Watch the AKC National Championship on Animal Planet on New Year's Day

This post is sponsored by Royal Canin. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Royal Canin's sponsorship of the AKC National Championship, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Royal Canin is not responsible for the content of this article.

Looking for an alternative to Bowl Games this New Year's Day? Then mark your calendar for  Monday, Jan. 1, 2018 at 7 pm ET. That's when the AKC National Championship Dog Show presented by Royal Canin™ will premiere on Animal Planet. An encore of the special will air at 11 p.m. ET.

A few weeks ago we attended the event live in Orlando and we can tell you it's an event you won't want to miss!

This is one of the most prestigious dog shows in North America, and the largest, with more than 8,600 entries so there's no shortage of extraordinary dogs. 

Oy with the Poodles already! Seriously, the Poodles as well as all the dogs were truly magnificent!

AKC National Championship by the numbers

• Dogs from 50 states and 44 countries will vie for Best in Show
• The AKC National Championship celebrates its 17th year
• The show offers the biggest monetary award in the word of dog sports -- more than $150,000
• A record number 8,600 entries represent all 190 AKC breeds

This show pup reminded me of Rocco Havanese, though this beautiful pup is a Lhasa Apso, ready for the ring

Actor and dog lover Jerry O'Connell serves as this year's guest host, joining co-hosts, sportscasters Jason Knapp and Sam Ryan and AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. As part of the telecast, O'Connell will take the Animal Planet audience on a behind the scenes look at the largest dog show in the country, including highlights from each competition category, including agility, dock diving and Best in Show.

Dock diving pup!

We can't wait to see the show on New Year's Day. In the meantime, check out lots of photos and videos on live.royalcanin.com.

And don't forget to tune in to Animal Planet at 7 p.m. ET on New Year's Day for the airing of the AKC National Championship dog show.

This Corgi's ready to rock 'n roll in the show ring.

8,600 Things to Love About the AKC National Championship Dog Show

Havanese line up at the AKC National Championship

This post is sponsored by Royal Canin. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Royal Canin's sponsorship of the AKC National Championship, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Royal Canin is not responsible for the content of this article.

Last weekend we traveled to Orlando for the AKC National Championship Dog Show presented by Royal Canin™ and we had a terrific time!

If you've never been, this event is one to put on your not-to-miss list... for about 8,600 reasons. That's because as the largest dog show in North America, the AKC National Championship boasts 8,600 entries from around the world. And that means you'll have no shortage of dogs to drool over and puppies to pet!

Here are our top five reasons to attend!

1. Dogs, dogs, dogs and more dogs!

The Orange County Convention Center venue is HUGE, so picture the biggest space you can imagine  (this one is more than 1 million square feet!) and no matter where you look there are dogs, dogs, dogs!

There are dogs competing in conformation with all 190 AKC recognized breeds entered and this year a new event was created for puppy show dogs. The inaugural National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes is a competition for purebred dogs aged 6-18 months, showcasing the future stars of the show ring!

Additionally, we loved seeing all the performance dogs competing in agility, obedience, rally and dock diving, and all the dogs at Meet the Breeds... more about that below!

It's a paradise for any dog lover!

Looking out over an agility ring at the expansive venue, and this is just one small part of it!

Impressive Toy Group Puppy Stakes lineup

2. Performance Dog Sports

This is one dog show where you get to see nearly every dog event all under one roof. I put in LOTS of miles running from event to event because I didn't want to miss a thing.

In addition to the conformation events, I camped out at the AKC Agility Invitational rings (of course!) and spent some time watching obedience, rally and dock diving dogs. 

So many amazing talented dogs!

Harry the Bichon competes in the AKC Agility Invitational

3. Meet the Breeds

One of our favorites, Meet the Breeds is a terrific way to learn about so many different dog breeds. With more than 160 breeds represented we could have used another week -- at least -- to meet them all!

This is a great way to talk to breed representatives and learn what dog is best suited for your family. And it's your chance to pet all the cute pups!

This is Lucy, an adorable Lagotto Romagnolo puppy. The breed originates from Italy and since the 19th century has been bred to hunt truffles!

4. The Shopping

With over 100 vendors, this is a dog lovers shopping paradise! You'll find everything from jewelry to dog beds to toys and treats, and even a special dog walking jacket.

Check out this jacket from Let's Go Design, complete with poop bag dispenser, treat pocket and reflective piping!

The camera flash makes the reflective areas glow. And the belt even doubles as a leash!

5. Education

Whether you're looking for a new activity to participate in with your dog or want to learn how to keep your pup a healthy weight, you'll find it at the AKC National Championship.

Did you know that more than half the dogs in the U.S are considered either overweight or obese? With the help of smart nutrition and a fun activity, you can help keep both you and your pup happy and healthy! 

In addition to learning more about Royal Canin at the Royal Canin booth, we loved the demo ring, which offered information and demonstrations on scent work, trick dogs, disc freestyle, fly ball and more! So many great activities to try with your pups. We're working on a few of them now with Rocco!

Miss the event this year? Not to worry. You'll find oodles of poodles fun videos and photos at live.royalcanin.com and then mark your calendar for the telecast on Animal Planet on New Year's Day at 7 pm ET with a re-air immediately following.

Jenny and her Bull Mastiff catch a ride after showing. See you next year!

A great dog show and day surrounded by dogs always leaves me smiling. Have you ever attended this show or any dog show? Let us know in the comments below!

Sparkle's Birthday Splash Bash and Fido + Fluffy's #FreebieFriday

Rocco and pals do some log balancing while the other party dogs play in the river

Last weekend we were invited to help our Instagram pal Sparkles the Diva celebrate her 7th birthday at a super fun splash party! We all met at Whitewater Creek on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, a great place where dogs can run off-leash and splash around in the water that stays shallow for a long way out!

Sparkles outdid herself with the party planning... there was yummy cake for the dogs from Taj Ma-Hound Bakery, fabulous party prizes and hours of fun splashing around in the water with friends!

The doggie cake and cookies. Rocco says they were scrumptious!

Of course there was lots of picture-taking going on and we had so much fun hanging out with our Atlanta Instagram pals in person!

Rocco with Sparkles, the birthday girl!

Rocco with Instagram pal Sheepish_Addie!

Thank you Sparkles for a great party! 

Now it's time again for  Fido + Fluffy's  Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Check out the goodies in the Fido's Freebie Friday giveaways listed below. You can enter them all or add your own! We make it easy by linking them up all in one place.
If you're a blogger with a pet-related giveaway, be sure to link up! Please link directly to your giveaway, not to your home page. We post a new blog hop every Thursday afternoon at 4 pm ET. 
We hope you enjoy the Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday blog hop that we co-host with DogTipper and CatTipper!

Good luck!

Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. DogTipper, CatTipper and To Dog With Love take no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet products to be offered. Fulfillment of each giveaway is done by the blog conducting the giveaway, not by the hosts of this giveaway hop; please contact the giveaway host with any questions regarding a giveaway or giveaway prize.

Rocco Goes Italian! Fido + Fluffy's #FreebieFriday

Rocco enjoys some lake time at Lago di Mergozzo in northern Italy

Last week Rocco traveled with us to Italy! He did so well on the long plane flight, sleeping the entire way. And once in Italy, he was allowed to go everywhere with us.

Dog owners over there seem to keep their dogs by their sides (and they don't think they all have to "say hi" to other dogs) which made Rocco very happy and very well behaved! Rocco's not a fan of dogs running up to him and getting in his face -- not surprisingly --  which seems to happen quite often here in the U.S.

During our trip, we traveled around the lakes region of Northern Italy, spending some time at Lakes Mergozzo, Menaggio and Como as well as a few other adventures! We'll post more about those in upcoming days. 

We had a fabulous time and love how dog-friendly it is in Italy!

Now it's time again for  Fido + Fluffy's  Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Check out the goodies in the Fido's Freebie Friday giveaways listed below. You can enter them all or add your own! We make it easy by linking them up all in one place.
If you're a blogger with a pet-related giveaway, be sure to link up! Please link directly to your giveaway, not to your home page. We post a new blog hop every Thursday afternoon at 4 pm ET. 
We hope you enjoy the Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday blog hop that we co-host with DogTipper and CatTipper!

Good luck!

Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. DogTipper, CatTipper and To Dog With Love take no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet products to be offered. Fulfillment of each giveaway is done by the blog conducting the giveaway, not by the hosts of this giveaway hop; please contact the giveaway host with any questions regarding a giveaway or giveaway prize.

Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday Says Take Your Dog to Work!

Friday, June 23 is Take Your Dog to Work day and we hope you all are able to enjoy your furry companion alongside you at work today! 

Rocco will be right by my side as he is everyday since I'm so lucky to be able to work from home. 

Are you taking your dog to work this Friday, and is your workplace dog-friendly everyday? And do you know the origins of Take Your Dog to Work Day?

Pet Sitters International (PSI) created the day in 1999 to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions. If you are celebrating, be sure to check out these seven tips for Take Your Dog To Work Day success.

Now it's time again for  Fido + Fluffy's  Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Check out the goodies in the Fido's Freebie Friday giveaways listed below. You can enter them all or add your own! We make it easy by linking them up all in one place.
If you're a blogger with a pet-related giveaway, be sure to link up! Please link directly to your giveaway, not to your home page. We post a new blog hop every Thursday afternoon at 4 pm ET. 
We hope you enjoy the Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday blog hop that we co-host with DogTipper and CatTipper!

Good luck!

Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. DogTipper, CatTipper and To Dog With Love take no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet products to be offered. Fulfillment of each giveaway is done by the blog conducting the giveaway, not by the hosts of this giveaway hop; please contact the giveaway host with any questions regarding a giveaway or giveaway prize.

Chillin' out with Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday

Rocco cools off in the river along the West Palisades trail in Atlanta

Sometimes on hot summer days it's best to just chill out! 

We recently hiked the West Palisades trail along the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta where Rocco found this nice place to cool off.  It's a nice 4-mile trail for dog walking and hiking with fairly wide paths and a soft surface with few rocks or roots to navigate. 

We hope you're staying cool as the summer heats up! 

Now it's time again for  Fido + Fluffy's  Freebie Friday, the weekly blog hop for pet-related giveaways!

Check out the goodies in the Fido's Freebie Friday giveaways listed below. You can enter them all or add your own! We make it easy by linking them up all in one place.
If you're a blogger with a pet-related giveaway, be sure to link up! Please link directly to your giveaway, not to your home page. We post a new blog hop every Thursday afternoon at 4 pm ET. 
We hope you enjoy the Fido + Fluffy's Freebie Friday blog hop that we co-host with DogTipper and CatTipper!

Good luck!

Individual rules of entry and guidelines for winning may apply to each listing. DogTipper, CatTipper and To Dog With Love take no responsibility for the legality of the rules governing the listings on other sites and giveaways that are posted here. We simply provide this forum as a gathering place for pet products to be offered. Fulfillment of each giveaway is done by the blog conducting the giveaway, not by the hosts of this giveaway hop; please contact the giveaway host with any questions regarding a giveaway or giveaway prize.

Roc on the Rocks

Rocco hikes the Iron Hill Trail at Red Top Mountain State Park in Georgia

We had so much fun hiking last weekend, including this stop at Red Top Mountain State Park.  We hiked the 3.8-mile Iron Hill Trail which follows the shores of Lake Allatoona much of the way.  It was surprisingly peaceful given the holiday weekend and we highly recommend this dog-friendly trail!

Hike On!

Today we're joining the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.