DOG FANCIERS CAN JOIN FORCES TO TURN THE TABLES ON ANTI-BREED, ANTI-BREEDER, AND ANTI-PET GROUPS

The dog fancy is the primary source of all good things flowing to and from the bond between humans and canines.

AKC AGILITY TEAMS SHINE IN INTERNATIONAL MEET

Just as the Olympics wound down in Sydney, Australia, the international dog agility championship began on the other side of the globe.

A GOOD OFFENSE REQUIRES ALLIES

Recently it was my pleasure to participate in a meeting of dog owners in northern Ohio. That evening, as I dined with my hosts and a couple of local owner/trainers, the conversation revolved around current efforts by animal rights…

LIFE’S UNPLEASANT JOBS

In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird Gem Finch asked why his defense attorney father must take on a controversial court case. Gem was told, “There are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs.”

AIRLINE TRAVEL FOR ANIMALS IS IN JEOPARDY

Last summer, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill that jeopardized the shipping of animals by air. The bill was reported to committee but went nowhere.

USDA BOWS TO PRESSURE, WITHDRAWS PROPOSAL TO VACCINATE WOLFDOGS FOR RABIES

Citing opposition to wolfdog ownership and the paucity of scientific information about the efficacy of canine rabies vaccination in wolves and wolfdogs, the US Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposal to define dogs as…

NAIA’S “DOG EVENT OF THE CENTURY!” CELEBRATES THE JOY AND WONDER OF THE HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND

From April 20-22, Portland, Oregon, was the place to be for dog owners, trainers, breeders, rescuers, and other dog lovers. Here, for the first time, the whole dog fancy came together to salute the human animal bond, share information,…

DEHAVEN OUTLINES AWA ENFORCEMENT, DESCRIBES CURRENT AGENCY ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DOGS AND BREEDERS

The US Congress passed the federal Animal Welfare Act in 1966 in answer to complaints that stolen pets were winding up in research laboratories, Dr. Ron DeHaven, deputy administrator for the US Department of Agriculture Animal and…

DOG OWNERS JOIN FORCES AGAINST BALTIMORE BREED BAN

On Wednesday, March 14, a public hearing was held in Baltimore, Maryland, regarding a potential ban on pit bulls. In recent years, there have been several very well-publicized, very severe bite cases in that city. The city council…

THERAPY DOGS BRING PLEASURE TO PATIENTS

Please allow me to introduce myself….. as the song says…....

My name is Pamela Loeb. I have been invited to write a column on therapy and assistance dogs, and how they touch our lives. Since this is my first…

AKBASH DOG IS LINK TO LOVE AT LLANFAIR

The big creamy-white dog sprawled on the floor of the visiting area, half asleep. The doors opened; an attendant pushing a resident in a wheelchair entered, and the dog got to his feet, approached the chair, lowered his head a bit,…

AN NAIA CONFERENCE REPORT: DOG TRAINERS TOUT VALUE OF VARIETY IN TRAINING TOOLS

NAIA’s equipment panel addressed two major points: A well-behaved dog has a better chance of remaining in his home (or getting a new home if necessary), and owners and trainers need access to a variety of tools for teaching good…

LET’S RALLY!

Combining elements of dog obedience and agility and sports car rallies, the newest dog sport from the American Kennel Club is a fun introduction to the world of competitive dog events.

DOG TRAINING AND THE MEDIA

In 1998, in the course of researching an article on the American Humane Association Dog Training Guidelines project, I became increasingly aware of the influence the media has played in the public perception of dog training methods…

SUFFOLK COUNTY SPCA STANDS ALONE AT “GROUND ZERO”

In the wake of the September 11 attack, animal charities sent out urgent pleas for donations to help search and rescue dogs and save pets from evacuated buildings.

AKC LEADS THE PACK WITH ASSISTANCE FOR SEARCH DOGS AND HANDLERS AT WTC SITE

The nation and the world watched in shock and horror on September 11 as the second airliner slammed into the World Trade Center and the Twin Towers collapsed into rubble.

SPORTING DOGS CAN COMPETE IN FIELD TRIALS ON PUBLIC LANDS

The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced on October 12 that the agency would not issue new guidelines for field trials held on public land and would instead revert to the policy outlined in the FWS manual.

REUSE, RECYCLE, RESCUE: “WHAT’S IN A NAME?”

The subject of developing good working relationships between animal shelters and breed rescue groups is close to my heart and what I’m asked to speak or write about most often.

NAIA URGES NO VOTE ON BOGUS ‘PUPPY PROTECT ACT’

Everyone is opposed to ‘puppy mills’ even when no definition of ‘puppy mill’ is offered. That knee-jerk reaction to an emotionally-loaded phrase is evident in the halls of the US Congress as senators and representatives…

PIT BULLS ARE ON THE BLOCK AGAIN IN OHIO

Ohio’s dog fighting task force convened in August without a dog owner, trainer, or behaviorist on the panel, but dog owners have banded together to get one of their number appointed to represent their interests.