“She’s my Iranian princess,” says a 23-year-old smiling Angelina Johnson, while cuddling 72-pound Honey following an obedience class. “She has blossomed into my best friend and partner,” adds Johnson, a 23-year-old Washington state resident who rescued the dog from Saving Great Animals, a Seattle-based pet-rescue organization, in February.  Originally named Hannah, the dog came from […]

When the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting happened nearly 10 years ago, my town was in shambles, unable to comprehend why we lost 20 children and six educators to gun violence. As a senior in nearby Newtown High School, just a mile from the elementary school, I was in lockdown for two hours in my […]

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 […]

This article originally appeared in the summer 2013 issue of the AKC Canine Partners News. Since that time, Diesel, now 4 years old, has added many other achievements, including earning the top AKC Rally title of Rally Advanced Excellent. His full name is now Tennessee Diesel Smoke CD BN GN RAE CGCA. The pointers and […]

Rayne, a Belgian Malinois-Labrador mix, is the first dog in the country to earn the Air Retrieve Senior Excellent title from the North America Diving Dogs association (NADD). She achieved this “first” on April 15, 2016,  in Perry, GA, at a NADD competition held as part of the Peach Blossom Dog Show circuit. Air retrieve […]

  MACH Two Minutes for Ruffing MXB MJS NAP NJP XF TKN owned by Linda Arnold of Butler, PA  Brooks was adopted from a local shelter in 2010 at 7 months old, when he “picked” Linda during a visit. He was there because of a hardship surrender due to a family move. “His shelter name […]

Gander Raises Awareness of Service Dogs’ Healing Magic     When the 2014 winners of the AKC Humane Fund Awards of Canine Excellence (ACE) were presented at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championships, the roll call included a former shelter dog who almost lost his life and a military veteran who nearly took his own life. Gander […]

  [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 […]

Meet Keslyn Kampschroeder: From Basic Training to Competing in Portugal Keslyn began training her family’s dogs at an early age. When they brought home a rescue who urgently needed help with his manners, Keslyn got busy right away. This led to an interest in dog sports, and watching Crufts Agility competition inspired her to get […]

Article Complements of Purina Pro Plan The AKC Agility League has just turned 3 years old. Its triple birthday is a nod to the launch of the pilot season in 2022 and coincides with plans to add an Invitational in 2026 and to recognize the most-improved competitors starting with the Spring-Summer 2025 season. The fast-growing, popular team […]