A Bolognese Breeder for over 10 years, Ikuko Hisaka fell in love with the breed as soon as she first held a Bolognese puppy in her arms.

AKC Breeder of Merit Gold Kristin Cihos-Williams of Kinderteckel Standard Smooth Dachshunds has been involved in the breed since 1992. When she and her family bought their first home in San Diego, California, they were restricted by their homeowners’ association rules to a 25-pound-dog. Kristin wanted a big dog personality in a small dog body […]

At a recent dog show, a dog of another toy breed entered the ring, and he had a very obvious marking that his breed standard calls an “extremely serious fault.”  A very longtime breeder of this breed was showing him. What was the breeder thinking?  Was he making points? Was he hoping the judge didn’t […]

The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (Pequeno) is a small, robust, and rustic breed, originally from Portugal. They are smart, lively dogs that make willing watchdogs while serving as your companion. These natural rabbit hunters are members of the Hound Group, and they will hunt alone or in a small pack. The Pequeno is a national breed […]

If your dog is in pain, you'll likely be looking for ways to help relieve it. Drug-free, at-home pain relief methods are a great way to help ease pain.

AKC Canine Health Foundation study examines how cryopreservation affects sperm quality. Findings show that frozen sperm measured lower than fresh in key categories. Cryopreservation has especially deleterious effects on older dogs' semen. While artificial insemination (AI) is commonly used in canine breeding, there is still much to learn about how sperm characteristics, including cryopreservation, accurately predict dog fertility following […]

Originally published in the AKC Gazette: The Harrier, Beagle, and English Foxhound are all the same ancestrally, but were developed for different game. This resulted with the slower-moving, superbly nosed Beagle at one extreme and the hard-running English Foxhound, who often overran its nose, at the other. The Harrier, as in most things, was right […]

  If you've ever seen a Dock Diving event, it's certainly an experience you won't forget. But did you know that Dock Diving is a relatively new dog sport? The sport was officially recognized by the AKC in 2014 and since then, over 6,000 dogs have jumped on in. We got a special inside look […]

It's a given: Most athletes sustain injuries at some point in their careers. Some recover relatively quickly, but for others, it can take much longer to overcome a temporary setback like this. Dogs are no different. Take, Valkyrie, for instance. The Swedish Vallhund, owned by Whitney Heiken, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, wasted no time getting back […]

When it comes to planning a litter, most breeders agree on a few things. They want to increase conception rates, maximize litter size, and produce quality puppies -- all with the safety of the bitch of the utmost importance. These days, there are many ways for breeders to achieve their goals. While natural breeding may […]