From the big and brawny to the light, bouncy and so much in between - meet Canada's Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2023!
 

Cheers to last year’s Top Dogs, the Top Dogs of decades ago and the Top Dogs of tomorrow!

Every dog deserves a wonderful home and every wonderful home deserves to have a dog who is the perfect fit for them.

I​n this edition of "the Dish", a Canadian Kennel Club member shares his ideas on how we can promote purebred dogs in our day-to-day lives. 

Aces in their Places. Taking a look at the important task of puppy placement.

Meet the Bergamasco Shepherd 

Loyal, Affectionate and Intelligent.

Purebred Dogs made a triumphant return to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair right on time for their 100th anniversary!

Read all about the shows, demonstrations and “Meet the Breeds” in this week’s edition of “The Dish”.  

While gifting a puppy as a Christmas present may not be a good idea, giving a Puppy Basket filled with essentials the new owners will need is!

This week's edition of "The Dish" will give you some ideas as to what to give expecting owners this holiday season.

Strong, Clean and Courageous.

Meet the Akita in this week's edition of "The Dish".

Is getting two puppies at the same time a good idea?

Find out in this week's edition of "The Dish".

Did you know that all dogs can compete in CKC sanctioned events like Agility, Obedience, Rally Obedience, and Chase Ability?

With over 3000 CKC sanctioned events held across Canada in an average year, there are literally thousands of opportunities for you to enjoy great fun with your canine companion and meet other dog lovers!

This week's edition of "The Dish" looks at why some dogs are gassy, what it might mean and what you can do about it. 

These parasites aren’t just a nuisance; they can cause serious—and sometimes deadly—diseases

Learn more in this edition of "The Dish". 

Let's answer some questions new puppy buyers might ask!

If you’re buying a purebred puppy for the first time, you might be overwhelmed with all the paperwork! Buying a puppy from a responsible breeder does entail a fair bit of documentation, reading and signing. This week’s blog looks at the paperwork that helps protect you, your new puppy and the breeder.

How to keep the dog smell out of your dog loving home

I have to admit that it makes me proud when visitors to my house comment on how they would “never know I have so many dogs”. Truth be told I only have 3 dogs currently so it’s not that many (in my opinion), but I do work hard to make sure my house does not smell like my house is overrun with dogs. After I receive the compliment, I usually joke to my guests that I believe “dogs should be seen not smelt”. Jokes aside, keeping your home free from doggy odours does require some chores and commitment, but the following steps can help you keep a cleaner, healthier home for both you and your dog.

This common practice is actually an incredibly dangerous behaviour to allow while travelling 

There are so many things I love about dogs and “dog people”. Too many to list. On the other hand, I also have some pet peeves when it comes to the behaviours of dog owners. Allowing nails to overgrow, incorrect use of a retractable leash, and not picking up after their dogs, are just a few. Today I was reminded of one that is so common you probably see it every single day in nice weather: allowing a dog to ride with its head out of a car window.

 

A popular tool that must be used with extreme caution
 
While I share a common bond with all dog owners, I have a few dog care (or rather, lack of dog care) pet peeves. One is seeing a dog with overgrown nails. Another is owners not picking up after their dogs. The third is the incorrect use of retractable leads.
 
Retractable leashes are incredibly common- you can buy them at every pet supply store, big box stores and online. It would be rare to meet a dog owner who hasn’t bought a retractable leash at some point in their life. 

Exposing your puppy to new situations amid this pandemic

I got a new puppy! We are registered for gifts at Ren’s Pets. Just kidding (I wish though). I bought my Doberman pup in early May. She was born at the end of February and thus is a total “COVID Puppy”. It’s a term. Trust me.

Although the world got flipped upside down this spring, the anticipation and the excitement of seeing litter pics as well as chatting with her wonderful breeder and finally going to pick up our puppy really got us through a challenging time.

A huge dog with a heart to match, the Leonberger is a whole lot of awesome when put in the right home.

Standing as tall as 31 and a half inches at the shoulder with thick yellow gold to red-brown, medium-long coat and a black masked face that holds soulful eyes – it’s hard to forget a Leonberger once you’ve met one.

How to safely change homes with your best friend

I bought my first home recently. While I’m thrilled, I do feel that directors of every mortgage commercial are clearly renters as moving into a new house is nothing like what you see in the ads. It’s stress, stress and a washing machine that leaks.


 

I personally have never had a dog who reacts towards skateboards. However, many of my friends have had this issue with their dogs and since I live in downtown Toronto, a day does not go by in the spring, summer and fall where I don’t see a dog freak out as a skateboard rolls by. Dogs being reactive to skateboards is common since skateboards seem to pop out everywhere there is pavement.

While some dogs see a skateboard and react with their prey drive, others react in fear. A number of factors make dogs anxious towards skateboards.

Six of the CKC’s most common inquiries answered

The Canadian Kennel Club employs a team of hard working Membership Services representatives. The team consists of both English and French speaking staff. The team takes calls, email and even corresponds via Live Chat on www.ckc.ca from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday. While many issues pertaining to dogs are complicated and do require a conversation with a membership services representative, many questions have fairly straight forward answers, so I asked a member of the team to send me a few commonly asked questions for the first in a series of blogs on the CKC’s FAQs.