18 years old I started training dogs when I was just 9 years old. I joined the local 4-H club with my family’s old rescue shih tzu, Oliver. I was hooked from the very first training session. The next year my mom allowed me to get my own dog, Levi. Levi was a Miniature American […]

The best dog training tool you have is your voice. Use it to your advantage. Keep emotion and tone flexibility as part of your commands. If you are trialing in arena courses your voice is all you will need. Your dog is in charge of moving the livestock. Helping him understand exactly where and how […]

First, you have to have a mental image of a perfectly correct "square flank". This involves the relationship between the dog and SHEEP not the handler. Dogs do not square flank off the handler, they square flank off the sheep. As the dog runs in half circle or part of a circle around the sheep […]

Premium List Check out the AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship Facebook  Gun Dog Championship AKC Event Info Page   2018 Gun Dog Championship Trial Coverage: Brace Reports -   1A FC VK's Twenty Gauge Xr (Deuce) Owner Robyn & Sherwin VanKooten Handler Sean orSherwin VanKooten/Jon Hann Breed/Sex - Vizsla/M with 1B Chicoree's Jake's Bonnie (Bonnie) Owner Fred […]

  [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Current Apprentice List"]   Apprentice AKC Registered Handler/Employer Lynzze Grispin Kimberly Calvacca Sydney Essebaggers Paul Catterson Paige Hartman Tara Hartman Emerson Jaquish Erin Karst Corinna Ohrnberger Karen Mammano [/accordion_panel] [/accordion] [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Overview of the AKC RHP Apprentice Program"] The AKC Registered Handler Apprentice Program was established in 2004 to recognize and […]

By Jerry D. Mann, Field Director -- Sporting Breeds As I entered the grounds for the Mid-South Hunting Retriever Club fall hunt test near Bruce, Mississippi I hurriedly approached the contestants' sign-up area to obtain a copy of the event catalog and locate the running site of the Master test. It was with anxious anticipation […]

You and your dog are a team. You do almost everything together – take walks, eat, veg out, even sleep together. So think of the fun you’d have showing off what a great team you are at an AKC Rally® event! AKC Rally® is one of the newest AKC sports and participation increases every year. […]

Keeping a flock of sheep for stockdog training is an option that many handlers would love to have, but many feel they don't have the facilities or knowledge to maintain a flock of sheep. A little bit of research into this species of animal can take much of the mystery away and open up great […]

Thomas Stancliff of Manvel, TX, shared this story about his Labrador mix, Doll, and his and his wife Jeanne's adventures with her since she showed up at their house three years ago. Doll’s formal AKC name is La Muneca Del Diablo RAE, and she recently earned the highest honor in AKC Rally. Doll competes in […]

JuliAnna Munden is a lifelong dog lover, but training classes and competitions never occurred to her. A bark in her backyard changed all that. One day five years ago, JuliAnna was trying to study but a persistent bark outside her home in Pasco, WA, kept interrupting. “I went out back and saw this dog inside […]

  This story is brought to us by  Judy Davis. Judy and her husband, Scott, of Deming, WA, are the rescuers – and adopters – of Scott’s Sir Charlie RE. Charlie has a very special story that Judy has graciously shared with us, and we know that you will enjoy this true success tale. My […]

These training tips offer great advice for anyone who is competing or thinking about competing in dog sports. They are brought to us by Alison Smith, co-owner and head trainer at Personal Paws Inc. in Toronto, Canada. She holds a master’s degree in Public Relations and Marketing but left the corporate world three years ago […]

Mix a high-drive Labrador with an active 8-year-old boy, and you cook up a mother looking for an outlet. Lucia Pink found it when her eyes landed on a newspaper advertisement for a Kids and Dogs Day Camp at the Imperial Polk Obedience Club. The camp ran for a week and Lucia thought it would […]

Order AKC DNA + Health Kit     Activate AKC DNA Kit Use AKC DNA + Health for all your DNA needs for Golden Retrievers. Every test provides results for: AKC DNA Profile - 201 markers for parentage verification purposes, the only AKC-approved profile for parentage verification* 328+ markers for health and traits Sample AKC DNA […]

Learning Objectives Students will draw a dog face using various geometric shapes and lines as a learning tool.  Students will differentiate different lines, and measure and classify various shapes during drawing.  Students will research different dog breeds to find which it most closely relates to as well as compare the drawing of the dog to […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) honored recipients of the AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards at the annual Delegates Meeting Luncheon, in conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. The winners received an engraved silver Revere bowl. A larger Tiffany and Co. bowl, engraved with the names of all recipients past and present, will remain on permanent display […]

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) has become a hot topic in education. Schools all over the country are finding ways to enrich students in these key subject areas. Why is STEM important? The U.S. Department of Commerce claims that STEM careers are growing at a rate of 17%, which is almost double the growth […]

Learn about canine influenza virus and how you can help prevent the spread of dog flu, including getting your pet a dog flu shot.

Scorching pavement is damaging to dog paws, and especially puppies. So how hot is too hot for a dog's sensitive paw pads?

The AKC Government Relations Department is pleased to assist dog owners with canine legislation issues in their local communities, but we can't help unless we are aware of the proposal. Please contact us at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org when new laws are discussed or introduced in your city or county. We will provide you with resources and […]