Riley peered through the tunnel, as if he were Alice about to tumble down the rabbit’s hole into Wonderland. Such a small space, such a big dog, it seemed impossible. Yet, on a bright, sunny Sunday morning in May, Riley’s trusted, well-loved human, Jay Cruz, was asking the 14-month-old Mastiff to squeeze his whole […]

Introduction to Autosomal Dominant Conditions Dogs have 78 chromosomes, or 39 pairs in each cell. Genes are located on these chromosomes, and they can have different genetic variants related to genes, known as alleles. Each gene also typically has 2 copies, one from the dam and one from the sire. The dam and sire randomly […]

A reader posed this question to us, so we dug into the American Kennel Club archives to give the answer: At least two dogs were aboard the Mayflower during the 66-day voyage from England to the New World. Thanks to journals kept by the Pilgrims, we know much about their early tribulations. But the historical […]

Dogs have long held a special place at monasteries worldwide. Here are just a few of the AKC-recognized breeds that have been particularly favored by monks.

Giant dogs are some of the hardest-working and most recognizable breeds. But because many of them maintain the strong working instincts and drive they were bred for, they can be a lot to handle. Here are some things to keep in mind if you're considering adding one to your family. In This Article Slow-Maturing Giants […]

The most popular dog breeds of the 1880s were led by sporting and gundog breeds, with the English Setter holding the top spot.

Each AKC-recognized breed is assigned to one of seven groups. We're taking a closer look at the Working Group to see what these 32 breeds were bred to do.

In February 2021, Tibetan Mastiff breeders Dan Nechemias and his wife Lois Claus received the phone call that no breeder wants to hear. Waffle, a male puppy they sold to a new breeder in San Antonio, Texas three years ago, was one of several Tibetan Mastiffs seized in an animal neglect situation. The dog had […]

As you work up a sweat with your huge, loose-jointed Mastiff puppy, trying to hold up his mid-section while keeping all four of his feet pointed in the same direction, it’s not surprising you’ll watch the Doberman Pinscher handler with a touch of envy. The Dobe glides around the ring, head held high, then nails […]

Test for what is recommended for your breed. Order AKC DNA + Health Kit The AKC DNA Program recommends that breeders perform DNA tests that are relevant to their breed. The AKC DNA + Health Kit includes over 328 markers for health and traits, and every dog receives results for all tests. However, not all […]