.), from the record-breaking 16 nominations it received. The mastermind behind the production, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also stars in the lead role, created the book, music, and lyrics, which […]

Yet another K9 is being buried this week. Three police dogs have been killed by gunfire in this month alone—a fourth also died in the line of duty by choking on an object. K9 OGAR On Saturday, January 23, at 1 p.m. CST, funeral services will be held for K9 Ogar, the latest K9 to […]

The Alaskan Malamute is the heavy-freight hauler of the canine world, created to pull cargo on sledges through frozen wastelands. These powerhouses share their genetic ancestry with other Northern breeds, such as Siberian Huskies and Samoyeds that are thought to have descended from wolf-dogs hybrids established before the end of the Stone Age. The Malamute’s […]

We all know the cliché of the starving stray, wandering around the streets raiding the trash and begging for scraps. A Brazilian homeless dog named Bolinha (one English translation means "ball") has turned that image on its ear by becoming so fat that he could barely waddle. It all started about 13 years ago when […]

Arizona firefighters showed both heroism and heart when they dashed into a burning house in Tucson at around 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 14, and rescued two dying dogs. They rushed the limp creatures outside, where other members of their team immediately got to work, administering oxygen with the Tucson Fire Department’s (TFD) pet CPR kits. […]

It was all over in a second, before you could even scream. Jennie* and her daughter, Goose, 4, had just gotten out of the car in a shopping center parking lot in Durango, Colorado, when the child turned and bolted. Jennie did not have time to react, but their Newfoundland, Porter, knew just the right […]

Meet Jaquie Blake and her one-year-old Golden Retriever, Harlow. Harlow is an unbelievably special pup, who works hard every day training to be a service dog for Jaquie.     A photo posted by A service pup in training! ♿�� (@helper_dog_harlow) on Jun 17, 2016 at 1:55pm PDT Jaquie suffers from epilepsy and narcolepsy, among […]

In our modern digital age, we often turn to the Internet for things we don't know the answer to. And this of course, includes all our dog-related questions! As any dog owner knows, sometimes your dog is doing something, like watching TV, and you want to know why it is that he does that. So […]

For Picks of The Litter, a regular book review series, Ranny Green critiques "With Dogs at the Edge of Life,” by Colin Dayan (Columbia University Press). What would you expect from Columbia University Press and an author who is professor of the humanities and professor of law at Vanderbilt University? A scholarly, probing work on […]

On the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina wreaking havoc in the southeastern United States, Seattle Times journalist Ranny Green reflects on his time in Louisiana on assignment with Noah's Wish, an organization that helps animals affected by natural disasters. Read Ranny's diary of his trip below, which originally ran in The Seattle Times in 2005. -- […]

Don’t let that introductory Pumi persona fool you! That’s one of the cautions surrounding the American Kennel Club’s newest recognized breed, which numbers only about 350 in the United States. “People tell me all the time – your Pumis look so adorable, like stuffed animals, koalas or even Ewoks,” says Karen Beattie Massey, of Issaquah, […]

Pirate, a German Shepherd Dog, curls up in a laundry basket. The 7-year-old dog jumped in with little enticing, says owner Kathy Green, of Gold Bar, Wash. Header photo courtesy of Kathy Green When it comes to the Great Box Challenge, there simply are no limits—on size, shape, or container. And those loose parameters apply […]

The Pumi is the latest breed to be recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), receiving full AKC status as a member of the Herding Group on July 1, 2016. This rare breed, with only a few new litters born in the United States each year, may be the new dog on the block, but […]

By Kathy LorentzenBy Kathy Lorentzen Reprinted with permission from Dogs in Review and author Kathy Lorentzen, from the February 2015 issue of Dogs in Review magazine. 1. Start slow.  Regardless of how much you think you know, you probably don’t know very much when you are a fledgling breeder. The faster you go, the more […]

By Joan Harrigan and Susan BeegelMuch is demanded of show dogs – they must be adaptable, calm, and tolerant in addition to meeting the requirements of their breed standards. Two Beaucerons, both champions and exhibited at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, have show careers that are secondary to their day-to-day work. For Beaucerons […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) and Royal Canin are pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2016 National Championship to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, 2016. The 2016 event will showcase the top national and international dogs and will also […]

By William GivenIn any serious conversation about the future of our sport, we have to acknowledge the importance of our youth and the need to bring more young people into our sport. Today’s junior handlers are the “future of our sport.” They will be the exhibitors, breeders, mentors, professional handlers, judges, stewards, show chairmen, superintendents, […]

This year as we gear up for the fourth annual AKC ® Responsible Dog Ownership Day (AKC RDO Day) I am pleased to report about some new opportunities for clubs, state federations, and pet-related organizations as they plan their AKC RDO Day events in communities across the country. Publicly promoting responsible dog ownership takes time, initiative and […]

Recently, I was a guest on the History Channel's weekly series "History's Business" where I was asked to discuss AKC and the sport of purebred dogs.  In preparation, I did a great deal of reading about AKC’s 120-year history and the individuals who contributed to making the organization and the sport what it is today. […]

-- Making a Difference for Canine Health and Well-Being -- At the March Delegates meeting, Article III of the American Kennel Club Bylaws was amended to include the following: “The objects of the Club shall be to advance canine health and well-being…” Someone unfamiliar with the AKC might see this as a beginning. In fact, […]

-- Defending Our Rights -- New York, NY – For years, animal rights extremists have focused on attacking the health of purebred dogs based on what they determined were improper breeding programs, and have indiscriminately discredited dog breeders with unsupported anecdotal stories as opposed to facts. We all know the unsubstantiated accusations all too well. Unfortunately, […]

As the cut-off date for nominations for the 2003 Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) approaches (June 30th), I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight this wonderful AKC program, now in its 4th year. Since AKC first celebrated the extraordinary canine-human bond with this award in 1999,  we have been delighted, humbled, saddened and awed […]

Robin Goodfellow RAE THDA CGC owned by Robert & Aimy Pumphrey of Aurora, CO Puck showed up at the Pumphreys’ house in 2010 as an unnamed 9 week old puppy that their daughter had acquired. “Being a mischievous young sprite, Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow) was the only name that fit,” Robert said. Less than a […]

MACH Jennifer’s Princess Bella MXS MJS OF owned by Jennifer Masterson of Zanesville, OH Jennifer stopped at the dog shelter one day on a whim. As she was talking with a staff member about what types of dogs they had, Bella came from the back of her kennel and peeked her head out at her. […]

Ohio teenager Mariah Bradley and her family adopted a puppy from a rescue group five years ago. The Australian Shepherd mix was smart, but active, and soon Mariah got involved with training him through 4H. Before long, the pair were competing in 4H events and did so well that they started competing in AKC events […]

In summer 2009, Shelley stopped by her local shelter in Princeton, NJ, in search of a new companion. “I had just lost my dog and was looking for a large, friendly dog to adopt,” she said. “The staff showed me the dogs they thought I might like, but there wasn't a match. Then they brought […]

Mix a high-drive Labrador with an active 8-year-old boy, and you cook up a mother looking for an outlet. Lucia Pink found it when her eyes landed on a newspaper advertisement for a Kids and Dogs Day Camp at the Imperial Polk Obedience Club. The camp ran for a week and Lucia thought it would […]

Griffin Fielding TDX owned by Maureen Fielding of N. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Seven-year-old Griffin came into being through an accidental mating between a black German Shepherd female and a German Short-haired Pointer male. “He is a fine hunting dog with a strong work ethic, making him an excellent tracking dog,” Maureen said. Griffin started […]

Drafting and carting are sports that are open to all breeds of dogs, including mixed-breeds, by several national breed clubs. Pulling carts to help transport items was a task that many dogs were – and still are – trained to do to help around farms. Dogs like to pull – and this gives them an acceptable […]