Opinion: Nothing is more frustrating to a dedicated breeder-exhibitor than hearing that a wonderful owner with unlimited potential in the sport has purchased a dog from a commercial kennel. After all, your breed parent club works hard to update its website and offer a cornucopia of relevant information. You attend dog shows regularly, breed […]

U.S. goalball team member Jen Armbruster is ready for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. The six-time Paralympian is decorated with a gold medal from the 2008 games in Beijing, a silver from Athens in 2004, and a bronze from Atlanta in 1996. She hopes to take home another medal in her last Paralympics, where she […]

Responsible breeders do everything they can to keep their puppies safe and healthy from before they were born until the day they leave their kennel. Around 8 to 12 weeks old, the puppies depart from their breeder, and their new lives begin in their meticulously, hand-picked homes. By discerningly choosing the right family for each […]

The first thing to know about the Spanish Water Dog is that he is not really a water dog. Unlike the Irish Water Spaniel or American Water Spaniel, the Spanish Water Dog (SWD) is in the herding group, not the sporting group. Yes, he will work in water, but this ancient breed was developed to […]

  If you've ever seen a Dock Diving event, it's certainly an experience you won't forget. But did you know that Dock Diving is a relatively new dog sport? The sport was officially recognized by the AKC in 2014 and since then, over 6,000 dogs have jumped on in. We got a special inside look […]

One of the most exciting components of being at AKC Meet the Breeds is, of course, getting face time with a variety of different dogs. But beyond being cute, many of the dogs there also have touching stories about how they impact their communities and brighten the lives of others. One such dog that we […]

The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, also known as Korthals griffon, is a very rare breed, but it has seemingly endless talents. Here are some interesting facts about the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. 1. The Breed Was Inspired By Mendel's Research OK, so there's no definitive proof that the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon was inspired by scientist Gregor Mendel's research, […]

  The Pyrenean Shepherd, or Pyr Shep for short, is a small and extremely capable dog. They've been working as herders for millennia, and the breed shows no signs of decline. Here are more interesting facts about the Pyrenean Shepherd: 1. The Breed Could Be More Than 6,000 Years Old There are no records of […]

  When it comes to choosing the right food for your dog, the choices are endless. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different brands, and even different types of foods within those brands. Researching ingredients and sources can be confusing and time-consuming, so you might find yourself focusing on the basic bullet points. The […]

It’s easy to anthropomorphize our dogs. Sometimes they seem to have such human-like qualities that we forget that they’re probably not having the same experience we’d like to pretend they’re having. That being said, science has shown that our canine companions actually do feel a lot of human-like emotions—perhaps more than we give them credit […]