We have all heard the heartbreaking stories: A child brutally attacked by a dog. A beloved family pet or a farmer’s livestock killed or injured by a stray dog. Such stories are far too common, and everyone agrees our communities must be protected from dangerous animals. When faced with this dilemma, many public officials […]

  Purebred dogs are purpose-bred dogs and come in all shapes and sizes. The characteristics that make each of these dogs unique also help them perform the function for which they were bred. The physical appearance of the dogs illustrates this, and is also an important part of the breed’s history. For example, the thick […]

  Long before Jane Lynch rose to fame for her role as the loud-mouthed, plotting cheerleading coach in the hit TV series, Glee, she proved herself as an all-out dog lover in the film Best in Show. Recently, she sat down with the team at The Honest Kitchen to talk about her Lhasa Apso, Olivia, […]

  Dog lovers had the chance to see teams of police K-9s show off their skills at the second annual Western Connecticut Police K-9 Challenge. This family-friendly event, held on Saturday, October 8th, was hosted by the Newtown Kennel Club as a fundraiser for Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard (2GHG). The charity event raised funds […]

  Ohio police are mourning the loss of one of their K9 officers after a shootout during an attempted robbery. Saturday morning, police in Canton, Ohio, responded to a call of an alarm at a grocery story. When they arrived, the suspect opened fire, striking their K9 officer Jethro three or four times. The public […]

By Anne Bowes: What is involved in creating a breeding line? Here are some observations gleaned from a lifetime of trying Totally dedicate oneself to the pursuit. The lives of breeders revolve around the reproductive cycles of their bitches and the requirements of their puppies. Many other normal human activities are subjected to these considerations […]

In the future, might more dog breeders take advantage of technology to predetermine the sex of puppies in a litter? In mammals, the male determines the sex of an offspring, while the female determines the size of a litter by the number of eggs she drops that become fertilized. We have all heard that there […]

First AKC Spanish Water Dog Herding Titles Awarded August 22-23, 2008 - Battle Ground, WA Two Spanish Water Dogs wrapped up the first AKC herding titles, earning PT titles on sheep this weekend (August 22-23) at the All Breed Herding Club of Western Washington AKC herding trial at Brigand's Hideout, Battle Ground, WA. "Pink" (Ch. […]

By Joyce Norris I have been raising and leasing ducks for herding trials for about 6 years. Most judges and exhibitors say "They are the best ducks they have ever seen." This does take some work. My ducks work well in groups of 5. If a duck gets split off by a dog it will […]

by Joy Sebastian-Hall A factor that influences every facet of our daily lives is attitude. How well a thing is accomplished, how quickly it gets done, how a person feels about it, all boils down to attitude. Herding is a dog sport that can have radically different results depending on the attitude of a handler, […]

by Lori Herbel Judging a herding trial is a tremendous responsibility. Consistency and fairness are the top priorities of the day, and the ability to comfortably make sensible split second decisions under pressure is a necessity. In order to help carry out this responsibility, a judge needs a trustworthy assistant by his side that he […]

by Lori Herbel   Wouldn't it be nice if you went to a trial and knew what the judge was looking for? Many times exhibitors go to a trial and have no clue what's important to that judge, that day. Of course they all judge by the rules and regulations in the orange book, but […]

by Lori Herbel Planning a herding trial involves club members bringing a lot of small details together to form a complete and total package. Planning starts months in advance to hopefully ensure that the event runs smoothly and according to plan. There are, of course, the most obvious items that need to be lined up […]

by Lacey Herbel "Don't chew on that!" "Bad puppy! We don't potty inside!" "No! No! No! Stop barking!" When buying a new puppy, many people find that they don't come already trained. There are plenty of things that need to be tweaked before beginning training for a herding dog. Many times a new or even […]

There is often a difference between the show-type of herding breed dog and the non-show type. In my breed, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, the big winners in the conformation ring are often extreme examples of the breed and their exaggerated features lead me to believe they wouldn't be capable of doing a day's work. This […]

Most herding dogs are naturally fetching dogs. That is, they always want to bring the sheep towards the handler. Some herding dogs are naturally driving dogs. That is, they move sheep in any direction without regard to the location of the handler. A very few herding dogs are both naturally driving and fetching dogs. You'd […]

It looks so innocent. Three sides...a swinging gate....a quiet, empty, beckoning space... and a six foot rope. Why is it then, that sheep often hit an invisible barrier as they approach this inanimate object we call the free-standing pen? Why do they stop, lean back, then shy away and hesitate to enter? Could it be […]

Gripping can be a very controversial subject. I believe the answer is reflected in the kind of work the handler needs to complete and the urgency of the job. For example, some people may have a small herd or flock that has been trained to respect dogs. If a problem arises, they may have time […]

The Stop will be one of the most important commands a handler can teach their dog. The dog stopping in an exact spot can make the difference in accomplishing a chore correctly, winning or losing in a trial situation, or even saving a dog's life. Introduce the stop command to a dog away from stock. […]

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 […]

One of the most important elements of a trial revolves around the quality of the livestock. The AKC rulebook is very specific as to the suitability of stock and provides an in-depth description of the proper type of livestock for tests and trials. Livestock should be comfortable in the presence of both dogs and people, […]

The phrase "written standard" is a familiar one to those who are affiliated with the breed ring. In conformation, it is well known that a judge must be extremely knowledgeable about each breed standard before becoming approved to judge that breed. It is the judge's duty to compare each entry with the written breed standard, […]

  By: Stephanie Kennerley “Just how fast is my dog?” Many owners have found themselves wondering that at one time or another. The FAST CAT®, one of AKC’s newest events, offers an answer. Launched in March of 2016, the FAST CAT® is a variation on the Coursing Ability Test. In the FAST CAT®, dogs chase […]

By: Al Grounds DCNR has formed a user group committee and had their first meeting recently to receive input from the various groups and to form a working relationship. The beagle community was represented by Larry Dillard, Taylor Gilbert and the bird dog was represented by Rick Stalling Dane Harris and Jerry Champion. All cattle […]

Luis Neves and Betinho do Choupal -- Our Road to Master Hunter -- July 30, 2012 I was born in Portugal and spent my youth hunting with my father and our dogs. It was there that I developed my life-long love of hunting. I moved to America when I was 18 years old. I continued […]

Hunting Tests for Pointing Breeds were developed so people would have an opportunity to demonstrate a dogs ability to perform under actual hunting conditions. Judges should evaluate a dog's natural abilities as well as those traits obtained through training. Hunting Tests are for people of all ages, male and female and for dogs at least […]

Forms & Applications Corresponding Date Table Search for Clubs Find Events Learn about your dog's Point Progression Record Searchable Judges Directory Seminar Listings Register your Dog or Litter Online Other Title Recognition Programs Online Event Management System Participants with Disabilities How To Form a Dog Club If you have questions or need help using these online […]

by Senior Field Rep Tom Meyer January 1st, 2012 marked the entry of the Flat-Coat Retriever into the Spaniel Hunting Test program. The Spaniel Hunting test program is a demonstration of a breed's usefulness in finding, flushing and retrieving upland game. This is one of the functions for which the Flat-Coats were bred. This is […]

The AKC Grand Championships application is your online reference for the top dogs in every state, sorted by breed and by the number of points accumulated annually. Dogs are ranked by their points totals, and may appear in the listings for more than one state if their owners of record reside in multiple states. The […]

If you're in a dog club and want to more easily share information with potential new members about that club and how much fun it is for you and your dog, then the Club Outreach application is the part of the AKC website that makes that possible. Clubs of all kinds (typically All Breed, Local […]