It’s official: Magneto is a good citizen. This New Yorker strolls the streets calmly, unfazed by the sights and sounds of the busy city. Horn honks, sidewalk trash, subway smells, touchy passersby—Magneto takes it all in stride. Magneto is a good dog. And his owner has the papers to prove it.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) officially recognizes dogs that demonstrate good citizenship. The official title for these city-wise pups is Urban Canine Good Citizen. The Urban CGC is one of four titles the AKC gives for doggie citizenship.
Dogs must have a registered AKC number and pass the basic Canine Good Citizen test before being allowed to take the urban version of the exam.
The basic test has been around for about 25 years. More than 700,000 dogs have passed. The urban version requires a bit more self-restraint on the part of the pooch.
AKC officials administer the Urban CGC test in tough city settings. Streets, cars, noises, elevators, outdoor cafes, and other distractions are all part of the real-world exam.
Dogs perform a 10-step test of skills. For example, they must wait patiently for “walk” lights at pedestrian crossings, clamber in and out of cars or taxis, and ignore tempting street food. Two of the most difficult parts of the test involve a dog’s tolerating hugs and strokes from strangers and remaining still while its owner browses in a dog-friendly shop.
Some people think the test of doggie etiquette is barking up the wrong tree. “It’s more that the owners could step up their game,” observed one New Yorker.
Why do owners put their dogs through these urban paces? For one thing, it’s a way to “consider others,” as in Philippians 2:3. But additionally, from a practical point of view, some people believe good dog behavior will pay off. Some homeowners’ insurers have agreed to cover certain breeds with the basic canine good citizen title according to the AKC. Further, some think the Urban CGC title might help get a beloved pet into the best co-ops and condos.
What does the pooch get for its efforts? The AKC awards each dog that successfully passes the citizenship test the suffix “CGC” after its name—that and a doggie treat.
Some canines will do anything to stay out of the doghouse.
Gabrielle P.
Below is a picture of Onyx--he's finally ready for adoption! :)
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/bf3b84f4-efe6-483f-b28f-08b31cdc0...
And here's a picture of Daisy the terrier mix:
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/91aab686-fd34-4b58-ab4f-979eba667...
And Abigail the Chihuahua mix:
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/36f5ca04-08db-4113-a877-8b97952ff...
Rebekah S.
I love bok choy, its one of my favorite vegetables. Yeah, I wasn't overly fond of Thor, but when I looked up different comic book names for dogs, it was one of the more popular ones.
Gabrielle P.
Here are a bunch of misc. vegetable names for a theme:
• Okra
• Parsnip
• Rutabaga
• Turnip
• Rhubarb
Gabrielle P.
And cactus themed names:
• Cholla
• Claret
• Mojave
• Organ
• Senita
Gabrielle P.
And element names:
• Diamond
• Gold
• Copper
• Silver
• Beryllium
• Scandium (Scandi)
• Vanadium (Vana)
• Cobalt
• Nickel
• Zinc
• Indium
• Xenon
• Astatine
Rebekah S
No, I know what an animal shelter is. I meant, what do u mean by starting ur own shelter?
Rebekah S.
Love them all. :-)
Justin T.
I don't really understand what you mean. Could you re-word it?
Do you mean, what does it take to start a shelter?
Sorry
Sorry I meant u asked me if I would like to start my own animal shelter. What exactly does that mean?
Justin T.
It means, would you like to start and run your own animal shelter? (For example, putting together a board of directors, doing all of the legal stuff, finding a facility or building one, getting prepared for animals, accepting animals, raising funds, etc.)
Justin T.
What I really am asking is if you like domestic animals (mainly dogs and cats), would you want to rescue them and find them forever homes?
Wow
Wow. Well, of course. The problem is, I don't have the finances or the resources to do it. Do u have an animal shelter?
Justin T.
No, I don't have an animal shelter. (But I volunteer at one.)
However, I wish to start one when I grow up.
Justin T.
On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love animals? On a scale of 1-10, how much do you want to start an animal shelter?
Rebekah S
Um, 10 for I love animals, and 10 for animal shelter, but like I said, I don't have the resources. It would be great, but it would cost a fortune, and I don't have that kind of money.
Gabrielle P.
Shelter update-
Onyx the pit bull mix is the one of the sweetest dogs that I've ever met! Even though he's a tripod (a dog with 3 legs), he still likes to jump up and run around. He takes treats gently and is just a great dog!
Ryker, 2 year old pit bull mix, is very jumpy and mouthy. He's like a miniature Diego, only different in breed and size. Below is a picture of Ryker:
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/4be50510-53b3-493b-a896-4005269c0...
Duke, a 4 year old Chihuahua mix, is going to get adopted in a day or so! He's a cute little guy that gets along well with another dog (Abigail, a tan and white Chihuahua mix), and jumped up on my lap a few times. Below is a picture of Duke:
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/d6fcfc7c-0bc0-48f7-89ea-13853719a...
Abigail, a black and tan 6-8 month old female Chihuahua mix may get adopted soon. Below is a picture of Abigail:
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/36f5ca04-08db-4113-a877-8b97952ff...
Abby the German shepherd mix is pretty much the same. I think that somebody is interested in her, but she's going to have to stay at the shelter for a while longer because the staff are giving her a bit of training.
Diego the pit bull and boxer mix, is a great boy in his cage! So far, he knows how to sit; I'm trying to teach him how to lay down. What I really think he needs is somebody to understand him and give him lots of training and TLC.
Justin T.
Well, I know for sure that people who start shelters DO NOT have lots of money--they do what they can because they love animals. In your case, it sounds like to really want to start a shelter but you can't right now (like me)--maybe you could volunteer at your local shelter and gain more experience, or your family could decide to foster or adopt a pet.
Where do you live, and what grade are you in?
Gabrielle P.
In my shelter update, I meant to say that Abigail is a tan and black Chihuahua mix, not a tan and white Chihuahua mix. Sorry for the mistake!
Rebekah
Uh I think I live near a shelter and I'm in ninth grade
Rebekah S.
No problem. She's really cute though. :-)
Gabrielle P.
Abigail is cute--she's also very sweet.
Justin T.
Do you live in the US? If so, where? I'm in the Midwest.
Gabrielle P.
Best Friends just adopted out some incredibly cute puppies! Here they are-
Cheerio:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Boo Berry:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Kix:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Trix:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
This litter was named after different types of cereals.
Gabrielle P.
The Cereal Puppies were born in October 2015 and were found abandoned.
Here is another super cute litter that Best Friends just adopted out-
Baboon:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Colobus:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Macaque:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Tamarin:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Grivet:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Capuchin:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
This litter was named after different typed of monkeys.
Gabrielle P.
The Monkey Puppies were born in October 2015 and came from an animal rescue group in Arizona. (All the photos and information about the puppies came from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.)
Gabrielle P.
Marmoset (pictured below) is another one of the Monkey Puppies. She's not available for adoption and she's not in the adopted column either, but she's super cute!
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCc_gd8G210-PmKbHm0Bbg4NBRVWGdA...
Gabrielle P.
If week took in strays, we would look around for their owners. I've written up something about this topic and I would like your opinion on it.
If a dog was found as a stray, the first half of the quarantine period (1 week) is the time that we would search for his owners. If the owners are not found before 1 week, the dog is officially ours and we can begin getting him ready for adoption. If the owners are found before 1 week, have them explain their predicament of why they lost their dog. If they simply do not want their dog anymore, we keep it and ask them to give us any more information about the dog. If they wish to have their dog back, we give their dog back to them and tell them anything new that we might have learned about the dog. However, if the owners return for their dog after 1 week, they must explain their predicament of why they lost their dog and why they didn’t return for it within a week; in this case, if the dog’s owners want their dog back, they must pay a fee (fees vary for duration that the dog is with us). If the owners come back for their dog when the dog is available for adoption, they will not get their dog back.
Do you think that this would be fair in the owners case--if they came back late and found that their dog was available for adoption?
Gabrielle P.
I think that our shelter's bylaws should include something about how we have the right to claim a stray dog as "ours" after 1 week.
Gabrielle P.
Some other names for the shelter:
Rescuing Hearts
Rescue Hearts
Rescue Paws
(My sibling came up with Rescuing Hearts.)
Rebekah S.
Ah!! They're sooooo cute!!!!! Your plan for strays sounds pretty good. I have just a few questions though. I was thinking, what if one of the reasons that the owners didn't know what happened to their dog was that the dog ran away and ended up in a different state? If the dog's owners are unable to make the trek to come and get him/her, would we have some sort of rules applying to a situation like that? Even though it doesn't happen very often, I have heard a few stories on the news about that happening to a few different people.
Justin T
Just wondering, but how old are you, and what grade are you in?
Gabrielle P.
Well, like you said, cases with a dog running away into another state, surviving, and getting picked up by a shelter are rare. But, I guess that they can happen.
If the dog is available for adoption when his owners return, maybe they should pay the adoption fee (or a little less than that) to get their dog back. Why? Well, we would have already taken that dog to the vet and got him neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, etc.
What do you think?
Gabrielle P.
Well, I have a whole document on dog care and information that I came up with. Here are the first two sections. I'd like your opinion on them.
Accepting Dogs:
Dogs may be pulled from animal control facilities and any other places where they are scheduled to be put down. If somebody calls and tells us that they want to surrender their dog, only accept if there is an available foster home or an available kennel. If we do not have any space available, direct them to other no-kill organizations that may have available space.
Dogs may also be pulled from overcrowded no-kill shelters and rescues. Make sure—when accepting a dog from another no-kill shelter or rescue—that all information about that dog is transferred as well.
Who to Accept:
Before accepting any dog, consider his case. Dogs with major aggression issues will not be accepted unless a person is specially trained and work with that dog every day. Dogs that don’t like dogs will be considered if there is adequate space to keep him separate from other dogs. Dogs that don’t like cats will be accepted, as dogs and cats do not mix most of the time. Dogs that don’t like people (people-selective dogs) should not be considered, as not many people will have the time to train a people-selective dog. Dogs that are possessive with toys and other items will be considered if there is a person that is willing to work with the dog on his issues.
Blind or deaf dogs—if somebody has the time and experience to care for them and help them navigate the world—will be accepted. Dogs that are both blind and deaf will only be considered if a person had special experience working with blind and deaf dogs. Dogs that have the occasional seizure will be considered if there is adequate space to keep him separate from other dogs when he has seizures. Dogs that have been hit by automobiles will be accepted if there are funds to care for him. Dogs with less than 4 limbs will be accepted. Incontinent dogs will be accepted if we have the funds to continually purchase dog diapers.
Sick and/or unhealthy dogs will be accepted if we have the space and supplies to care for their illnesses. Dogs with skin issues will be accepted if we have the adequate space to keep him away from other dogs and the funds to treat skin issues. Dogs with various medical conditions will be accepted if there are funds to pay for the medical bills. Healthy puppies, young, adult, and senior dogs will be accepted.
Puppies that need around-the-clock care (bottle feeding care) will be considered if there is enough space and supplies to care for them. Puppies with mild cases of parvovirus will be considered if there is adequate space to separate them from other puppies and if there are funds to give them proper treatment. Puppies with distemper will not be accepted. Puppies that eat solid puppy food will be accepted. Pregnant mother dogs and mother dogs with nursing and/or weaned puppies will be accepted.
Stray dogs will be considered by case-to-case basis. Owner surrenders will be considered by case-to-case basis. Jumpy and energetic dogs will be accepted. Mouthy, shy, and anxious dogs will be considered by case-to-case basis. Fence-climbing and mouthy dogs will be considered. Short-haired, medium-haired, and long-haired dogs will be accepted.
After considering a dog’s case, make a trip to where he is located and get to know him better. After more consideration, the dog may be brought to the rescue.
Gabrielle P.
If you'd like, I can comment more sections from my information book.
Rebekah S.
Okay, I agree with that, that sounds good. What's the name of the information book you have?
Gabrielle P.
It doesn't really have a name, but I call it "Dog Care and Information". I came up with it myself, so it isn't for sale anywhere!
Rebekah and Gabrielle
Rebekah: I live in new jersey. Gabrielle: I'm in ninth grade and I'm fifteen
Sorry
Sorry I took so long to answer, I was busy
Justin T.
I understand-thanks!
Gabrielle P.
Is there such thing as a pink tick? If so, are they common on dogs? I'm wondering this because my dog has a raised pink bump (that looks like her skin) on her right front leg. We don't know that it is and will be observing it during the next few days.
Rebekah S.
The bump on your dog's leg could be a fatty tumor. Don't worry, fatty tumors are benign. I have found a few on my older dog, and I have been treating them with a tea tree salve and they have started to shrink. If there are pink ticks, I don't recall ever having heard of them. But I would recommend keeping a close eye on it to make sure that it doesn't grow or change colors.
Rebekah S.
Wow, you're a really good writer. I bet English is one of your best subjects! :)
Justin T
No problem. Coolio, I'm a sophomore and I just turned 16. :)
Gabrielle P.
Thanks! When I was a little younger, I liked to write stories. I still write some stories, but mostly focus on making shelter plans.
Whenever I write anything, I want it to sound nice and not have any mistakes.
Gabrielle P.
The bump on my dog's leg isn't big. It could also be a pimple (yes, dogs can get them; they can also get zits) or a cut that got infected. We'll keep a good eye on it and make sure that it doesn't change--if it grows of does something else abnormal, I think that we will call our veterinarian.
Gabrielle P.
How big were the fatty tumors on your dog?
Rebekah S.
At first it was pretty big, maybe a bit smaller than a dime, but since we've been using the tea tree salve on it, it's about the size of a pin-head now.
Gabrielle P.
I think that we are going to call our vet today just to make sure that it isn't some sort of tick bite.
Rebekah S.
I totally understand, that's always the best option if you're unsure. :) I pray it's nothing serious.
Gabrielle P.
Okay. :)
By the way, Marmoset the puppy was adopted!
Pages