Obedience trials demonstrate the dog’s ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring and emphasize the usefulness of the dog as a companion to humankind. The objective of obedience trials is to recognize dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs […]

Warrior Ancestors Many canine historians believe that huge, fierce Molossian dogs, kept by the Ancient Greeks, were brought to British shores by Phoenician traders in the sixth century BC and became the ancestors of the early mastiff-type dogs. These canine giants were used as dogs of war. Julius Caesar, in his account of the Roman […]

This article appears in the November/December issue of AKC Family Dog Magazine. If you tuned into the livestream of the AKC Agility League Championship, you may have spotted a spunky young Poodle in the novice class. Tribute jumped, weaved and tunneled with joy, and his handler Lyndsay Klemens looked just as happy to be running […]

by Lynn Leach When can I start teaching my pup to herd? Can I enter this clinic - my pup is five months old? I know she isn't ready, but is there something I can start working on? These are all very good questions I hear repeatedly. I also hear many incredibly varied answers. Herding […]

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.

Kol, a Grand Champion Bronze Golden Retriever, is one of five, loyal companion dogs who won the 19th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). The winners will be honored at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin in Orlando, Florida, December 15-16, 2018. There is a reason Jane Eisenberg has labeled […]

At 7 months old, Weimaraner “Gauge,” a Weimaraner, launched herself off the front of a pontoon boat into the water below. She jumped without hesitation, much to the delight of her owners, Anna and Chris Brown. “My husband always wanted a dog so he could jump off the boat and have the dog follow, and she did,” Anna says.   It wasn’t long before they started taking Gauge to dock diving events in […]

As all dog breeders know, you’re only as good as your latest generation. After all, those promising newbies are the ones on which you build your future. The sport of dogs is governed by the same principle: Newcomers in all venues — from conformation to obedience to agility, not to mention breeding — are vitally […]

Meet Allison Coolidge: Dog Training is her World Name: Allison Coolidge Age: 17 Hometown: Stuart, FL Grade: 11th Family: Parents, Jeannie and Rick; sister, Melissa, and brother, Ryan Allison was 9 years old when her family adopted Dharma -- Allison’s first dog. They started training for agility using furniture in the house, until Allison’s father […]

  [accordion] [accordion_panel title="2026"] Inside the Discussion: Comparing Multiple Approaches to Detection Dog Breeding and Training May 19, 2026 The AKC Detection Dog Task Force recently hosted a lively webinar featuring Tim Baird, Bart Rogers, and Stacey West, moderated by Sheila Goffe, on the many approaches to breeding, raising, and training future detection dogs. One […]