2022 | 2019 | 2018 The second AKC US Detection Dog Conference was a success with a capacity attendance. Internationally known subject matter experts delivered thought provoking presentations that covered the breeding, training and deployment of Explosives Detection Canines as well as discussions on the domestic shortage of these amazing dogs. Thank you to the […]

2022 | 2019 | 2018 November 20, 2020 The AKC Detection Dog Task Force invites you to learn more about the AKC Patriotic Puppy Program (PPP) and updates on phase 2 of this detection dog puppy raising program. The online event will take place Wednesday, Nov. 4th at 7:30pm ET. Program features include: Meet expert […]

The AKC board of Directors formed the AKC Detection Dog Task Force in 2016 to explore and implement solutions to the shortage of American-bred explosives detection dogs. Currently, the demand for US-bred and born detection dogs far exceeds available supply, while reliance on foreign-bred sources introduces many risks. The US government currently purchases 80-90% of […]

June 2013.  I was settling in for the evening with my two Golden Retrievers who had just enjoyed a fun weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains at an obedience trial.  Before the night was over, I would find myself with one less golden as a result of bloat. That tragic loss began the journey that […]

This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of the AKC Canine Partners News newsletter Cooper is an agility superstar. It barely took him a month to go from Novice to the most advanced level of AKC agility – Excellent. But then the then-8-year-old mixed-breed dog suffered a back spasm that took him out […]

Rocket is ready for Thanksgiving with his stuffed turkey toy, holiday bandana and pumpkin perch. The Border Collie-Australian Shepherd mix will likely get a few hand-outs at the Thanksgiving meal prepared by his mom, Janet Hatfield of Boise, ID, but he will run those calories right off. Rocket is an accomplished agility competitor who loves […]

Sheila Dempsey of West Virginia, owner and trainer of multi-talented All-American Dog - He's A PatchWork Puppy CD BN GN RAE OAP OJP OFP (also known as Patches) tells us how to teach your dog to Back Up – one of the exercises required at the AKC Rally Excellent level and one that many Rally […]

Imagine a mild sedative before leaving home, a bandana sprayed with calming scents, a bunch of bacon snacks, and skipping the hour-long frenzy in the waiting room. From classical music wafting across the sign-in desk to licking peanut butter off the wall to act as a distraction from getting a shot, your dog’s typical freak-out […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) hosted a U.S. Detection Dog Conference February 28 – March 1.  The purpose of this conference was to discuss the pressing need for a U.S.-based national breeding program for explosives detection dogs.  A majority of dogs procured by government agencies come from Eastern Europe, and the increasing global demand for […]

"100 percent permanently and totally disabled." That's how 75-year-old Jack Cotter is classified by the Navy. The veteran served on submarines from 1965-1970 and over the years, he suffered multiple serious injuries. Once, another crew member opened a hatch and the pressure broke the vertebrae in his upper back. In a later accident, he fractured […]