Everyone goes to a dog show hoping to win. But not everyone expects to. That certainly was the case with Giant Schnauzer breeders Chris and Holly Reed of Port Allen, Louisiana, as they headed to the 2021 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. Every December, AKC’s flagship show draws some of the nation’s top […]

Writer James Thurber called it “this most inconsolable of sorrows,” the grief that comes with the loss of a beloved four-legged companion. In the months leading up to end for my 15-year-old Labrador Retriever, Maggie, I braced myself for a deep paralyzing misery. I had pulled her from a shelter 14 years earlier. She was […]

by Faith Rogers, Junior Handler Agility is in every sense of the word a team sport, a combination of speed, consistency, and trust. This is a sport filled with magical runs, but also frustrating disappointments. Perseverance builds character when training plans don't succeed and the only choice is to try again. The dedication and commitment […]

Antonia Rotelle is no stranger to handling many dogs. This December, she's running six of her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels at the 2023 AKC Agility Invitational, part of the AKC National Championship week.

My advice to others over the years has always been to look to the dams of the stud dogs. Tail-male charts are interesting, but they leave out a very important element of the story: the bitch. It is the bitch who provides the complement to the sire and determines the distinction among his offspring, both […]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in the dog world is also known as Canine Compulsive Disorder or CCD. Here are the signs.

Seventeen-year-old Ariella Harris was the first person in her family to show dogs. Today she's the number one Junior Handler Doberman Pinscher handler in the country. Although she might be the first dog fancier in the family, Ariella's family members are no strangers to working with animals. As a third-generation horse-woman, Ariella is proud to […]

A young family I know recently made a commitment to quality time by banning cell phones at the dinner table. It started as more of a dare than a serious lifestyle change. The husband is a marketing maven, the wife a high-powered lawyer, and the two kids own every electronic device on the market. One […]

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has invited the American Kennel Club (AKC) to collaborate on its initiative to promote responsible...

May kicked off with the celebration of National Purebred Dog Day (NPDD) on May 1. NPDD honors the pride, predictability and purpose of purebred dogs and the preservation of these breeds. NPDD was the brainchild of Colorado resident and Puli fancier Suzi Szeremy to celebrate the amazing diversity and heritage of the breeds we love. The American Kennel Club Government […]