Veterans undoubtedly are heroes who selflessly serve our country, but many people don’t realize what these brave men and women go through when their duty concludes. Many return home suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and struggle to ease back into a “normal" day-to-day routine, even with their friends and family. This can become even […]

At this year's Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., a float featuring surfing dogs set the world record for longest and heaviest float in Tournament of Roses Parade history. The float, The Lucy Pet's Gnarly Crankin' K-9 Wave Maker, was 125 feet long and weighted 148,250 pounds, reports the laist. A contributing factor to the massiveness […]

Despite a very rainy weather forecast — not to mention the potential of Hurricane Joaquin bearing down on the Northeast within a few days — crowds of people and dogs descended on Somerset, New Jersey, on October 1 for the Morris & Essex Kennel Club’s spectacular 2015 outdoor dog show. A revival of the lavish events […]

An event such as the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin offers an amazing opportunity to meet the many breeds competing in the ring. This year, the AKC Meet the Breeds individual booths represented more than 100 breeds. Like every breed, and, in fact, every dog, every booth is truly unique. Each breed club […]

With so many events going on at the AKC National Championship Dog Show Presented by Royal Canin, how do you choose which ones to attend? Since 2014, a new exciting event has been added, and if you've never witnessed the intensity, grace, and sheer joy of a dog leaping off a dock to retrieve a favorite […]

Once again, the Labrador Retriever took Houston’s top spot in the 2016 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. The Labrador Retriever was also recognized as the #1 pup in the country, along with multiple cities including Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Denver to name a few. The French Bulldog jumped two spots […]

Even though we give our dog a name, many times we also give them a nickname, as well. "Sammy" gets shortened to "Sam," for example. Similarly, Labrador Retrievers are often called Labs, just as Golden Retrievers are called "Goldens." But did you know that some breeds have special nicknames? These nicknames were crafted especially for […]

Cleo and Gwen Blake practice at Family Dog Training Center in Kent, Wash., a Seattle suburb. “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect,” says Blake. “And we need plenty of that.” Photo courtesy Kathy Lang. For Gwen Blake, it’s back to basics every time she steps into the obedience and rally rings with her […]

The annual AKC Breeder of the Year award honors those breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs. This year, Helyne E. Medeiros was presented with the 2017 AKC Breeder of the Year award for her Seasyde Pointers at the […]

Every year in conjunction with the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin the general public is given the exciting opportunity to meet (and more importantly, play with!) over 100 different dog breeds at AKC Meet the Breeds. Attendees get the opportunity to learn about the different breeds and find out which dog might be […]

Now that all of the Best of Breed Group Winners have officially been named, we're one step closer to crowning this year's AKC National Championship Best in Show champion! In case you missed our Group Finals livestreams on AKC.org, here's a recap of all of the commendable canines who will be competing for this year's […]

It's the moment we've all been waiting for! After an incredible competition, GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker" was named Best in Show at the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. "Striker" triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize in addition to the […]

It's been an exciting weekend so far at the AKC National Championship. The competition is only heating up as the big prize, Best in Show will be decided Sunday, Dec. 17. Check out the results from Saturday's group winners, who will compete for the coveted title. Group Winners from Saturday, Dec. 16 After winning Best […]

Each year, we are proud to recognize and celebrate the men and women who dedicate their lives to improving the health, temperament, and quality of purebred dogs. These breeders are the heart of our organizations and they deserve to be recognized for their incredible work. One breeder is chosen from each of the seven groups […]

We've done it again. In the 17th year of the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin the event has drawn record entry numbers. An entry of 4803 dogs will compete for the title of National Champion on December 16 and 17, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Combined with the other weekend events including the inaugural […]

Movement involves every part of a dog’s construction, and because no two breeds move exactly alike, the study of movement can be a life’s work. Expert breeders and anatomists have written shelves full of books on the subject, and gifted photographers and filmmakers have documented canine locomotion in minute detail. Here, then, are just a […]

If your apartment seems to be missing something — such as an adorable furry friend to meet you at the door at night — then maybe a dog is in your future. But is your home truly worthy of a pooch? If your quarters are tight and you lack a yard where your canine could […]

Helyne E. Medeiros Named 2017 AKC Breeder Of The Year -Award Presented at AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin- Helyne E. Medeiros was presented with the 2017 AKC Breeder of the Year award for her Seasyde Pointers at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin on Saturday, December 16, 2017.  The annual award […]

COCKER SPANIEL “STRIKER” WINS BEST IN SHOW AT LARGEST EVER AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROYAL CANIN National Champion Beats Dogs from 50 States and 44 Countries   GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as “Striker” triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize, a paw print pendant […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2017 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees. “The breeders honored with this award are truly committed to excellence, consistency, breed standard and type,” said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and CEO.  “They […]