Who Gets to Speak In The Fancy?

When I first started showing dogs, I heard the same phrase more often than I could count. “You need to pay your dues.”

When I first started showing dogs, I heard the same phrase more often than I could count. “You need to pay your dues.”

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization that is the world’s largest registry of pedigree purebred dogs, and a leading voice for canine welfare and responsible ownership, is pleased to announce that a petition filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) in the New York Supreme Court has been denied, and the […]

Of course, no breed is for everyone. Not a single one. If it slobbers, shuffles, sheds, or snorts, it’s not for me, for example. Others find those traits endearing. And any owner who is interviewed about their breed should always mention any caveats associated with it. But maybe it’s time we quit trying to talk prospective owners out of our breed, or out of dogs in general.

I’ve been watching the Crufts coverage on YouTube which, just like the Westminster coverage before it, was very impressive and far superior to that broadcast on terrestrial TV.

Changes in the sport over the past 30 years have been staggering to say the least.

There’s an age-old adage about handlers that goes something like this: “You’re only as good as the dog on the end of your lead.” This applies to all handlers, whether professional or not; and it’s still true today.

By Amy Fernandez They didn’t escape from Alcatraz; maybe it was worse. Seven dogs from Changchun, China, were packed onto a transport truck headed to a dog meat market when they did the impossible. Let’s preface this by saying that China’s relationship with dogs can only be called paradoxical. The country’s reputation for mistreatment and […]

Click here to read the complete article 10 – April, 2026 Click here to read the complete article 10 – April, 2026

By Amy Fernandez Those who don’t live with it non-stop tend to consider canine howling as charming, fascinating, etc. Those of us who do live with it usually have a different view. It’s piercing, unrelenting, unstoppable–and it gets attention. Of course, that’s precisely the point. Howling is endemic to some breeds, but it’s also contagious. […]

By Amy Fernandez We all have those days when the dogs are driving us crazy. Endless dog chores, unfathomable dog emergencies, staggering vet bills, normal dog bills… Okay, this is too depressing to continue, but you get the point. The next time you have one of those days, just keep this in mind. A recently […]