Somewhere above us is a Mount Olympus of dog-show gods—“god” is, after all, “dog” spelled backward—whose favorite form of entertainment is lobbing disappointment and defeat to the leash-clutching mortals below. Instead of thunderbolts, these diabolical divinities rain down all the vagaries that test the soul of the purebred dog fancier: That once-in-a-lifetime sire that […]

Two Days, Two Bloodhounds, Two Best Juniors What a thrilling dog show weekend at the Terry-All Kennel Club dog show in Brighton, Colorado. The Juniors in my area are truly fabulous and most of them are my dog show friends. Honestly besides my family, the Juniors ring is where I get most of my support […]

The Road to Crufts by Lauren Hull “FIRST GOES TO THE IRISH SETTER!” I could not believe it when I heard the words….I had won Best Junior Handler at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.  We all work hard to get there…we all hope to win…and then when it happens, it is just unbelievable.  And, if you […]

Saturday, April 30, 2011 and Sunday, May 1, 2011 By Bonnie Hidalgo, AKC Executive Field Representative Saturday April 30 The Running was postponed until Sunday due to wet and dangerous riding conditions. Sunday May 1 FC/AFC MNL Rimrock's Desert Sand (Mac) GSP M Casten Pigman owner & handler DC/AFC Megasmoke Limited Edition (Ted) B M […]

THE FOLLOWING DOGS HAVE EARNED VCD TITLES ON THE DATES LISTED BELOW: Versatile Companion Dog 1 (VCD1) 1/11/2009. Muchado's Moonspun Magic VCD2 RE NAP NJP, RET-GOLD. Owned by: Susan C Bates of EARLYSVILLE, VA. 1/11/2009. Smack-Dab's Here For The Party VCD1 RN AX MXJ NJP OF, DOBE. Owned by: Mr. Dan F Faulkner/Mrs. Brenda H Faulkner of […]

Ways to Increase the Chance of TV News Coverage for Your Dog Show TV crews are eager to cover local stories and your hometown dog show easily fits the bill. Even if there may be a bigger dog show, your local show can serve as a lead-up, building anticipation toward larger shows. Luck sometimes plays […]

In recent years, responsible dog owners across the country have faced an increasing threat to their right to own and breed dogs. The concept of replacing the term animal "owner" with "guardian" in city codes was first introduced in San Francisco several years ago by an extreme animal rights group. Since then, several cities and […]

The Canine Legislation Department is currently monitoring numerous state bills proposing laws that would ban, restrict, or limit the practice of tethering dogs. AKC recognizes that under certain circumstances, responsible tethering is an appropriate method of containing a dog. As many of these bills severely restrict a dog owner’s right to responsibly tether an animal, many […]

The Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (PUPS) has been concurrently introduced in the US House of Representatives last week as H.R. 6949 and in the Senate as S.3519. The legislation will require that any breeder who sells more than 50 dogs per year direct to the public through internet sales or other outlets be inspected and […]

Two Minnesota Senate proposals, SF 7 and SF 201, each featuring different breeder regulation proposals, will be heard on Tuesday, January 27, by the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee. It is vitally important that all responsible dog breeders and owners in Minnesota attend Tuesday’s committee hearing to express their positions on these bills or […]