As we continue to breed, show, and finish generations of our dogs over the years, it’s important that we never function on autopilot, participating in the sport mindlessly just because “it’s what we do every weekend.” The cancellation of shows over many months this year gave us a new appreciation of our passion. We learned […]

Linda Jarvis, an AKC Breeder of Merit, started breeding Airedale Terriers in 1984. A resident of New Bern, NC, Linda is a past president and current board member of the Airedale Terrier Club of America and is very active in the sport of dogs, attending seminars and judging. AKC: How did you get started in […]

Header photo courtesy of Norma Ryan, AKC Breeder of Merit The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is renowned for his unique appearance as well as his literary connection. This long-bodied, low-to-the-ground dog is a member of the Terrier Group and while he exhibits some typical terrier qualities, he also has some unique characteristics. During the late 1600s, […]

Searching for a new purebred puppy isn’t necessarily as easy as it seems. Sure, anyone can post an advertisement for healthy, purebred, AKC-registered puppies on sites like Facebook and Craigslist, but that doesn’t make them true. It is important for dog owners to know where exactly their new furry friend came from to ensure their […]

Kathy Clayton lives on 867 acres of wooded land in South West City, MO, at the corners of Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit - Gold and has bred Chitawee French Bulldogs  for 28 years and is a National French Bulldog Club of America nominee  for the AKC Sportsmanship Award. […]

Molly and Michael Nye, of M&M Bloodhounds, live just outside of Charlotte, N.C. Bloodhound fanciers for close to 20 years, they are members of the American Bloodhound Club, regional Bloodhound clubs, and local all-breed and obedience clubs. They are AKC Breeders of Merit, American Bloodhound Club Breeders of Merit, and they both hold offices and […]

  AKC Breeder Spotlight: Jennifer Young-Hopkins of Y-Farms Kennels Each month, the American Kennel Club (AKC) profiles breeders to hear about how they got started, their breeding program, and their experience with AKC Marketplace. We recently spoke with AKC Breeder of Merit Jennifer Young-Hopkins of Y-Farms Kennels in Zachary, La. Here, she answers questions about […]

Breeders want their puppies to live the best lives possible, which is why they take great care to raise each puppy right. From infancy, breeders provide their puppies with high-quality nutrition, socialization techniques, and – eventually - the best home. Breeders choose to invest time, love and resources, so why not invest a little extra protection during the time in a puppy’s life in which he’ll find the most trouble? Breeders are discovering the advantages of enrolling their puppies in pet insurance before they even leave for their new […]

Mary-Kay Schroeder of Bayswater Portuguese Water Dogs is an AKC Breeder of Merit who has been breeding PWDs since 1993. She lives in Cicero, Indiana, which is about 30 miles north of Indianapolis and on Morse Lake. Mary-Kay shows her dogs in conformation, agility, water, obedience, and scent work.   AKC: How did you get […]

From the Dalmatian Club of America breed column in the March 2016 AKC Gazette “I only breed for myself” is a phrase I’ve heard frequently over the years. It does sound rather noble: I’m not in it for the money, I’m not filling shelters with surplus dogs, and most importantly, I’m not a backyard breeder/puppy […]

AKC Breeder Spotlight: Julia Heidbrink of Buggytown Bird Dogs Each month the American Kennel Club profiles breeders to hear how they got started, their breeding program, and their experience with AKC Marketplace. We recently spoke with Julia Heidbrink of Buggytown Bird Dogs. Julia started breeding German Shorthaired Pointers about 10 years ago and today she […]

>While in training, Belgian Malinois Jax was taught to respond to commands in both Dutch and German. Jax was 18 months old at the time and was largely chosen due to his suitable temperament. As we saw with Nikko, correct temperament is a critical characteristic of a successful police dog. In the breed standard, the […]

AKC Breeder Spotlight: Amy Shaffer of Crivitz Standard Schnauzers Each month the American Kennel Club profiles breeders to hear how they got started and learn about their breeding program and their experience with AKC Marketplace. We recently spoke with AKC Breeder of Merit Amy Shaffer of Crivitz Standard Schnauzers. Amy originally started with Irish Setters […]

Deb Kidwell -Taylor lives in Sweetwater, TN, on three acres of fields and woods with her husband Ron and five Azawakh. Originally from Virginia, Deb has had Azawakh since 1989. She also raises super tall chickens known as Asian Fowl, jokingly calling them the “Azawakh of chickens.” She is an AKC Breeder of Merit and […]

As a child and young adult, Laura Haas helped her family breed German Shepherd Dogs. But it wasn't until an encounter later in life with a whole new breed that re-ignited Haas's love of producing beautiful purebred dogs. “In 2008 while at an AKC conformation show, I met a Black Russian Terrier for the first time," […]

Getting a dog should be a well-planned decision to ensure a lifelong commitment. Dogs are not objects that are returned if you change your mind because they have become too big, too energetic, or too time-consuming to care for properly. For the greatest chance for success, put forth the effort to find the best match […]

Nancy Wargas lives in Simpsonville, SC, where her primary focus is loving her seven Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, two cats, chickens and a parrot. She has raised Quarter Horses, sheep, goats, chickens and Anatolian Shepherd Dogs on Long Island, NY, and in Rowland, NC. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit, who has bred Anatolians since […]

Growing up on a farm, Adrienne Hales developed a love of raising animals at an early age. Her passion turned to pets at the age of 8 when she began breeding Teddy Bear Hamsters for her friends. Her dedication to detail included designing their playgrounds and building them with paper towel rolls. At age 12, […]

For more than 30 years, Mike Woodson has bred pure-bred dogs. He is an AKC Breeder of Merit, and his dogs have won many honors in conformation and performance events. Woodson often gives advice to people getting started in the dog fancy. An educator by profession, he could easily teach a course on breeding quality […]

Most of us put our all into producing fabulous puppies. We select breeding stock with care, emphasizing things like health clearances and temperament. We raise our pups in enriched pens and feed the best nutrition we can to sires, dams and pups. Yet we may be overlooking the importance of a key period in puppy […]

Barbara Lundy owns Patchwork Pet Resort in Marshall, Texas. She has traveled the world showing her champion Bedlington Terriers, but her true love is the Bichon Frise. She has spent her career caring, grooming, training, showing, boarding and breeding four-legged furry children. AKC: How did you get started in breeding dogs? Barbara: I began working with German Shepherds when I was 9 years old. My […]

When a puppy seems to be acting off, it helps to recognize the typical signs of good dog health. Here are the signs of a healthy puppy.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever Sienna Bay Watermark Dirk DM DS TKN TKI CGC, shows off one of his tricks that helped earn him the new AKC Intermediate Trick Dog title. Eleven-year-old Kya has had an impressive career that includes a conformation championship and rally titles. Being a veteran has limited some of her activities, but that […]

Each month, the American Kennel Club (AKC) profiles breeders to hear how they got started and learn about their breeding program and experience with AKC Marketplace. We recently spoke with Cathy Lewandowski of SoftMaple Curly-Coated Retrievers in Croghan, N.Y. Lewandowski is an AKC Breeder of Merit who has produced versatile, top-winning dogs. Lewandowski's love for […]

You’ve probably heard the philosophical question, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” AKC club members may wish to ponder a similar question, “If your club does great things for dogs, do your lawmakers know?” Positive publicity in the media and in […]

Dog lovers all over the US have reason to celebrate news from the NAIA, which reported recently that the number of dogs entering US shelters has dropped significantly over the past few decades to new lows. Digging deeper into the matter, NAIA also learned that only about three percent of dogs in our country’s shelters are purebreds. NAIA’s […]

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In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]

In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]

In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national […]