Although many dogs find visiting the vet scary, it doesn't have to be a negative experience! Here's how to make your puppy's first vet visit great.

By AKC GoodDog! Helpline Trainer Hilarie Erb Many new puppy owners are alarmed when their pup explores the world by tasting every new thing they find. Grass, dirt, sticks, rocks, mulch – nothing is off limits! This is normal behavior. Many animal babies, humans and puppies included, put things in their mouths to find out […]

All puppies need socialization—that is, the introduction to new sights, sounds, smells, people, places, and textures—to help them grow to be confident, self-assured adult dogs. This process is especially important for working dogs, like guide dogs for visually impaired individuals. Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, Florida, which breeds and trains guide dogs, takes this process very seriously. […]

I got a new puppy and am constantly being told not to let him do things he likes to do, like tussle with other puppies, play tug-of-war, eat treats, and jump on the furniture. Is this true? I don’t want him to get hurt, but he needs to enjoy life! Puppies roughhoused long before they […]

Shari and Kevin Curran have a very busy lifestyle in rural Texas, but somehow a charismatic Pug, named Lionel, has managed to become the centerpiece of their lives. The couple, who live on 80 acres in Canton, Texas, 60 miles east of Dallas, own horses, miniature horses, a pot-bellied pig, alpaca goats, chickens, and, of […]

For the first three to four weeks of puppies’ lives, meal time is not a hard job for breeders. But once those puppy teeth erupt, many Moms avoid nursing, plus growing puppies need more nutrition. Breeders must decide when to start weaning litters and what to feed them during the transition from Mom’s milk to […]

During the holidays, Tractor Supply Company is bringing you and your pups the best in chew toys! Providing your litter with a variety of toys is a great way to enrich their playtime. Through play, puppies learn coordination, bite inhibition, and important social skills. Tractor Supply Company has you covered with every sort of play […]

The other day, Molly and I were working the puppies through Tractor Supply. As I got out Pitter Patter, an older woman was in the parking lot with a German Shepherd puppy. Her puppy was showing obvious aggression toward the Malinois puppy, so I moved quickly and got the pup in a routine of following […]

AKC is published bi-monthly. It is not available on any newsstand. Subscribe now and be on the mailing list for the very next issue! One year (6 issues) of AKC is only $9.95. SUBSCRIBE NOW! See a sneak peak of the September/October 2017 issue: The Puppy Issue When Bulldogs Fly They have a surprising repertoire […]

Rescue Pup Uses Her Nose to Keep America Safe  Beagle-mix Millie was seeking a new home through a rescue group when the US Customs and Border Patrol found the energetic pup and put her to work with its Beagle Brigade. Now Millie is employed at the Miami (FL) International Airport, stopping contraband from entering the country. Read on to […]