What’s better than owning a top-winning show dog? Simple: Breeding one. In theory, anyone can purchase a canine competitor: All you need is a checking account with enough zeroes in it. But it’s far more challenging to produce quality purebred dogs that are consistently sound, well tempered and typey — that is to say, that […]

According to a recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity (APOP), a whopping 59% of US dogs are overweight or obese.

Following two nights of challenging competition, GCHP CH Belle Creek's All I Care About Is Love, a Bichon Frise known as "Flynn," has been awarded the coveted Best in Show title at the 2018 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show presented by Purina® Pro Plan® at Madison Square Garden in New York on Feb. 13. The decision was made by […]

Cross-pollinating his customs and canine careers, Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann created the breed that today bears his name, the Doberman Pinscher.

In the 1700s, an ancient German breed, the Pinscher, contributed its genes to a new breed of small pinscher, which evolved into today’s Miniature Pinscher. Two centuries later, the Min Pin returned the favor and, with the assistance of a single brave and dedicated breeder named Werner Jung, saved the German Pinscher from extinction. The […]

Priscilla Hill-Wampler points the way as Teddy clears a hurdle at the Masters Agility at Westminster in New York City. Photo by Kerrin Winter Churchill, Westminster Kennel Club. Priscilla Hill-Wampler’s life has been accented with twists and turns since age two, and she’s comfortable with that. A world-class figure skater and coach for several decades, […]

Hand-stripping is a specialized grooming procedure for wiry-coated dogs. It involves plucking dead strands of hair to retain the coat's coarse texture.

The 1880s was the only decade that the English Setter reigned as the number-one breed and it remained in the top ten for four decades, but hasn’t been in the top ten since the 1910s. Irish Setters, the number-two breed of the decade, fell to number seven in the 1890s and then did not make […]

I’m not a fan of country music, but as I begin writing this column, from the radio in the next room the song “The Gambler” is crooning, “The secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away, and knowing what to keep.” Choosing a brood bitch is a bit of a gamble. Whether acquiring your […]

Right Home & Agility Give Champ a New Start in Life The spotlight shines on Champ, an All American Dog with a special story. Champ’s first home was in a busy household filled with children and commotion. It was not a good fit for this sensitive guy, who developed many fears and noise sensitivities. Thanks […]