Meet teenager Sayward Kemp of Morgantown, WV, and her Beagle-mix, Keira, who compete in agility. We know you will enjoy the story of how Sayward committed to never giving up on her formerly scared, shy rescue puppy. It takes less than a minute for Sayward Kemp to run Keira through an agility course. The 18-year-old […]

Mix a high-drive Labrador with an active 8-year-old boy, and you cook up a mother looking for an outlet. Lucia Pink found it when her eyes landed on a newspaper advertisement for a Kids and Dogs Day Camp at the Imperial Polk Obedience Club. The camp ran for a week and Lucia thought it would […]

As a dog trainer, Karissa Solberg had worked with many different breeds and mixes. But she had never seen anything quite like the little dog that walked into her basic obedience class one night in 2008. The cute prick-eared canine looked like a miniature husky. “I was enthralled with the dog, and her owner was […]

This article originally ran in the “Training & Behavior” column of AKC Family Dog. Congratulations on entering your first rally trial! The hours of practice with your dog are about to pay off. Now all you have to do is stick with your plan for pre-show week and you’ll be good to go. Show Countdown: […]

Finding Tank was the most unexpected event. My husband, Pete, and I recently lost our beloved German Shepherd Dog, Wolf, to old age.  He was the dog that brought us together as a search team and then a married couple.  His passing left a huge hole in our lives and our pack. I hadn’t even […]

Scheduling Conformation Events General Questions Points Schedule Formulation Specialties Held With All-Breed and Group Shows Classes and Entries Submitting Results Awards and Titles Judges and Judging Junior Showmanship Sweepstakes Trophies, Prizes, and Ribbons Club Membership Upload Tool Scheduling Conformation Events AKC recommended Best Practices to hire and assign judges, leading to an efficient schedule. General […]

Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking.  Visit the 2015 Legislation Tracking page and click on your state to get the latest updates on state bills monitored by the AKC. Alabama — House Bill 261 seeks to restrict tethering of dogs and to establish minimum outdoor enclosure requirements of 100 square feet for up to […]

Step aside Dorothy and Toto! A new girl in ruby red slippers and a Cairn Terrier is here. Her yellow brick road? The conformation ring.

A major push for extreme anti-breeder groups seen in dozens of communities throughout the country is for local bills to ban the sale of pets at retail pet stores in that community and require pet stores to sell only “shelter or rescue pets.” On the face of it, this sounds like something that AKC and […]

Fighting Canine Cancer in Memory of Deuce  Amber Koerner received the 2022 AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Inspiration Award for her work to raise funds for canine cancer research. The Wisconsin resident organizes an annual walkathon in memory of her dog, Deuce, who she lost suddenly to cancer at age 7. She shares their story with […]