Socializing puppies has traditionally been considered the responsibility of the new owner. We instruct them to take the puppy to classes and make sure they are exposed to a variety of people and situations. But more research shows that encouraging a stable temperament can start even before puppies are born. Breeders can do a lot […]

As any attendee can attest to, AKC's eighth annual Meet the Breeds event was a day full of excitement, education, and of course, fun. There were big dogs, small dogs, and even cats! Piers 92 and 94 were abuzz with talks of agility, responsible pet ownership, and of course, people deciding which breed was their […]

"Young people are the future of our sport. There is no future if we don’t get the youngsters involved in as many aspects as possible," says Sue Goldberg, member of Somerset Hills Kennel Club and mastermind behind the first AKC Juniors Ring Steward Apprentice Program. The idea came to Goldberg at a regular Somerset Hills […]

If you're reading this...you're probably someone who loves animals, especially dogs. And at AKC's eighth annual Meet the Breeds event, Piers 92 and 94 were packed full with dog lovers of all kinds. Families, breeders, agility competitors, and more all came out to NYC to meet different dog and cat breeds and work together to […]

Every dog owner's worst nightmare is for their dog to go missing. Things were even worse for the O'Daniel family of Illinois when they lost their dog, Tuscy, after a tornado struck their town. Despite the family's tornado tragedy, they received a "glimmer of hope" from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office. Only hours after Tuscy […]

Dog owners want the best for their furry best friend and in recent years, businesses have capitalized on the money people are willing to spend. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), Americans spent 66.75 billion dollars in 2016 alone. That's a solid chunk of change. With the 21st-century tech surge, tech companies have […]

By now, I’m certain you’re sick of presidential politics and want this election to be over. Enter a welcome distraction: "Secret Service Dogs: The Heroes Who Protect the President of the United States" by Maria Goodavage, a New York Times bestseller. This insightful read serves up plenty of brief, punchy slices of dog life that […]

She radiates joy, but it’s her fighting spirit that defines the heart of a 13-week-old German Wirehaired Pointer that is about to embark on a coast-to-coast flight to a new home. Appropriately, Joy is her name. And, adds her breeder, Laura Reeves, of Grants Pass, Ore., “This is the case of the right dog at […]

Make no mistake about it, dog sport competitors are no different than finely tuned human athletes. These dogs long to get in the ring and give it their best, while performing in concert with their handlers. In the process, doggy dynamics are accented with plenty of psychological gymnastics. If ever there was a prototype for […]

  Few dogs are suited to life as a service dog, whether it’s as a guide dog for the visually impaired, a medical alert dog, or a psychiatric service dog. Therefore, service dog organizations need to be very particular about which dogs enter their programs. Despite that, many of the dogs that enter service dog […]

In early February, the U.S Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which oversees implementation of federal Animal Welfare Act regulations and pet breeder/dealer licensing announced it was removing certain documents from its online databases for review appending litigation and to ensure full compliance with privacy requirements. Almost immediately, the statement created […]

As recent history has shown, many anti-breeder animal rights extremists continuously advocate for incremental breeding and sales restrictions that they hope will eventually lead to outright bans on all animal breeding and ownership.  They collectively consider all breeders and pet stores as substandard and inherently not interested in practicing or promoting animal welfare.  These politically-aware […]

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 […]

Since 2012, the AKC Government Relations team has hosted Conferences on Canine Legislation for AKC legislative liaisons and state federation leaders. The popular biennial conference brings together in Raleigh, North Carolina, grassroots leaders from across the country -- from as far as Hawaii to Maine Raleigh, North Carolina for two days of training and networking. […]

Atlanta, GA – The American Kennel Club (AKC) honored Georgia Senator Bill Heath with the AKC Legislator of the Year Award on January 12, 2017 in recognition of his dedication to protecting the wellbeing of dogs and the rights of responsible dog owners and sportsmen. The AKC Legislator of the Year award honor legislators who demonstrate […]

In last November’s election, we saw a fair amount of misuse of the term “animal rights” and even outright support for “animal rights” by candidates that otherwise seemed to support the human-animal connection, kindness to animals, and proper care of animals based on sound science. Policymakers know semantics matter. We urge every policymaker and their […]

The Las Vegas, Nevada City Council is expected to consider reversing its pet sales restriction at its Wednesday, November 1st meeting. Area residents are strongly encouraged to contact the Las Vegas City Council to support Bill 2017-40, which would repeal the law prohibiting pet shops from selling or disposing of dogs, cats or potbellied pigs […]

AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  |  Day 8 Day 9  |  Day 10  |  Day 11  |  Final Day  |  In Conclusion Photo Coverage   Historically the sport of field trialing has its roots in southern quail hunting. The first pointing breed field trials in American were held near Memphis TN in 1874. The area is […]

Chapter 1: Planning For an event to be successful, a great deal of planning is involved. The first organizational meeting is a time to consider many things. SCOPE The first consideration is the scope of your Test/Trial. Be realistic. Will your event draw club members only? Is your area one with a large number of […]

Chapter 3 A. First Meeting: First organizational meeting select/elect Chairperson and each committee's leadership. Determine scope of event and necessary work force. Make a list of preferred judges, possible event facilities, dates and livestock contractors. Timeline 12 to 18 months prior to event: Have organizational meeting B. Chairperson: Communication is important to conducting a successful […]