If you have a small terrier or a Dachshund, you’ve undoubtedly already discovered their penchant to dig, stick their face underground, and emerge with something in his mouth, be it a mouse, a squirrel or some other creature. After you stop screaming in fright, your first instinct might be to reprimand him for catching that poor animal but really, you should reward him! He’s simply doing what these dogs were bred to do: To hunt underground, and that’s what Earthdog tests assess. Earthdog tests gauge how good a hunter your dog really is. They’re non-competitive and each dog is judged on his o ..read more

Summer is a great time to get involved in a dog sport! Dog sports are a great way to bond with your pup, continue training, and burn off some extra energy. If you’ve never thought of trying a dog sport, check out this list that showcases a few of AKC’s most popular sports that are perfect for warm weather. Agility In Agility, you guide your dog through obstacles like jumps, tunnels, ramps, and weave poles. The novice level of competition is very beginner-friendly, and lower jump heights are available for older dogs or those with previous injuries. Agility is also a great exercise for your d ..read more

Dogs experience much of the world around them through their sense of smell. On walks, and at home, our dogs constantly take in information with their noses that humans never even notice. Scent games allow dogs to channel their love of sniffing while enriching their minds. The aim of these games is to teach our dogs how to tell us what they smell. Also, for us to learn to read our dogs and trust they are correct. Some scent games can even be played in small indoor spaces like a living room. When you find yourself stuck inside with your dog, games are a great way to keep th ..read more

Imagine a look of determination on your dog’s face as he runs hard, nimbly making each turn. He keeps his eyes on you while scampering through tunnels, jumping over hurdles, and beaming with pride. The crowds in the stands cheer as you move together in perfect harmony. That’s the sport of Agility. It can be quite a rush – and one of the best ways to create an even deeper connection between you and your dog. Agility is a growing dog sport in the United States, with over 1 million entries to the AKC’s program each year. Dogs race against a clock as they navigate an obstacle course with strong ..read more

The official term for dog shows is conformation — as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. It’s also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation. As one of the most popular AKC ..read more

At Alaska Dog Works we can teach your dog the manners to be a well behaved pup but have you ever wanted to take it to the next level and even possibly compete? We can set you up on a track of success! Think your dog is an A+ student? Are your friends and family jealous with how well you’ve trained your dog? Then you might want to take things to a new level by participating in Obedience competitions (also called “trials”). Developed in the 1930s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events. From walking on- and off-leash to retrieving and jumping, or demonstrating your dog’s abilit ..read more

You work hard to teach your dog good manners. There’s one area, though, where you probably won’t have much success: Asking him to “mind his own business and stop being so nosey!” It won’t work because his keen sense of smell – which is 100,000 times stronger than humans – makes him naturally “nosey.” That strong sense of smell is the reason why dogs are well suited for emergency search-and-rescue work. So what do you do with your ever-nosey dog? Get him involved in an AKC Tracking event where he can sniff and smell to his heart’s content and demonstrate his natural ability to recogniz ..read more