With a joyful bark and bound, Philo, a 5-year-old Samoyed, pressed his shoulders against his padded harness. Behind him, a cart loaded with gray concrete cinder blocks slowly moved forward, as his handler called out, “Work, work, work.” On that day, Philo pulled a load of more than 1,800 pounds—winning the event at Doggie U […]

The Pointer is skilled at hunting birds and has adapted with the centuries. Here are some fascinating facts about this historic breed.

The Internet is full of advice on evaluating breeders, but there is almost nothing on how breeders view potential puppy buyers. Curious, I put together a questionnaire, and eleven breeders responded. Asked how they begin to weed out buyers, breeders agreed on the basics. The most critical requirement is that a buyer has the financial […]

What do you think of when you hear the word Poodle? For many, it’s an overdone diva—big hair, polished toenails, and a phony French accent. Poodles are often described as “froufrou” dogs, a slur that means prissy and high-maintenance. The image has been widely embraced, even in the wonderful world of Disney, where dogs are […]

Swarms of setters, hordes of herders, oodles of Poodles— with the seemingly endless variety of dogs gaiting around AKC show rings, you might assume every breed in creation is represented. Actually, hundreds of breeds from around the world are outside the AKC orbit. Here are just a few:   ESTRELA MOUNTAIN DOG Birthplace: northern Portugal Job […]

The Poodle, recognized by the AKC in 1887, did not make the top ten breeds until the 1950s, when it ranked number seven. This glamorous show dog and companion strutted into the number-one position in the 1960s and would become the first breed to hold the number-one crown for two consecutive decades. German Shepherd Dogs, […]

To perform in movies, musicals, and other live performances, dogs must be trainable, reliable, and predictable. One dog that comes to mind when many people think of dogs in theater is Sandy, the dog belonging to little orphan Annie. So what dog played Sandy? In the original 1977 Broadway production, Annie was played by an […]

Learn which types of lettuce are safe for dogs, how to serve it, and what risks to avoid when feeding them these leafy greens.

English painter Francis Barraud (1856 - 1924) was an honorable journeyman, an artist of talent but not genius. Yet in 1898, thanks to a typically curious terrier, he created an image more enduring than masterworks by many of his more celebrated rivals.Berraud s subject was his brother's faithful dog, Nipper, whose favorite pastime was peering […]

Spring is an incredibly busy season for those involved with canine legislation.  As it currently stands, thirty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are still in session, and AKC GR is currently tracking more than 2,000 bills across the United States. Positive, fact-based messaging is a tangible reminder to legislators of the value that fanciers, […]