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.
The Dog Days of Summer event would include food and drinks, crafts, material to make enrichment items for the dogs, playing with adoptable dogs, and watching the dog have fun during the water activities planned especially for them. It would have to be on a Saturday, maybe in July or August. The fee to attend would be $5 per person, with children 5 years of age and under being free.
The Kids' Day would be open to kids 8 years of age and up and would include caring for and playing with kid-friendly adoptable, learning how, when, and why our shelter started and how we operate, and food and drinks. The participation fee would be about $7 a kid and would be held on Saturday and Sunday with two time slots on Saturday (morning and afternoon) and one time slot on Sunday (afternoon). For parents to get their child involved in this, they would need to fill out a small sign-up application online.
Gabrielle P.
The Kitten Klub would include socializing with and playing with adoptable kittens. Everybody over 6 years of age would be welcome to attend. The event would be held on a Saturday from 1:00pm-3:30pm. The participation fee would be $2 per child and $1 per adult.
Project Puppy is similar. It includes socializing and playing with adoptable puppies. The main goal of this event is to get the puppies well socialized. Everybody over 6 years of age would be welcome to attend. It would also be held on a Saturday from 1:00pm-3:30pm and the participation fees would be $2 per child and $1 per adult.
The Paw Prints Palooza event would include helping dogs and puppies create paintings with their paws (their paws would be dipped in paint, then they would walk across canvases). It would also include observing the animals as they paint and purchasing the paintings for $3-$5 each. If a person is coming to help the animals paint, the fee would be $2 a person. If a person is coming to observe or buy a painting, the fee is $3 a person. This event would be held on a Saturday. People could also donate small and medium canvases before the event.
Gabrielle P.
In my comment about the Kids' Day, I didn't mean to say, "and playing with kid-friendly adoptable". I meant to say, "and playing with kid-friendly adoptable animals". Sorry!
gabrielle p.
If you have any fundraising ideas, please let me know!
Gabrielle P.
Do you enjoy taking photos? I do. Depending on the camera, I take good photos.
Rebekah and Gabrielle
Thanks! I'm not exactly taking a writing course (writing just comes to me) but I do have a writing grammar class at school and I am taking English 102 for college.
Justin T.
Okay. I enjoy writing stories, but get stuck at certain points and don't know what to write. Does that happen to you? If so, what do you do?
Rebekah S
Yep, it does happen to me. Well, when that happens, I just sit around for a bit and think about what should be written next. If that doesn't work, I take a break. Then, I get inspired in some way, or just wait until I finally think of something. Reading other books always helps to inspire me. Although I have to try hard to make sure I'm not copying any book in any way lol. Also, u like writing stories, too? What kinds of things do you like to write about?
Justin T.
I mostly like to write about animals, especially dogs and horses. When I write about them, it's usually from the animal's perspective.
Justin T.
Sometimes, if I'm writing a dog story, I'll try to find a picture that looks like what I want the dog in my story to be.
Rebekah S
I like that, The Dog Days of Summer and Kitten Klub. That would be really neat for kids and adults alike. I was thinking that if we did do a Facebook page, that it would be a good idea to advertise events like the Kids' Day and The Dog Days of Summer. I do like to take pictures, but I don't really like to be in them. XD I don't really have a camera right now though, so I haven't been taking any pictures lately.
Rebekah S
I was also thinking, what if we did something similar to a fair? That might be a bit later though, if and when we decided that we'd like to add more types of animals. Like horses, goats, llamas/alpacas, or something like that. We could have a place where potential adopters could ride horses in a ring, or just petting the llamas or alpacas in their pasture. :) There could also be an indoor facility where people would see the dogs and cats. It's just a thought, I haven't really expanded on it yet.
Gabrielle P.
Okay; it sounds fun!
The only thing I would be concerned about is the horse riding part. I mean, the people don't really know the horse and the horse wouldn't know that people that would be riding him, so something unexpected could happen. Maybe--instead of that--there could be a mini-show in which the horses would show off their skills.
Rebekah S
I guess I didn't explain that part very well. I guess how I should have put it is, if there is someone that is interested in adopting a rideable horse, then the riding ring would give them a chance to get to know the horse and to see if that horse would be a good fit for them. If they would like to ride the horse, then we would have equipment available for them to ride with. Other than that, we could have halters and leads if we just would like to walk them around the ring. :) I hope that kind of cleared that up.
Gabrielle P.
When you mean leading, do you mean leading the horses around the ring while allowing people to ride them?
Rebekah S
That's cool! Do you have any interest in getting your stories published, or do you just do it for fun?
Justin T.
I mostly do it for fun, although it would be neat to get them published. But, if they were to get published, I guess I would have to learn the "proper" way to write them.
What about you?
Justin T.
About how many words are each of your chapters?
Rebekah S
I think that either way could be good. Depending on the experience of the rider, then we would lead the horse for safety reasons, and if they have had a lot more years of experience then they would be able to ride the horse on their own. I know that if they were able to ride the horse on their own, then they would have more control to get a feel for the horse, but I was just thinking that for the sake of safety, it might be better if in some circumstances they ride while the horse is being led.
Gabrielle P.
That sounds better--the riders should also sign a waiver that makes it so they can't sue us if they get hurt.
Gabrielle P.
On a scale of 1-10, how much do you like cats? Mine would probably be a 9.
Rebekah S
Yes, a waiver would definitely be good. Hmmm, I'd probably be a 7 or 8 on cats. It isn't that I don't like cats, I just haven't much experience with them, but I would definitely want rescue them.
Rebekah S
I was also thinking, with the rideable horses, would it be a good idea to maybe do short trail rides with some of the kids? I thought about it earlier, but I just wanted to see what your opinion would be on this.
Wow! Gabrielle P. and Rebekah
Wow! Gabrielle P. and Rebekah S.! You guys have alot to talk about!
Gabrielle P.
That would depend on the horses, the kids, and--most importantly--the parents. If we had dependable horses that have had lots of riding experience and are trustworthy, then possibly. But, of course, the parents would have to agree to it. And the kids--if they want to go on the ride but they want their parents, would the parents be allowed to ride?
What would the fee (per person) to ride be? Maybe like $5-$8?
Ana H.
Yes, we do!
Gabrielle P.
Shelter Update:
Abby is pretty much the same--sweet as ever!
There is a new dog--a 3-year-old male Boston terrier mix called Isaac. He has a cute under bite and likes to jump! Below is a photo of Isaac:
http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1570/7f84e660-4c78-49f7-b03f-a252029ea...
Kaia is a 10 month old female German shepherd, Great Dane, and shepherd mix. Loving Heart is housing her for a new foster-based rescue. Kaia is VERY big, but is a sweetie!
Bailey is the mother of Khloe and her siblings--she's doing fine!
Ryker, Abigail, and Diego are pretty much the same.
Rebekah S
Yes, definitely allow parents to go along. The last time that I went on a trail ride, both my parents went and I think it was a lot more fun with them along. I got to ride a 19-20 year old thoroughbred named Blue, and he was a real sweetie. A $5-$8 dollar fee sounds reasonable to me. I just thought about it, if a child is under a certain age, I think that one or both parents (or the child's guardian) would have to come on the trail ride too. Maybe 13 and up would be an okay age without a parent or guardian present.
Rebekah S
Aww, Isaac is soo cute. Are there any pictures of Kaia? And what is the web address for Loving Heart Animal Rescue?
Gabrielle P.
There are no pictures of Kaia--I wish there were!
Loving Heart's website address is: www.lovingheartanimalshelter.org.
Gabrielle P.
Your plans for the horse-riding event sounds pretty good--maybe lower the age to 12? What would this event be called, and what other activities would there be?
Gabrielle P.
Kaia kind of looks like the dog pictured below.
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B3QLOiSNzZOYpzixlMuc57msc9x/wBcsBs6/ArMpQBCLRIUNR9oaxt5J1cehJ2RatV7rkgf9RCMdIXNCj6qeinYTrfxVjQ6JoBSKJ06SgyLqaq3DydFqOwgiSSPELqJa0yJnyIKNGFsPhQ05hcjcWI9E2OKVgIMOjci/spLhM8+iHWuLED6pbRYPW4i17Mw7rhGdv3HRYfEMTmLXbaK+JZPQ9FlmkZLXW+6uROrOcSDBSraxTMRIStMRM9VcTTDXkrQw1LLDgf+wWQ3GNAtM7n8JnCVajiLw0+pjWyq5hR6GnWhFZiig4elIBcbR5pyk1sRErnraLiuTsuc3pH0RGObGnr+lJfKApTbCs8KMsorae+iAFn6rkfsPFcgEy3f5ZR4q2JMC3VKValvJc7oRiKwASRxX9JfF1uXwpW6eae4eOIJ8Eak+UjSpJ6i1GHBm2SPEsHmeHgxNj4jf0TxVcRUAAG8ynx9T38K0uHt3k+Kbw+AGsWQhWRv+VAW7mo1RsWsJE3PJEcBT7zmFrs/daDZ2VuXMRs3MZ8QUFzg0PNXKf4GmDJzkmbwbNiVFDvPdUce84knz6KvifqKVAiS4y46k3Ku5HdWB0Co0SZspUo0osNiZVhQm6l1P5CQCBHij0qpk2m1lBpgcvnNQSAjBqlZznaiwVWs3KMAYRWUSeafwF9NkCqLrQewC/srtoN1hLTxn0sLa+u2iz8bhiTy5FbgaDMHxQMQwtAIHdOh6p6WPLYphzXHpzSw1+FeoxmGY8dzP/5GZ56BZzeERoY+60nSLGezh7qh1idgy/stfDcPbSsLui+8eP4RqGGcLZz6p2lhdhKd6KRGGw1k22lARaNGyu2YiTHJZrLdlJR24eNEZrEwKU9UAClT2TFLD9FzaBBmB4oodCMLUZBz9lyuHHkuQHm3u2SGMfbwQMRjy0Xa70KyavEC6dtgPqVzfmuqUf8AkYRqVNBw7e6m6QVYertajNUspKBMpYNT88lmPqlzi7bQeATHE68DINTr4KmDoLXjn+svJ1/BaFNFaGnO14IJpk09szpGVoKl50ExKK3ENNIEZXOpDKHu5uJJyt59ei1kY2mcXTqvLWOa3uhuYtG8WbPJotbclTTaBokzUeW5jLtuk8h+kxgWOa2Drul0II4g6AorWhQ0K0ypUsI3UZTKlhaHAlsjcTE+eysCCSYgbCdPMoAZYTsiMpe3NHFMG8kLhbrO8XS0YllIam6msbax4LgzcmyjJO/skalK5VcTW2CdZTi3r4pB7OsqpC0IEgRMzr4eKhtI6Sb6iUbTa6gC+uqeFqnZDn5QoNMCbgzCZyeipfbXp9EAsbH6J3D6KKNDmE7PQJHFAev1RmMGq5hnoj5EyDawKW1EOo291JbMIJxqdVQSrOVwQE4FQT/+lyNKhA15pnEMwvp86LM4ph6clzRfc6ey5cos9K5t2A4dqZ7KCCNCuXLN0GwluIYkUhzJ0Clcjmey6uRmYakXkuNyVpspQFy5bOcB2IY0ua9plzJYRs7byuUfiGC7ItotgOEueTf+cFoHl9Vy5X/Ef01gsPBEkk8zt4DZN1Kalcs60geVS4QVC5Ml2M3lFB3hcuSMWHRsFdrCNwuXKacQ4cz5QjFwY2SLrlyqFSbq5PQKAFC5UlDjr7qQN1C5AXY70Vmtnw2XLkUDBoA+a8lwcuXKTXYf0mxViAdSoXKiAc+5sFOc6ztooXICaRn9qWOlcuTIw0W/pcuXID//2Q==
Gabrielle P.
Sorry that the picture didn't work out! Just go to Google and type in German shepherd, Great Dane mix. The dog that looks like Kaia is the second picture on the top row.
Gabrielle P.
What if some day, some people came into our shelter and said that they wanted to surrender their rabbit. If we had the adequate space and supplies, would we accept the rabbit? I'd probably say yes if we knew how to take care of one.
Rebekah S.
I think that 12 might be an acceptable age too. I'm still trying to come up with a good name for this event. I had decided I would come back to the name and work out the details of the event first. I was thinking that maybe there could still be crafts, games (for some of the younger kids) and some snacks, then maybe a presentation on what our animal shelter is about, and maybe it would be a good idea to have some workshops on different ways to care for each animal properly. Thanks, I'll check out Loving Heart later today. :) I actually have had some experience with rabbits and guinea pigs, I pet sat a guinea pig for a friend of mine a few times, and care is basically the same for a rabbit. They're pretty fun. :D
Rebekah S.
Wow, German Shepherd Great Dane Mixes sure are big. I bet Kaia is a really pretty dog. She probably still has a bit of growing left, since she's still a puppy. Almost hard to believe that they're that big.
Gabrielle P.
Yes, Kaia is REALLY big! She also like to jump a lot, which can be a problem because of her size. I'll bet that if she jumped up on me with full impact I would be knocked down!
What would our adoption fee for horses be? The adoption fee would include a gelding surgery for male horses, shots UTD, worming, and dental care. Maybe about $450 or $500 for horses, then $300 for burros.
Gabrielle P.
So the event that you are planning sounds quite extensive; maybe it should be held for a few days.
What about a fee for the event--with the workshops and all, maybe it should be $10 for each person. What do you think?
Gabrielle P.
What are your main jobs with your dogs?
I walk, groom, play with, and pick up after my dog. I've bathed her once, but I've also bathed dogs at Loving Heart.
Gabrielle P.
What would we call our different animal areas? Maybe Hooved Haven for equines, pigs, goats, and sheep and Rodent Resort for the rodents. I haven't really thought of any other good names yet.
Rebekah S.
Yes, maybe we could make it a weekend workshop, like Fridays afternoons, Saturday mornings and afternoons, and if it extends maybe Sunday afternoons? $450-$500 sounds good, and maybe $250-$300 for donkeys/burros? I've done some research on the adoption fees for equines, and that seems about the price range for each. How about, $10 for adults, $8 for kids 10 and up, and kids younger than 5 are free? Maybe we could have homeschool days? Where homeschoolers could come and do fun activities during the week. Learn about caring for equines or the other animals. And of course we would have volunteering opportunities.
Rebekah S.
I typically bathe my dogs (it's been pretty chilly here, so I'm waiting for the weather to warm up a bit so I can bathe them), I brush their teeth, take them on walks, give them their meals, I train my puppy at 4-h club every Monday, and my sister and I alternate on picking up after them.
Rebekah S.
Pretty soon, I'm going to try and train my puppy to be able to go outside without a leash, so then I can take her to the park to run around and play. :)
Gabrielle P.
Okay; it sounds pretty good.
I forgot to mention that I brush my dog's teeth (every nigh!).
Most of the time we let our dog outside without a leash; we do not have a fenced in yard. It's pretty cold here too, but I still get outside a bit and run around with her. Our dog can't go to dog parks because she reacted to her bordetella vaccine when she was a puppy (her face swelled and we had to take her back to the vet).
Gabrielle P.
Sorry about my mistake! I mean to say every night.
What type of enrichment items would we have for the dogs? I was thinking of Kong toys with frozen PB inside of them, an agility course, treats frozen in water (for the summer), and--of course--toys.
Gabrielle P.
Would we be starting be starting out with all animals (dogs, cats, equines, barnyard animals, rodents, etc.) or dogs and cats? I personally think that we should just start with dogs and cats, then add on other animals as we expand.
Kaleb K (the brother)
This is the most comments I have EVER seen. 446!!!!!!!!!!!
Rebekah S
Not yet, but maybe one day! And I'm not sure, but in words, I'm over 10,000 already. I'm only five chapters in.
Justin T.
Wow! Keep up the good work!
Rebekah S.
I don't think that I've ever heard of a Kong toy, what are they? I've been working on some Rally exercises with my dog at 4h club, so maybe having a dog run would be fun exercise for them. Would we be taking them out on walks? Yes, I think that starting out with dogs and cats, then gradually expanding would be the best idea. By doing that we could see how our budget would work on buying more supplies, and housing new/different animals.
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