For years her Vizslas’ successes in dog sports have produced many smiles and good vibes for Cathy Cline, of North Hollywood, Calif., but those memories don’t compare to the unshakable happiness triggered by Friends and Vets Helping Pets (FVHP), the foundation she started in 2012. Yes, there have been plenty of hand-wringing, frustrating moments, too, […]

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 […]

Mom, Elizabeth Hoettels, and her best girl, Rio, are inseparable after work and on weekends. Photo courtesy Sweet Ventures by Nichole DuPont. Picture this for a moment. You're a military critical-care nurse, with a surgical team stationed in East Africa for several months, away from family, friends, and everything familiar. But the wonderful world of […]

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 […]

Since dogs are an important part of our lives, dogs are also an important part of our literature. They accompany us on our adventures and protect us from our adversaries. Sometimes, dogs are the stars of the stories. Here's a list of the most beloved dogs in literature: 1. Lassie Lassie is by far the […]

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 […]

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 […]

The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce the 2017 AKC European Open Junior USA team. These 23 junior agility handlers were selected from around the country and will represent the USA in Luxemborg July 14-16th. Led by head Coach Susan Cochran and Assistant Coach Kaitlyn Dreese, the team is comprised of members spanning over […]

LABRADOR RETRIEVER LEADS THE PACK AS MOST POPULAR  FOR 26TH YEAR

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, 2017. The 2017 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes […]