After starting at 10-years-old, Junior Handler Delana Eschenbach is a 13-year-old from Ohio, who will be participating in the 2023 AKC Rally National Championship.

Any dog can learn and perfect new tricks, and trick training is becoming more popular with both pet owners and experienced dog sports competitors. AKC Trick Dog is a great way to bond with your dog and provide your pet with mental and physical exercise.

AKC is monitoring several bills impacting dog owners in California. Below are a few highlights in advance of the June 2 deadline for legislation to advance out of the chamber where it was introduced. To see the complete list visit the AKC legislative action center at www.akcgr.org  and/or the AKC legislative tracker.  AKC Government Relations […]

This year 89 junior handlers from around the country have come to New York with their dogs to compete in the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show....

A typical year for the Towell family means having their kids qualify for Westminster Juniors. Meet this year's participants, Bevin and Fenric Towell.

You might have a dog you've dreamed of showing in a Conformation event, but how do you know when they're ready to compete for the first time? You can set your dog up for success by getting them used to the noise and busy atmosphere of a show. You can also train and socialize your […]

How to teach new owners excited to show the ins and outs of Conformation, when a dog is ready to show, and the many AKC dog sports they can enjoy

Here's what questions to ask before sending your dog out in a dog hiking group and how to know if your dog is a good fit for dog hiking groups.

Not every child is eager to follow in their family's footsteps. But third-generation owner-handlers Taylor and Cameron Johnson are keen to make their marks in the dog show world. These Junior Handlers from Colorado Springs, Colorado, work with Old English Sheepdogs and Bouvier des Flandres, which their parents and paternal grandparents also breed, show, and […]

AKC is monitoring several bills impacting dog owners in California. Below are a few highlights, including three bills with upcoming hearings, and three pending bills that could use comments of support. To see the complete list visit the AKC legislative action center at www.akcgr.org  and/or the AKC legislative tracker.  AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will […]

"Going to the dogs" has a whole new meaning for Karen Scheiner, who practiced law for three decades but fell in love with dog sports along the way.

Fourteen-year-old Lexie Littlefield from Rhode Island first learned about training dogs from YouTube videos. Now, after only competing since 2021, she's making her mark on the dog world as a Junior Handler with her Golden Retrievers.

AKC continues to monitor several bills impacting dog owners in Washington state. Below are the latest updates, along with contact information if you wish to comment on any of these measures. AKC GR will continue to provide individual updates and alerts when necessary. Bills in Washington State Legislature: House Bill 1012 – Addressing the response […]

The winners of the 2023 AKC Diving Dogs Challenge were crowned in each of the three disciplines: Air Retrieve, Distance Jumping and Hydro Dash.

Find out how to tune in to the 2023 AKC Diving Dogs Challenge and what the canine sport of Diving Dogs is all about.

Eighteen-year-old Dea Godlevsky has just recently aged out of junior showmanship, but she's made her mark on the sport with her achievements as a Junior Handler.

Here are the winners of the 2023 AKC Flyball Dog Challenge, presented by Tractor Supply Company. The event broadcasted on March 25 on ESPN2.

The only thing more exciting than watching a dog chase after a tennis ball is watching multiple dogs race against each to bring a ball through an obstacle course in a relay race. Eight Flyball teams gathered over two days, February 25 and 26, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida for the ultimate […]

The fast-paced sport of dog agility has rapidly grown to become one of the most popular dog events. Agility captivates spectators of all ages—regardless of how much they know about dogs and dog training—and it's even more fun to play. The Beginning of Dog Agility Dog agility's roots go back to the United Kingdom and […]

From March 16 through 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, top canine competitors from across the country will gather for the 2023 National Agility Championship at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex at Expo Square. Many people may not be familiar with Agility competitions, where dogs navigate through an obstacle course while racing against the clock. Even […]

If you’ve ever watched an agility competition, you know it’s basically a canine obstacle course. The dog must run through tunnels, leap over jumps, and weave through poles. But the dog isn’t working alone – this is a sport of exquisite teamwork. A successful run requires taking each obstacle in a certain order, and the […]

Friday, March 3, was the crossover deadline in the Montana Legislature for policy focused legislation, meaning bills that do not have a revenue component must have advanced out of their house of origin to remain eligible for advancement. Below is list of bills the AKC has been monitoring and their statuses. Bills in Montana State […]

Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the Maine Committee on the Judiciary will accept public testimony on LD 888, to Allow Use of Courthouse Facility Dogs by Criminal Justice Agencies for Criminal Justice Purposes. The bill would (1) adopt definitions; (2) establish training requirements; and (3) authorize trained dogs to accompany a witness in courtroom appearances and […]

The deadline has passed for bills to be introduced in the California state Legislature. AKC is monitoring several bills impacting dog owners in California. Below are a few highlights. To see the complete list visit the AKC legislative action center at www.akcgr.org  and/or the AKC legislative tracker.  AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will continue to […]

To borrow a popular phrase, Eli isn’t a one-trick Poodle, nor does he hide a thing. Right now, the Miniature Poodle and his 68-year-old owner, Leslie Gelesh, of Akron, Ohio, are at the top of their game after winning the 2021 American Kennel Club Trick Dog Competition with a dazzling six-minute routine called “Batman Furever.” […]

We pay homage to some of history's most indomitable female dogs. They went above and beyond (in one case, literally) in service to humankind. Strelka and Belka Years before Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman cosmonaut in space, two other females blazed a trail. On August 19, 1960, the two mixed-breed dogs were aboard the […]

Hadley George of Utica, Ohio took third place junior handler at last year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. As a third-generation dog person Hadley...

Showing dogs—the formal term for it is “Conformation”—is a sport. Like any football game or tennis match, dog shows have rules, too. But folks who sit on the sidelines can easily become bewildered if they don’t understand how guidelines apply to the game at hand. Whether you’re taking aim at a fastball or trotting with […]

Ivy the Chihuahua may be tiny, but she is a survivor. Rescued from a dumpster as a puppy, the eight-and-a-half-year-old dog is a true Renaissance pup. Owned by Rockford, Illinois, resident Jennifer Walker, Ivy has earned over 40 titles as an AKC Therapy Dog and canine athlete. Bringing Ivy Home In 2014, Walker and her […]

Need a break from the big game this Sunday? On Sunday, February 12, ESPN will offer up a mood-boosting alternative to football: four hours of dogs! The action begins at 6 p.m. ET when ESPN2 airs the AKC Agility Dog Invitational. At 8 p.m. ET, the action continues on ESPN with highlights from the AKC National […]