• For a comprehensive guide to dog breeds, visit Dog Breeds A-Z

• For a list of designer dog breeds defined, visit Designer Dogs
  

Acclimate: To become accustomed to a new environment or situation.

American Kennel Club (AKC): An official registry for purebred dogs in the United States, which keeps a registry of all litter and individual registrations.

Anal glands: Glands located near the anus of a dog that secrets a foul smelling substance that dogs use to identify each other and mark territory with. In general, dogs empty their anal glands naturally through bowel movements but sometimes must be assisted when the characteristic scooting behavior is observed. More information can be found about anal glands and the expression of anal glands.

Backyard breeder: A person who casually breeds dogs without paying attention to breed standards or potential health issues.

Basecoat: The primary color of a dog.

Bitch: A female dog.

Bond: A uniting force or tie.

Brachiocephalic: A term used to describe the characteristic short muzzle of certain breeds of dogs such as pugs, shih tzus, and bulldogs. The short muzzle causes the dog to be hypersensitive to heat and humidity, requiring special attention.. Difficulty breathing, wheezing, and snorting are common in brachiocephalic dog breeds.

Breed Standard: The official guide by which dogs are judged at dog shows. Each breed of dog recognized by the AKC has its own standard (written by the parent club). The standard may specify everything from the curvature of a dog's tail to the color of its eyes. You can obtain a copy of your dog's breed standard and order breed-specific educational videos from the AKC. Many parent clubs offer more detailed information on the standard, such as amplifications and illustrated standards.

Breeder: Someone who breeds dogs; causes to reproduce, especially by controlled mating and selection. For additional information, see Becoming a Dog Breeder.

Brindle: A mixture of colors in a dog's coat, resulting in a striped pattern.

Call Name: The name that is commonly used around your dog, which can differ from your dog's registered name, see Dog Names.

Crate: See Crate Training.

Crossbreed: A dog who's parents are different breeds. See Mixed Breeds.

Dander: Small dead skin cells that dogs are constantly loosing. Can cause allergic reactions in humans.

Designer Dogs: A dog hybrid, selectively bred to achieve a particular set of traits from two separate breeds. Those hybrids categorized as designer breeds are not recognized by any main registries. They are often the center of controversy, as many believe that they are being sold at high prices despite the abundance of similar hybrid dogs, who are often euthanized in shelters due to lack of homes. Proponents of designer breeds argue that there are legitimate reasons for purposeful cross breeding, and that many people need dogs with specific characteristics, i.e. those with allergies. See also, Designer Dogs.

Diet, organic: Food grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones. See also Diet and Nutrition

Diet, vegetarian: Food consisting of fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts; no meat or fish or (often) any other animal products. See also Diet and Nutrition

Docking: The removal of a tail by a licensed veterinarian to conform to breed standard requirements, as in the case of Doberman Pinschers. Usually performed at 4-5 days of age, to minimize discomfort. Sometimes a cause of controversy.

Dog Clubs: Each AKC-recognized breed has a national club (or "parent" club), and there are thousands of local clubs devoted to individual breeds. (Local clubs are also called "specialty" clubs.) There are thousands of other clubs across the country, including all-breed clubs and clubs devoted to obedience, tracking or performance events. Most clubs sponsor educational programs and events that will help you increase your knowledge.

Dog run: An approved area for exercising dogs, usually off-leash. Also a great place for dog socialization.

Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is a condition that usually develops in younger dogs, although some dogs are not symptomatic until they are fully mature, or even seniors. It is a painful, crippling disease that causes a dog’s hip to to weaken and degenerate. itic. Hip dysplasia is more common in males than females and some breeds are more prone to the disease, including labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and German shepherds.

Ear mite: Minute arachnids of the order Acarina that are often parasitic on animals and in some species transmit disease. See also Common Ailments & Issues

Euthanize: The act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. In the case of dogs and other companion animals, millions are euthanized each year for lack of permanent homes. See Dog Rescue.

Flea: Small, wingless, bloodsucking insects of the order Siphonaptera that have legs adapted for jumping and are parasitic on warm-blooded animals. Additional information on fleas can be found in Common and Ailments and Issues and also Allergies

Flea collar: A collar, as for a cat or dog, containing a substance that repels or kills fleas.

Groomer: A person employed to care for the appearance of a dog.

Health Certificate: A health certificate is a form filled out by your veterinarian after an exam, which verifies that your dog is in good health. These are often required when transporting your dog by air or across international borders.

Heartworm: Infestation with or disease especially of dogs caused by the heartworm, a filarial worm of the genus Dirofilaria (D. immitis), resulting typically in gasping, coughing, and nervous disorder, and when severe commonly leading to death.

Heatstroke: Collapse caused by exposure to excessive heat.

Housebreak: To train to have excretory habits acceptable for indoor living. See also Housebreaking.

Immunize: Perform vaccinations or produce immunity in by inoculation.

In heat: This expression applies to most female mammals and indicates the period when the animal is fertile and most receptive to mating.

Ipecac: A preparation that is made from the dried roots and rhizomes of the shrub Cephaelis ipecacuanha that is used to induce vomiting. Ipecac is a useful item to include in your dog first aid kit.

Limited Registration: Limited registration is used for any puppy that a breeder sells with the understanding that it may not be used for breeding. These dogs are unable to compete in comformation shows, but they may compete in all other areas. If a dog with limited registration is bred, the puppies will not be allowed to regeter with AKC.

Litter: The offspring at one birth of a mammal.

Low-dander: Having less of the minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may act as allergens.

Microchip: An extremely small device encoded with an unalterable identification code that would allow identification of a dog when read by a scanner. This device is usually implanted under the skin in the neck area.

Mixed breed: By circumstances of breeding, a dog that is a mixture of two or more breeds. For specific mixed breed information, see the Mixed Breed index.

Pavlov, Ivan: Noble prize winning Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936).

Pedigree: A pedigree is a dog's family tree and every dog has one, whether it's written in document form or not. Written pedigreese list the puppy's sire (father) and dam (mother) and other ancestors. Breeders typically keep written pedigrees and give them to new puppy owners.

Pet insurance: Similar to health insurance for humans, this insurance helps pay medical costs and has monthly or annual premiums

Positive reinforcement: Offering of desirable effects or consequences for a behavior with the intention of increasing the chance of that behavior being repeated in the future. For more information, see Dog Training.

Puppy kindergarten: An obedience class specifically for puppies that emphasizes behavior and socialization. See Puppies and Puppy Training for more information.

Purebred: A pedigreed animal of unmixed lineage. Specific information on dog breeds may be found in the Dog Breeds A-Z index.

Puzzle toy: A dog toy that requires action and/or thinking on the part of the dog. Often the dog works for a treat somehow trapped in the toy. See also Dog Toys.

Redirection: Channel an action or behavior into a new direction.

Registered Name: Similar to a person's legal name, this formal name is limited to 28 letters and spaces with respect to AKC registration. Some breeders may have certain requirements for selection of registered names, some requiring inclusion of the kennel name in the registered name. See also Dog Names.

Rescue organizations: Groups or individuals who save animals from shelters after they have not been claimed, abandoned and scheduled to be euthanized. These organizations seek to find temporary foster homes until permanent homes can be found for the animals. They are largely run on donations and rely on volunteers for assistance. For more information, see Dog Rescue.

Sled dog: Dogs, such as Alaskan Huskies, which are used to pull sleds, particularly in the Arctic regions.

Socialize: Take part in social activities; interact with others

Tapeworm: Ribbon-like flatworms that are parasitic in the intestines of vertebrates

Temperament: A characteristic manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting.

Tick: Bloodsucking arachnids that constitute the acarine superfamily Ixodoidea, are much larger than the closely related mites, attach themselves to warm-blooded vertebrates to feed. See Common Ailments and Issues

Treat teaser toy: An entertainment toy specifically designed to hold some type of dog treat. Examples include Kong toys, Buster Cubes and others, which are listed under Dog Toys.

Vaccination: The introduction into humans or domestic animals of microorganisms that have previously been treated to make them harmless for the purpose of inducing the development of immunity.

Wean: To accustom a puppy to take food otherwise than by nursing.

Worms: Infestation of the intestines or other parts of the body with worms or wormlike parasites.