credit: Mary Bloom ©AKC You can make a difference to your dog and neighbors! If you are fortunate enough to have a dog or if you are thinking of getting one be sure you know the basics of how to care for your dog and be a responsible dog owner. It'll be good for your dog, good for you and good for your neighbors! Following these steps will help you be a great friend to your dog and a good neighbor to people in your community. You'll also find you and your dog will win lots of friends and fans around your neighborhood. Train and socialize your dog. Make sure your dog meets and accepts lots of people of all different ages, skin colors, etc. If you have a puppy, start early by taking the dog to lots of different places and introducing it to lots of people. The dog will gain confidence and learn how to respond and adjust to different people and situations. Train your dog to respond to commands. Obedience training will make your bond stronger and will help control your dog. Training helps keep the dog safe and ensure that other kids and adults will be safe around your dog. Identify your dog. Be sure to keep your dog's ID tag up-to-date and on its collar at all times. Have a veterinarian microchip your dog, and enroll him in AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR). Even when you're careful, a gate may blow open or some other accident can happen. Your dog could wind up lost. Enrolling with AKC CAR before an accident happens can help find your dog. When someone finds your dog, one call to a 24-hour recovery service allows a coordinator to immediately alert you to your dog's whereabouts. Leash your dog. Always keep your dog on a leash in public. Ask adults about leash and licensing laws in your town or city. Be sure you understand and obey them. Letting your dog roam is unsafe and never a good idea. Make sure the dog's leash and collar fit securely so they are comfortable but snug enough that the dog can't back out of its collar. Clean up. Clean up after your dog in public. Before leaving for a walk or other outing, put some plastic grocery bags in your pocket to use for quick and easy pick up and disposal in an outdoor garbage can. Watch the weather. Never leave your dog unsupervised in direct sunlight or a closed car or truck. This can cause heat stroke and death. Give your dog shelter in all types of weather. In case of emergency... Does your family have an emergency evacuation plan? If not, help your parents come up with one. Be sure your dog and any other pets are part of your plan. Practice your plan with your family. Consider spay and neuter. The AKC encourages pet owners to have a veterinarian spay or neuter their dogs as a responsible means to prevent accidental breedings and unwanted puppies. Spaying and neutering are surgical procedures that take away dogs' ability to breed or reproduce. Stop bothersome barking. While most dogs bark for good reason, few things will bother your neighbors more quickly than letting your dog bark too much. Train your dog to bark only when appropriate (click here for tips). Spend time playing with your dog everyday, and provide dog chews and toys. credit: Mary Bloom ©AKC Keep your dog healthy. Nutrition Consistency and attention are key when it comes to feeding your dog. Feed the same high quality dog food at the same time each day. A change in the type or brand of food can upset your dog's stomach. Make any food changes gradually. Provide plenty of fresh water, and keep the dog's bowls clean. Don't overfeed. Exercise Exercise your dog regularly to reduce the risk of heart disease, joint problems, diabetes and overall poor health. Consider your dog's age, health and current activity level when starting a new exercise routine. It's always a good idea to talk to your veterinarian. Grooming Plan on brushing your dog at least once or twice a week, and only bathe the dog when it's dirty. Some dogs with longer coats may need to be brushed or clipped more often. Veterinary Care Remind your parents to take your dog to the vet for a check-up once a year. Stay current on its vaccinations, and maintain a flea-and-tick-control program. If you are uncertain how to treat your dog's medical needs or if you have any questions about the dog's health, contact the veterinarian. Rabies vaccinations or "shots" are very important. Spend time with, love and enjoy your dog! See the fun trick you can try to teach your dog in this issue of Kids' Corner.

When a pet dies, it can be sad, scary and confusing. Both Laura and Phil remember when their dogs passed away. They talked with Kids' Corner about how they felt at the time, and they fondly remembered some of the fun things they did with their special friends. We carry the special memories we have of our dogs throughout our lives. Laura was 9-years-old when her 5-year-old Standard Poodle died. "Max was the neatest dog," Laura said. "He went on all our family trips with us, even to the Grand Canyon." Laura and her 13-year-old brother played an active role in taking care of Max. They fed him regularly, made sure he always had fresh water and went to the veterinarian's office for all of Max's check-ups so they could learn more about their dog and how to care for him. "My brother and I took turns taking him for walks each day, and we set a schedule we followed," she said. One day, while Laura was at the stables, and Max was at the car with Laura's mom, Max picked up something's scent and bolted out and away from the car. "We took off to find him and found him dead in the road," Laura recalled. "We wrapped him in a horse blanket and took him home. I was in shock. It didn't really hit me that he was dead until later." "When it finally hit me was when it was my next turn to walk Max and I realized he wasn't there to walk. That was really sad," she said. Max was the family's only dog. "Everyone kept telling us to get another dog right away, but we didn't want to. We didn't want to replace Max," she said. "We got our next dog, a cream-colored Standard Poodle, a couple years later." Often pet owners such as Laura and her family think of something to do in special memory of their dog's life. Dog owners often make donations to charitable organizations such as the AKC Canine Health Foundation, plant a tree, create a photo album or memory box, write stories or memories about their dog or find other meaningful ways to remember the dog's special place in their family. "We found a really nice place out in the woods where we used to walk Max and buckled his collar on a circle of protective fencing around a huge Live Oak tree," Laura said. Time and weather have faded the once-red nylon collar with metal tags, but the collar remains at the same Live Oak, and Laura and her mom see it when they walk the family's current dog. "When I see that collar, it reminds me of having my first real dog," Laura added. "It definitely brings back good memories because Max was a great dog." Ten-year-old Phil could relate to the sadness Laura felt when she lost Max. Dogs can be our best friends, and we can love them deeply. Phil lost his Cocker Spaniel, Brittany, to cancer when Brittany was 7-years-old. "Brittany was the first dog I remembered and the first dog I loved," Phil said. "She had endless energy. We would go out in the yard and play so much - she was wonderful at fetch and loved tennis balls. She wasn't the smartest dog in the world, but she was fat and silly and always looking for trouble." "She was always very excited to see me when I'd come home from school," Phil recalled. "She'd jump up and down like she hadn't seen me in years, even though I'd only been gone for the school day." But once Brittany was diagnosed with cancer, the disease spread quickly. She was really ill, Phil recalled, and his family began discussing euthanasia, or "putting down" Brittany. "I was very upset because I knew she wasn't going to be part of our family," Phil said. "I didn't want to put her down. I didn't understand that, but eventually my mom and our veterinarian decided it needed to be done." "I didn't want anything to do with it. I didn't eat. I threw fits, and I didn't want to go to school," Phil added. "But my mom made me go to school and continue on." If you are dealing with the death of a pet, you may want to talk to a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher, school counselor or friend about your feelings. This is not an easy time, and you might feel lots of different things at the same time. Turn to the people in your life who may understand what your pet meant to you and could comfort you and help you think of things to do to remember your pet in a special way.

AKC Homepage  |  Kids' Corner Homepage  |  My New Best Friend  |  The Next Step    Name That Breed  |  Activities  |  Dear Bailey  |  Contest Winners               Hi, I’m Kelly.     Whether you think a Chihuahua, like this one, or a Great Dane is right breed for you, it’s important to find out about different breeds recognized by the AKC.         I wanted a puppy for as long as I can remember. When I asked my mom, her answer was always the same. “You can have a dog when you’re responsible enough to help take care of a dog.” “What does ‘responsible’ mean?” I asked. “It means you understand how to take care of a dog by giving him fresh water and food every day and that you will go for a walk or play with your dog every day,” she said. “Being a responsible dog owner means you have to give your dog lots of care and attention, not just when he’s a puppy, but every day for the entire life of your dog.”   Explore the dog world Visit http://www.akc.org/breeds/index.cfm to see all the different breeds of dogs recognized by the AKC.   Last summer, I had finally shown mom that I could be responsible to have a dog. I started taking the mail in every day and helping with chores around our home without being asked. Finally mom said the magic words. “Kelly, I’m proud of how responsible you’ve become and think you’re ready to have a dog.” I was so happy. I wanted my dog that very afternoon! And that’s when I learned my first lesson about being a responsible dog owner: It is important to learn about different kinds or breeds of dogs to find the right dog for your family. That afternoon, we started our search for the perfect best friend. We turned on the computer and went to www.akc.org, the American Kennel Club website.       Being a responsible dog owner means you have to give your dog care and attention every day for the entire life of your dog.   Wow. I couldn’t believe how many different breeds of dogs there are -- more than 150, and lots I’d never even heard of! Each breed is different, from the tiny Chihuahua to the Great Dane that’s bigger than I. Being different isn’t just about how the breeds look. Each breed has unique temperaments or personalities. I read a lot and talked about the traits we wanted in a dog. My family likes to be outside and around the water, whether it’s a lake, pond, ocean or pool. We decided a medium-sized, outgoing, friendly, active, intelligent, playful (but gentle) dog who loves the water would make a great match for our family. I also wanted a dog that could play fetch. We narrowed down our choices to different breeds in the Sporting Group of dogs. We decided on a Lab, or Labrador Retriever. The next step was finding a responsible breeder to get our puppy from. Click here for Part II.   Think about If you were to add a new dog to your family, which breed would you choose? Why would you choose that breed breed? To help you decide, use click here for some helpful worksheets: http://www.akc.org/pdfs/public_education/worksheet_family.pdf http://www.akc.org/pdfs/public_education/worksheet_doggie.pdf

May Contest Winners!     Flat-Coated Retrievers gait around the show ring. You pull up into a huge parking area and see row after row of parked RVs. All sorts of breeds of beautiful dogs such as Australian Shepherds, Bearded Collies and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels jump, stretch, and sleep in metal dog exercise pens under the RVs' outstretched awnings. There are lots of vans and trucks too. The multi-colored license plates show these vehicles have come from dozens of different states. Why have so many people driven so far? They've come for a dog show! Dog lovers who participate in the sport of purebred dogs bring their four-legged best friends to compete against other dogs from across the country -- and sometimes even the world. They're all aiming to win the prized Best in Show title at that particular dog show. At an all-breed dog show, most of the 154 breeds of dogs from the tiny Chihuahua to the giant Great Dane compete to see who will win. Once you walk into the dog show, which is usually in a large building or big grassy area sprinkled with tents, you'll see low fencing or markers outlining competition rings. Above each ring, you'll see a ring number. While you'll see beautiful, well-groomed purebred dogs walking with their owners or handlers all around the show, the real action at a show takes place in the rings. All the dogs and handlers are there to be the best during a few crucial minutes in the show ring.   You never know whom you might meet at a dog show! Breed: Komondor   Take a seat by the ring of your choice. If you have a particular breed of dog you want to see, then find the show superintendent's office and buy a show catalog or pick up a judging schedule that tell when specific breeds will be judged in specific rings. Earlier in the day, dogs of the same breed compete against each other to see who a judge will select Best of Breed. For instance, all the Golden Retrievers entered in the show might report to Ring 3 at 8:30 a.m. Within their breeds dogs are divided into different classes, which are then divided by sex. After these classes are judged, all the dogs that won first place in a class compete again to see who is the best of the winning dogs. The winning male and female dogs then compete for Best of Breed. The Best of Breed winners advance to compete against all the other dogs that won Best of Breed in their particular group. There are seven groups of dogs: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. Finally, the seven group winners compete for Best in Show, the highest award at a dog show. The more dogs entered in a dog show, the more rings there'll be. Some shows can have more than 20 rings. Others may have just a few rings. Once they enter the show ring with their dogs, handlers' eyes are glued to the judge, watching for directions the judge may give. (The people who "handle" or show the dogs in the ring are the handlers.)     A junior handler stacks a Chinese Crested ready to be evaluated by the judge. Judges usually start things off in the show ring by having all the handlers "stack," or pose, their dogs. Then the dogs, who are always on leashes, gait or trot around the ring with their handlers. Next the dogs and handlers stop in a line for the judge to examine the dogs individually. You'll probably see the judge use her hands to measure and examine the dog's structure. She can do this by checking a dog's head, opening its mouth to examine its bite, measuring its ears, and running her hands down the dog's shoulders and chest, among other things. After the judge has examined each dog, she will have them gait around the ring again before deciding which dog most closely compares to the judge's mental image of the "perfect" dog described in the breed's official AKC standard or description of what the breed should look like. The road to winning Best in Show is a fun and challenging journey that starts long before a dog show. Carefully selecting a purebred puppy from a responsible breeder; registering the puppy with the AKC; properly feeding, exercising, and grooming the dog from puppyhood; and participating in Junior Showmanship classes will help you and your dog get started. A Best in Junior Showmanship winner strikes a pose with her English Setter.