Owner Ignores Advice that Dog Can’t Compete and Takes Her All the Way to Rally Nationals When Lorena Padron spotted Tinker Bell in the Houston Humane Society shelter, the little dog immediately stood out. She was wagging her tail and doing her best to say “Look at me. I am so cute!” Lorena adopted Tinker […]

AKC GoodDog! Helpline trainer Christie Canfield, who teaches therapy dog classes and works with service dogs, explains the difference in therapy dogs and service dogs. A question we are frequently asked at the AKC GoodDog! Helpline is 'Can I train my dog to be a therapy or service dog?'  The difference is often confusing, yet the […]

How are you spending the holiday weekend with your best buddy? This cute little mixed-breed guy, named Buddy, is sporting his red, white and blue bandana, in this photo shared by his owner Jeanette Templeton. Watch for more cute photos this week of our Canine Partner members in their patriotic gear. Learn how you and […]

 Gabe RN THDD CGC, owned by Joyce Kilgard of Coal Valley, IL, was a natural therapy dog from day one. He was already certified and started working at age 1 year. He recently earned the AKC Distinguished Therapy Dog award (THDD) for making more than 400 visits.  Eleven-year-old Gabe is a very special dog who […]

Dog trainer Brian Burton rescued Sammy and recognized his extreme intelligence which has been channeled into amazing performances in AKC Rally. Enjoy this video of one of Sammy’s perfect score AKC Rally trials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjvQn54xZH0 Read more about Sammy's story: It was nearly Christmas 2009 when the New York City Animal Control picked up the terrier […]

The dog community is a big place, but so is the LGBTQ+ community! Make an effort to be kind to others, and stand up for others when you can.

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 […]

What is your name? Spencer Pardee How old are you? 16 years old What state do you live in? Michigan What breed(s) do you compete with? Standard Poodles What sport(s) do you compete in with your dog(s)? Tracking, obedience, rally, field, and agility How did you become involved with this sport? I became involved with […]

AKC Urban CGC Test as a Public Access Test AKC Urban CGC is a title in the Canine Good Citizen family of awards and titles that also include AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen and AKC Community Canine. AKC Urban CGC requires that the dog demonstrate CGC skills and beyond in a setting that includes […]

Judging Responsibilities Responsibilities of judges include working with the club to plan the test, approving the layout of the course, directing the helpers re: the placement of blinds and distractors, and completing the required online Test Summary Form within 7 days after the test so that titles can be issued. The club or judge will determine […]