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by AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
The AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin® will air as a three-hour special on the ABC television network on Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET. The show features thousands of dogs from around the country and the world competing for the coveted title of America’s National Champion.
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by AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
ESPN and the American Kennel Club (AKC), the governing body of dog sports, have entered into a new, expanded five-year agreement, renewing ESPN’s media rights for televising of AKC-recognized dog sports events.
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by AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2022 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees.
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by LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR
Right in the middle of a Hallmark Christmas in July movie, I received a telephone call from my friend Kris Harner. Kris is the Cluster Chairman for the Carolina Foothills Classic Dog Shows and Show Chairman for the Greenville Kennel Club. Since I was scheduled to judge their upcoming Pee Wee event, she said she had a special request: Would I agree to allow Jeff Hillman, a grown man, to participate?
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by DAN SAYERS
Breed matters. Breeders matter even more, particularly so today now that the term has been maligned by extremists and coopted by individuals who produce puppies simply to make a bit (or a lot) of money. This is why any gathering of dedicated preservation breeders symbolizes a show of strength and unity as much as it celebrates the unique qualities of individual breeds. And nowhere is this gathering more evidently on display than at Montgomery County Kennel Club, “The Greatest Terrier Show on Earth.”
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by KAREN WILSON
Every year we look forward to the Montgomery County Kennel Club show. It is a well-organized group of dog fanciers putting on a top-quality show. Members are crowd-friendly and helpful. The rings are large, with lots of tenting. Montgomery should be a MUST for anyone who is planning to judge Terriers.
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by STEPHANIE O’REILLY
It is great to have a dog that has high-level titles on both ends. But how does one go about doing this when, in reality, there is limited time and most people have limited resources?
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by LEE WHITTIER
I was recently asked, “Is there some trick I can use to get my dog to stand still in the show ring?” The answer was staring her in the face. She uttered the right answer and didn’t even know it.
- Who here has ever taught a dog its name?
- Who here has taught a dog to potty outside?
- Who here has taught a dog to sit or come?
And now, I’ll share this with you: All of these lessons are tricks!
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by ANNEY DOUCETTE
There is a wide variety of styles and genetic lines of Goldens; something for everyone in their companion, service, or competitive pursuits. We don’t just have a “breed split” (working versus show lines), we have a breed family tree! Goldens dominate in the show ring, Companion events (Obedience Trials, Agility, Tracking), Performance events (Hunt Tests and Field Trials), as well as Service Dogs for the disabled, Detection Dogs for military and civilian uses, Therapy Dogs, and, of course, they are extremely popular family pets.
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by JENNIFER MILOSAVLJEVIC
Conformationally sound dogs are the building blocks of a breeding program; however, failing to breed in or keep natural instincts may be a disservice to the breed—no matter the breed. Does this mean that you have to go out and get a Performance event title on your dog? No. It simply means that the dog should be able to perform the tasks or have some inclination toward what they were bred for.
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by ELIZABETH BUTLER
Barn Hunt is a relatively new sport in which dogs are expected to hunt for rats safely hidden inside protective tubes on a hay bale course. It was created by Robin Nuttall who had a Miniature Pinscher that she wanted to enter in Earthdog events, but that breed was not eligible to compete at that time.
That led her to create a new sport for dogs of various breeds and sizes to be able to compete and test their hunting ability; including speed, agility, hunt drive, scenting ability, surefootedness, and control and responsiveness to their handler.
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by FRED HELFERS
Have you watched your dog running with its nose to the ground, apparently following an odor? Your dog’s nose is working as a direction finder. I believe that a detection dog handler should understand how a dog’s nose works as a direction finder.
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by SHARON M. ALBRIGHT, DVM, CCRT
Search and rescue dogs and military working dogs provide valuable services to help keep us safe, but they are often deployed to areas contaminated with hazardous materials such as petroleum products, heavy metals, and volatile organic solvents. Regular decontamination of the dogs’ fur and skin is recommended, but there is little objective data on the best techniques and cleansers to do so. Therefore, AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) funded investigators at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale conducted a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of decontamination procedures for these valuable dogs.
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by BETSY SCAPICCHIO & LINDA BRENNAN
At shows, handlers are quick to blame the external environment for the dog’s mistakes. However, we should be looking inward rather than outward. Ask yourself how the dog performed outside the ring compared to inside. If the dog was fine outside the ring, then the external environment is very similar and we need to ask a different question. Were you the same inside and outside the ring?
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by CLAIRE O’NEILL
The week was filled with numerous events and activities, including three days of off-site Herding and Agility, and a 5.3-mile pack hike. There was Novice and Sanctioned Weight Pull, CGC, Temperament Testing, and Trick Dog. There was breeder, mentor and judges education, an eye clinic, an art show, daily silent auctions, and a huge raffle table. A memorial wall was done where tributes to dogs that have crossed the bridge were displayed. Daily lunches were provided, and a Mexican Fiesta welcome party and an Octoberfest beer tasting with German food were two of the evening dinners.
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by SHARON MASNICK
On October 15-16, 2022, I had the honor to judge the Chihuahua Club of America National Specialty in St. Louis, Missouri. The entry was amazing, with a total of 316 entries. I felt an enormous sense of responsibility (as well as excitement) and I knew the assignment would be challenging. It did not disappoint!
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I am a retired university professor who grew up on a farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. I now live outside Atlanta, Georgia, with my seven Standard Schnauzers. I have had dogs since I was 18 months old. Across the years, I have had a Boston Terrier, Collie, Australian Shepherd, and Miniature & Standard Schnauzers. I have shown and titled my dogs in Rally, Scent Work, FastCAT, and Lure Coursing as well as Conformation. I belong to both SSCA and SSCC.
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I have been involved in English Springer Spaniels from a young age. I grew up in the Midwest with hunting companions, then branched out into dog sports with my first dog as an adult. “Basil” competed heavily in Flyball and still remains the No. 1 Springer in the sport, despite being deceased since 2012. I maintained a small breeding program and began competing in Conformation in 2011. Since then, I have finished four dogs of my own and several more that I co-own.
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