The Public Education department offers many resources to teach children about purebred dogs, dog sports, responsible dog ownership, and safety around dogs. If you are looking for a resource on a specific topic please email publiced@akc.org. The links below contain valuable resources that can be accessed for free at any time. Teachers Pay Teachers Store […]

Disc Dogs 101: Getting Into Disc Sports with Your Dog  This month’s tip is designed to get you started in the fun, fast sport of Disc Dogs. The AKC now recognizes the titles of the UpDog Challenge disc organization that features a variety of games for all skill levels. Timothy Lake, UpDog judge and head captain of the […]

Meet Brianna Fryer: Life Happily Engulfed by Dog Sports Brianna Fryer, 18, and a recent graduate of the Florida Virtual School (Class of 2017), has competed successfully in agility with her All-American, Jazabell CGC BN NA NAJ NF OA OAJ OF AX AXJ XF MXJ. A visit to a 4H dog day piqued her interest in agility, and she has big plans for even more success in […]

How To Plan And Run A Herding Test And Trial TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Planning Chapter 2: Applications and Judges' Panel Questionaire Chapter 3: Committee Duties in Preparation for and During Event INTRODUCTION This manual is designed to assist you in conducting an AKC Herding Test/Trial from start to completion. No single publication can cover every issue […]

STEM Agility Course   Materials Needed Recycled items including paper, cardboard, toilet paper tubes, straws Tape or glue Optional : pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks Optional: robotic toy bug, one per student Computer and projector to display video of dog completing agility course https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/sports/how-to-watch-an-agility-competition-101-prepare-to-get-hooked-on-the-sport/ Planning sheet     Teacher Modeling/Explicit Instruction Training for dog agility is […]

Brenda Riemer grew up a California girl surrounded by sunshine, sand, and surf. These days, though, she struggles with another "S" element – snow. All of these, however, have sublimely shaped the dynamics affecting the sport psychologist/mental skills trainer and her approach to teaching dog handling seminars nationwide. “I hate snow," Riemer says. “I hate winter. As someone who grew up in L.A., driving […]

Finding an AKC Sport that Fits Your Mixed-Breed DogSince 2010, the AKC has awarded thousands of titles to mixed-breeds. Why shouldn’t your clever, athletic mix join the fun? And why shouldn’t you enjoy the dog-park bragging rights that come with putting an AKC title on your dog? Here’s an overview of the competitions. Obedience Dog-and-handler […]

We have our third group victor at this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. This is the second year in a row that a Standard Poodle has won their group. Flame the Poodle takes the Non-Sporting Group and will continue onto tomorrow night’s Best in Show competition. Is the Poodle the right breed for you? […]

Iyong Tapat Kaibigan CAX16 FDC DCAT DN owned by Stephanie Markgraf of Graham, NC Kai continues his reign as the top mixed-breed dog in Coursing Ability Tests with 400 clean runs. He earned his CAX16 at the Winter Wonderland Cluster in Perry, GA over the Thanksgiving holiday running with the Greyhound Association of Northern Georgia. […]

RATCHX Rex Von McKinney Rausch BCAT CGC owned by Jeanette Rausch of Mount Juliet, TN Eight-year-old Rex was once a stud dog at a kennel that was shut down by the authorities.  “I stumbled across his photo online and fell in love with him so I reached out to the organization to arrange meeting him […]

This spring consider investing some time in training and spending time with the four-legged member of your family. With longer daylight hours and warmer weather, there's no better time. There are quite a few fun activities you can do with your dog, in addition to walking and hiking. Treibball, agility, and dock diving are just […]

RATCHX Rex Von McKinney Rausch BCAT CGC owned by Jeanette Rausch of Mount Juliet, TN Eight-year-old Rex was once a stud dog at a kennel that was shut down by the authorities. “I stumbled across his photo online and fell in love with him so I reached out to the organization to arrange meeting him […]

NOHS Best in Show Bred By:   Toy Working Terrier Hounds Sporting Herding Non-Sporting Best Bred by Exhibitor in Show Group Judging Miscellaneous Veterans   Terrier Sporting Non-Sporting Hound Toy Working

Bassett Hound Field Trials are exciting and a lot fun for the hound and huntsman. These events date back to the 1930's. Basset field trials are designed and conducted for the purpose of selecting those hounds that display sound quality and ability to the best advantage. Shortly after the formation of the Basset Hound Club […]

4-H Club Encourage Dog Sport Participation By Jane Myers, Executive Field Rep Recently I was invited to attend the Sierra 4H Junior event for Project Dog, a program to encourage dog sports within the 4H community. This event was coordinated by 4H leader Melanie Koons. Melanie's vision was to unite 4H kids with AKC Dog […]

By AKC Field Representative Jim Odle Bassett Hound Field Trials are exciting and a lot fun for the hound and huntsman. These events date back to the 1930's. Basset field trials are designed and conducted for the purpose of selecting those hounds that display sound quality and ability to the best advantage. Shortly after the […]

The spotlight shines on a mother and son of a Working breed not seen often in agility – the Alaskan Malamute. Zenny and her son, Pickle, run with the Dream Acres teams in Wisconsin and excel at a number of other endeavors, including sledding and carting. Their breeder and trainer, Jen Effler, has had a […]

The spotlight shines on a special team composed of all Junior Handlers and Australian Shepherds – the Wiggle Butt Crew. The team, which competes in Regulation Senior, is based at Ashley’s Dog Sports in Jacksonville, FL. Dog trainer and mother Ashley Escobar coaches this cute and talented bunch. She tells us more about the team […]

My name is Skylar Sowiecki and I am a 15 year old junior handler. I train dogs and compete with my own in various sports. The biggest thing that people seem to forget about when training for dog sports is that having a good relationship with your dog will always make your 'performance' better. Having […]

A well-behaved dog is a joy to live with, and proper dog training helps ensure that your pup can participate in almost everything you do together. Puppies can begin very simple training starting as soon as they come home, usually around 8 weeks old. Whether your goal is puppy socialization and or participating in dog sports, […]