Photo by Michael Blake Southern Californian Michael Uy lives for the outdoors and luckily his canine companion keeps up with him. Abbie holds her own with Uy whether jogging, mountain biking, hiking or even paragliding. One of their favorite stops is the local dog beach where they both like to swim in the ocean. During […]

Bonnie Bird shared this photo with the AKC Canine Partners News of her dog, Jigi, commandeering a tractor-trailer while on a hiking trip a few years ago. “Some friends and I were out walking on Chuckanut Mountain near Bellingham, WA, when we came upon a semi-tractor trailer parked beside the road,” Bonnie said. “Jigi jumped up […]

KOKO HERZ ... JAN. 3, 2003 - FEB. 19, 2015 Steven Herz of New Jersey wrote this moving memorial for Koko Herz who was the first All-American Dog to earn the AKC Therapy Dog title and who passed away from cancer in February at age 12. We are honored to share it with you. "I […]

Earlier this month we had a prime training opportunity: a Christmas Market held just two blocks away. With pop-up stalls, crowds, lots of unusual objects, overhead announcements, music, generators, and dancing, the market provides quite a challenge for socialization and environmental stability. We knew that these two pups were not ready for that level of […]

Fighting Canine Cancer in Memory of Deuce  Amber Koerner received the 2022 AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Inspiration Award for her work to raise funds for canine cancer research. The Wisconsin resident organizes an annual walkathon in memory of her dog, Deuce, who she lost suddenly to cancer at age 7. She shares their story with […]

AKC Virtual Programs: Opportunities Grow for At-Home Titles AKC’s Virtual Title program offers opportunities to earn titles during the pandemic, and many owners have successfully taken advantage of them. Just added to the line-up is Virtual Home Manners. When you get a puppy or new adult dog, this program can get you started on practical skills before you attend a training class. […]

The spotlight shines on a unique team of all veteran dogs that hail from Anchorage, Alaska. Relics in Action competes in the Limited Senior division. Seven senior dogs, ranging in age from 10 ½ to nearly 13, comprise the team that runs at Alyeska Canine Trainers, along with six other League teams! Captain Sherri Spangler […]

Everything is more fun with a friend! Sometimes, it can be difficult to stay focused when training your dog alone. However, there are some benefits to finding a partner who's also training her canine companion. Here are some ways "buddy walks” can help you and your dog. Motivation Just like with a workout partner, having […]

The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program is the gold standard of behavior for dogs in our communities. Almost one million dogs, both purebred and mixed breed, have participated in the program since it began in 1989. Canine Good Citizen is part of the AKC Family Dog Program and many dog owners choose CGC as their […]

A key component of the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is a responsible owner. Our Canine Good Citizen® Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge is for the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy® Program too. Responsibility should start the moment you decide to add a new dog or puppy to your family. AKC CGC℠ Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge I will be […]