Posts tagged "akc"

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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Q: How can I get my recently adopted 1-year-old Maltipoo and my 14-year-old Maltese to be friends?

A: When dogs get much older, sometimes owners bring in a younger dog in order to keep the older dog company. This can work well when a young dog brings some spark and new life to the household. Sometimes, the only reason for adding the younger dog is to anticipate that the older dog may not be around long and this is an attempt to reduce the owner's pain when the loss occurs. (This only works if the owner is fully prepared to meet the needs of the new dog.)

Because there is a wide developmental gap between a 1-year-old dog and a 14-year-old there are different issues that can come up and it can be hard to anticipate which way it will go. The new addition could work out well, or the 14-year-old may be totally annoyed by the new 1-year-old pipsqueak who is jumping around and causing a ruckus.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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Q. I am a college student and I have a 1-year-old dachshund, Tippy, that I got from a rescue group. I like taking Tippy for a walk, but she pulls on the leash the whole time. Why does Tippy insist on pulling on the leash even when it is choking the life right out of her?

A. It sounds as though both literally and figuratively, taking Tippy for a walk is a drag. Tippy is pulling to get to where she thinks she wants to go, whether it be to a new scent or down the street to see what's coming next. Depending on the dog and type of collar or harness, even though the owner's arm is out of the socket, pulling may not be bothersome at all.

There are several methods that are effective when it comes to teaching a pulling dog to walk beside you on a leash.

Technique A: If the dog pulls, you stop.
1. When the dog starts to pull, stop.
2. Stand still. Don't move forward with the dog.
3. Wait. The dog will pull, but eventually she'll stop.
4. When she stops pulling, you can praise her and move forward. Uh-oh, she is so excited that you're moving forward, she's pulling again. Now what?
5. Repeat the procedure. It won't take long until she figures out you aren't going anywhere as long as she pulls.

Somewhere in a schedule packed with "SNL" cameos, in-depth interviews on "60 Minutes" and, of course, running the most successful social networking site mankind has ever known, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg found time to not only adopt a fluffy male puli puppy but to create a Facebook page for him as well! How's that for multitasking?

Ironically named "Beast," the cute dog is described as a "public figure" whose personal interests are "cuddling, loving and eating," a description supported by numerous photos of Beast snuggling with Zuckerberg and girlfriend Priscilla Chan. Beast's birthday is listed as January 10, 2011.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have two dogs. Hollie is 1.5 years and Rudi is 3.5 yrs. Although Hollie is generally self-assured, when we try to leave the house with just Rudi, Hollie barks and cries. She's not destructive, but she's clearly distressed to be left behind, despite the fact that she has her favorite toys and a Kong filled with peanut butter, which she loves.

Even when Hollie is left behind with a person, she's still unhappy. When we're on walks, if I fall behind with Rudi and my husband tries to go ahead with Hollie, she'll hang back. Hollie is a mixed breed, likely with some hound and shepherd in her, so I wonder if she has some sort of herding tendency or if it's just a sad display of dependence. What can I do to make her more comfortable when she's the only dog at home?

Hollie's situation is so fascinating because usually when we hear about separation issues, the dog has problems when the people leave the home. In Hollie's case, her separation distress is a result of Rudi, the other dog, leaving, which most often happens when the dogs are littermates.

I would suggest following the same protocol that is used for separation anxiety when the dog has a negative reaction to people leaving. You'll need to set up some times for training sessions apart from times when you really need to leave the house.

Hickory lapped up the limelight after winning Best in Show at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday night in New York City.

The 5-year-old female Scottish deerhound -- full name Gch. Foxcliffe Hickory Wind -- has been the No. 1 Scottish deerhound for the last three years. But this was her first Best in Show appearance at Westminster.

After entering the ring at Madison Square Garden under a spotlight to rapturous applause, handler Angela Lloyd -- a junior handler winner at Westminster in 1998 -- led her to a swift and popular victory.

Judge Paolo Dondina, who paid tribute to all the seven finalists as "the best he could remember," did not take long to select Hickory as his choice for Best in Show. He watched their initial entrance lap and took a closer look at each dog before quickly deciding on Hickory.

"I think she was beautiful," he told reporters after the award. "This one feels perfect -- very well balanced and beautiful. She did a marvelous job."

The victorious dog and handler drew the adulation of a large crowd as she basked in the victory. Some attendees paid as much as $155 to attend Best in Show, which was also broadcast live on the USA Network.

Lloyd, who has been living with Hickory at her home in Virginia, heaped praise on the deerhound. "She went in there tonight and showed like she's never shown before," said the 31-year-old handler. "She was solid and steady despite all the flashbulbs and cameras. She came right through it."

The Competition
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is considered the most prestigious in the nation, with more than 2,500 dogs each year vying for the top title of Best in Show. It is the second-oldest continuous sporting event in the country, trailing the Kentucky Derby by a year.

The American Kennel Club has welcomed three breeds into the AKC family -- the Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Norwegian Lundehund and the Xoloitzcuintli will join the AKC's list of registered breeds, bringing the total number of registered breeds to 170. Here is what the AKC has to say about them:

The Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-etz-queent-lee) is one of the world's rarest breeds and is still considered a "healer" in remote Mexican and Central American Villages today. The breed comes in three sizes: toy, miniature and standard; and two varieties: hairless and coated, which makes the Xolo ideal for those looking for a dog with more variety. They serve as an excellent companion for families due to their attentive and calm nature and require moderate exercise and grooming. For more info go to: www.xoloitzcuintliclubofamerica.org.

Think you know which breed is top dog? Well, the numbers are in and all the fat puppies have been counted. And after tallying up all of its nationwide registrations, the American Kennel Club has released its much-anticipated list of the 10 most popular breeds for 2010.

The Labrador(able) is Still Top Dog: Though there were a couple of shake-ups in the top 10, no breed was able to unseat the perennial top dog. For the 20th consecutive year, the much-beloved Labrador retriever leads the pack when it comes to registrations.

Surprising Upsets: The beagle charged its way past the golden retriever to claim the coveted No. 4 spot. In another top 10 shake-up, the ever-popular boxer got bull-rushed by the lovable, short-snouted bulldog, which rose to sixth place on this year's list.

French Bulldogs Surge Ahead: Outside of the top 10, the AKC spotted a few other trends emerging from the past decade of breed statistics. For example, the French bulldog has undergone a renaissance in the last 10 years, jumping 50 spots -- from 71st to 21st! Likewise, the diminutive Havanese jumped from 86th to 31st place. Go to the AKC website for the full list.

Gigantic is Better: The AKC also reported a trend favoring a few of the supersize breeds. Gentle giants like the Great Dane, Newfoundland, Bernese mountain dog, mastiff and Greater Swiss mountain dog all saw meaningful jumps in registrations.

The AKC's Most Popular Dogs in 2010

1. Labrador retriever
2. German shepherd
3. Yorkshire terrier
4. Beagle
5. Golden retriever
6. Bulldog
7. Boxer
8. Dachshund
9. Poodle
10. Shih Tzu

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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After my dog Mike does "his business," he always kicks and digs into the ground hard with his back legs, sometimes just digging up the ground and sometimes he sends his poop flying. He also does this on sidewalks as well. No matter what I do, I can't seem to stop this and it is kind of destroying my yard. Do you know why dogs do this? What could I try to get him to stop?

There are differences of opinion about the function of scratching the ground after a dog urinates or defecates. One theory is the dog does this to cover up the mess he's made. But your description of what Mike is doing certainly doesn't sound like an attempt at a polite coverup.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior.

Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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At the Meet the Breeds event in New York City, Mary Burch put dogs through their paces as part of the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. Here, we asked her to explain it to us.

What is the CGC program and what are its goals? Why would someone want to participate?
Started in 1989, the Canine Good Citizen Program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The tagline for the CGC program is "Responsible Owners, Well-Mannered Dogs," and this summarizes the goal of one of AKC's most rapidly growing programs.

This dog is a force to be, well, reckoned with. CH Propwash Reckon, a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd known affectionately as "Reckon," beat out nearly 2,500 canine competitors for the coveted title of Best in Show at the 10th annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship at the Long Beach Convention Center last night.

"We are proud to have Reckon join the family of Best in Show winners at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship," said Show Chairman Ron Menaker. "We had a record-breaking entry this year of highly competitive canine athletes in conformation, agility, obedience and the Eukanuba World Challenge. Congratulations to all the winners!"

Reckon won not only bragging rights at the championship but also the Eukanuba Celebration of Champions Trophy (which is designed to look like its winner), a check for $50,000 and a year's supply of Eukanuba dog food. Reckon is owned by Leslie Frank and Judy Harrington of Kensington, N.H. Last year's winner was Sadie, a Scottish Terrier.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship is regarded as one of the most prestigious dog shows in the world, as it includes a range of canine sporting events all under one roof, including the AKC Agility Invitational and AKC National Obedience Invitational. This year, these events featured 3,233 dogs vying to be "top dog" and earn more than $225,000 in prize money.

The event also included the Junior Showmanship competition, which allows handlers 9 to 18 years old to compete. This year, Katie Mazurowski and her English Setter Lamont were awarded the coveted title of Best Junior Handler along with a $2,000 scholarship.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will be telecast on ABC Network Television on Sun., Jan. 23, 2011. Check your local listings for times. You won't want to miss the canine fun!

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I've adopted Max, an older dog. I would like to teach him to ride happily in a dog carrier so I can safely take him on trips or to the vet without him running around in the car or fighting against his doggie seat belt. We believe he's about 7 years old. Do you think I can still teach him?

Yes, Max can learn to ride in a dog carrier. It's never too late to teach an older dog new tricks. I'm assuming Max is a small dog and you can easily carry him in the carrier.

Some carriers have an opening in the top and others have both top and side openings. If you use a carrier with both a top and side opening, you can easily do training sessions to teach Max to go into the carrier on his own. Select a well-ventilated carrier that is big enough for Max to stand, turn around, and lay down when he is inside.

Start by letting Max get familiar with the carrier. Put it on the floor. Put a treat near the carrier and tell Max, "Get it!" Then put some treats inside the carrier so that Max has to go into the carrier through the side opening to get the treats. You might want to pair a very special treat with the carrier so that Max only gets this when he is in his carrier.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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My dog, Duke, sometimes seems to have terrible nightmares. He moans and jerks around violently in his sleep and it is really distressing. I've read that owners should just let their dogs rest, but I don't want Duke to be scared or upset. Should I wake him up?

When your dog is thrashing around in his sleep, twitching, moving his back legs and yelping, you can't help but wonder what he's dreaming about. Is he chasing a bunny, fighting another dog, or giving a speech to an audience full of naked poodles?

Scientists tell us that dogs dream in a similar fashion to humans. And like us, they have critical periods of deep sleep. Dreams occur during the deep sleep phase, and even though Duke may not appear to be resting peacefully, he needs uninterrupted sleep. I would suggest not waking him unless the nightmares go on for long periods of time and he seems more tired than usual.

If you wake a dog who is in deep sleep, he could startle and bite you, or he may just look at you as though he's completely confused about why you're waking him. It's not clear that dogs remember dreams when they wake up.

If there is any question in your mind about Duke having a seizure, or nightmares of an intensity that can affect his well-being, videotape one of his dream sequences and show it to your veterinarian. But assuming that you've just got an active and vocal dreamer on your hands, make sure Duke is getting a healthy diet and exercise every day. And then let your sleeping dog catch some Z's.

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Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch? E-mail your questions to mary@pawnation.com. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Paw Nation is not staffed to address individual questions about pet health, and we want your pet to stay healthy!

If you're considering expanding your clan by adding a canine, do you know what breed is best for your family? You need to look beyond which dog's coat is the same color as your couch, and really ask the important question: which breed's personality is the best fit for your family's lifestyle? With a little help from our friends at the American Kennel Club, including Gina DiNardo, Assistant Vice President of the AKC, we're offering helpful hints for narrowing down your decision.

If you think of your family as:

Super Sporty
Activity level is a major factor in determining the right dog for you and yours. An active family that loves to run and play will find that the border collie is a good match for them. This athletic dog was bred to work, and he'll be happiest with a family that keeps him physically and mentally stimulated.

Very Social
If you're a friendly family with plenty of guests dropping by, your best bet would probably be a sporting breed like the golden retriever, or herding dogs such as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Why? "They are eager to learn, want to please, are very intelligent, and many are naturally very social," DiNardo tells us.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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My 13-year-old dog, Mike, is already deaf, and beginning to go blind. He is sleeping more and I seem to scare him when I nudge his bed or pat his back to let him know its time to go for a walk or eat dinner. Is there some other way I can communicate with him to let him know that I want him to follow me? I've never really trained Mike before.

Older dogs are near and dear to my heart. They can continue to live happy lives when we are willing to make some small adjustments to help them when blindness and deafness become a problem.

When your dog is awake, if he can't hear you calling him, using a flashlight or laser pointer is a good way to get his attention. With a few short training sessions during which you pair the light with a food treat, your dog will soon learn to look at or come to you when he sees the light.

Paw Nation had an amazing time at Meet the Breeds last weekend. We loved getting to chat with fans of the site and some of the 39,000 dog and cat lovers who attended. While our photo/video booth and iPad giveaways were big hits, there was lots more fun to be had throughout the Javits Center!

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) brought together 1,000 dogs and cats representing 200 breeds for the public to meet (and pet and cuddle). Part of the allure of the event is the opportunity to see a number of rare breeds and talk to experts about what owning that pet is like.

Learning About the Breeds
"Meet the Breeds gives the public the opportunity to see, touch and play with dogs and cats -- including some of the rarest breeds most people may have only read about or have seen on television -- and learn more about which dog or cat could become a lifelong member of their family," says American Kennel Club spokesperson Christina Duffney.

"It's a great opportunity for kids to play with a 200 pound mastiff dog that is larger than most New York City kitchens, pet a hairless sphynx cat, or interact with 'Toto' and other characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' in the cairn terrier booth, all while their parents learn about the characteristics of each breed and the importance of picking the right dog or cat that best fits their lifestyle," she added. Educating the public about the responsibilities and quirks of each breed is, in fact, a major motivating factor for having the event.