The 2015 Obedience and AKC Rally National Champions were crowned this weekend at the American Kennel Club's National Obedience Championship and the AKC Rally National Championship, held at Purina Farms just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The Championships drew more than 500 of the most highly trained dogs in the nation. Pamela Manaton, AKC Director […]

The Labrador Retriever has done it again. The intelligent, family friendly breed held onto the number one spot on the most popular list for the 24th consecutive year, continuing the longest reign as the nation’s top dog in American Kennel Club history. For the full list of breed rankings, click here. While the Lab holds strong, […]

AKC Award for Canine Excellence-winner Wynd passed away Sunday morning following her battle with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. Wynd, a Rottweiler, was the 2015 ACE winner in the therapy dog category. She helped a number of service members by being a part of the therapy dog team for surviving military family members at the Tragedy […]

There is a general movement within the dog world that has breeders and their clubs looking for new ways to make breed improvements. This is occurring because of the growing arsenal of tools available to breeders and their clubs. Given these conditions, the opportunity for making improvements is well within the reach of most clubs […]

At only 33 years old, Christy Gardner has a lifetime of fighting behind her. But don't ever tell this national champion she's lost. Gardner, a double amputee, helped bring home a championship with the U.S. women’s sled hockey team, and she’s preparing to represent the United States at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio this September. […]

All anyone has ever seen is a glimpse of these creatures, and there have been many different accounts, but there are two constants in all Bigfoot sightings. They are "as big as a man, and covered with hair from head to foot," one newspaper reported in 1884. Hmmmm. That could easily describe any number of […]

Aero, a Rottweiler service dog in training, participated in Camelback High School's graduation ceremony on Thursday. Aero has been working with a senior at the Phoenix school as part of his training with Lifeline Assistance Dogs. Aero participated in graduation rehearsal and his owner, Riann, posted this on the dog's Facebook page: "Aero will be […]

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 […]

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 […]

Does your dog have almond shaped eyes? A heavy and muscular neck? A tail medium in length that tapers to a point? A smooth and short coat? A broad chest? If you said yes to these questions, then congratulations, you own a “pit bull” …At least according to the City and County of San Francisco’s […]

At a loss for the perfect gift? Don't want to give yet another pair of gloves or a bottle of wine? You can't go wrong with these unique items made just for dog lovers. Custom Painted Pet Portrait A custom portrait is the perfect gift, especially if it's a portrait of their dog.Each 8" x […]

For the men in your life who are dog lovers, we've got all the gifts you need. Whether he's an outdoor guy or a sit-by-the-fire kind of guy, you can choose from shirts and jackets, hats, and even dog breed wine glasses and other useful home goods. After all, love him, love his dog. Dog […]

The statistics are staggering; every nine seconds, another woman in the United States is beaten, according to the Partnership Against Domestic Violence. While violence against women often takes place behind closed doors and isn't always visible to others, that doesn't mean it's not happening. Chances are, if there are children involved, they, too, are facing […]

Once again, the Labrador Retriever took Houston’s top spot in the 2016 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. The Labrador Retriever was also recognized as the #1 pup in the country, along with multiple cities including Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Denver to name a few. The French Bulldog jumped two spots […]

Learning Objectives Students will be able to preview stories using illustrations as a guide and make comparisons of fiction and non-fiction information.   Grade Levels K-2   Common Core Standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration […]

Cleo and Gwen Blake practice at Family Dog Training Center in Kent, Wash., a Seattle suburb. “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect,” says Blake. “And we need plenty of that.” Photo courtesy Kathy Lang. For Gwen Blake, it’s back to basics every time she steps into the obedience and rally rings with her […]

We've done it again. In the 17th year of the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin the event has drawn record entry numbers. An entry of 4803 dogs will compete for the title of National Champion on December 16 and 17, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Combined with the other weekend events including the inaugural […]

Dogs are surprisingly good at communicating with people, considering they can't speak. They use body language and vocalization to express their wants, needs, and fears, but sometimes it is hard to figure out what dog sounds actually mean. Some dogs have a wider range of vocalizations than others. Rottweilers "purr," Siberian Huskies"talk," Shiba Inu "scream," and Basenjis "yodel" instead of barking. For […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC), the leading advocate for dogs, is delighted to acknowledge those individuals that have excelled at breeding dogs that have proven to be outstanding in AKC sports. The commitment to preserve, protect, and improve a breed represents the very essence of the AKC. The AKC Breeder of the Year by Sport […]

LABRADOR RETRIEVER LEADS THE PACK AS MOST POPULAR  FOR 26TH YEAR

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, 2017. The 2017 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes […]

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 […]

New York, NY - The Labrador Retriever has done it again. The American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced today that the intelligent, family friendly breed holds tight to the number one spot on the most popular list for the 24th consecutive year, continuing the longest reign as the nation’s top dog in AKC history. While the […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club wishes to acknowledge those individuals that have excelled at breeding dogs that have proven to be outstanding in AKC sports. The commitment to preserve, protect and improve a breed represents the very essence of the AKC. The AKC Breeder of the Year by Sport Award is given […]

French Bulldog Continues its Remarkable Rise in Popularity   New York, NY – Labrador Retriever lovers have spoken!  The American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced today that the intelligent, family friendly breed has taken the #1 spot on the most popular list for the 23rd consecutive year, the longest reign at the top in AKC history. […]

Lab Ties Poodle for the Longest Consecutive Reign at #1 and Bulldog Enters Top 5   Check out a Slideshow of the Top 10 Breeds at TODAY.COM   New York, NY – Proving that bigger really is better, the American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced today that the Bulldog has muscled its way into the top […]

Dogs from All 50 States and More Than 50 Countries Vie for $225,000 in Cash and Prizes   AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Broadcast on ABC Television Network - Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013   Thousands of dogs will compete over five days in a variety of world-class dog sporting competitions on December 12-16, 2012 in Orlando, Florida […]

Recipients Include a World-Class Drug Buster and a “READ”ing Rottweiler   The AKC® Humane Fund announced the winners of the 13th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), which commemorates five loyal, hard-working dogs that have made significant contributions to their communities in each of the following five categories: Exemplary Companion Dog, Law […]

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC®) the type of dog you own says a lot about your personality.    “Dog owners tend to identify with pets who have similar personality traits, habits and physical activities as themselves,” said AKC Meet the Breeds Spokesperson Gina DiNardo.    Since people gravitate towards dogs that match their […]

Highlights from the July 2012 meeting of the AKC Board of Directors are as follows.   Full details on these actions, as well as other actions taken, are included in the minutes for the meeting, which are posted on the AKC website, within one week of the meeting.   James Stevens, AKC’s Chief Financial Officer […]