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.
Justin T
Wow, that's really awesome!! I'm not sure I would be able to do that. :)
Gabrielle P.
Kong is a brand that makes durable dog toys.
Yes, we would also take them on walks and do lighter activities with them.
Gabrielle P.
Have you ever heard of Kundra dog beds?
Rebekah S
Okay, that sounds great. Kong toys do sound good, especially maybe for puppies. Yes, I have heard of the Kundra dog beds.
Rebekah S
Wow, so I'm looking at the Kong toy website, and it looks like they have a lot to choose from. These look really cool. They have cat toys, rubber and plush toys for dogs, this looks really great. Would we maybe want to do rubber toys for teething puppies and younger dogs, and maybe the plush toys for adult to senior dogs?
Gabrielle P.
Well, I didn't know that Kong had a website.
It would depend--some adult dogs like to chew and chew, and soft toys would be gone in a few seconds. Have you heard of Nylabone? They make chewing toys for dogs.
My dog
I have a dog. Her name is Lola she is a Lhasa Apso. Sorry if that's spelled wrong. Any way she is 5.
Magneto
Magneto is soooooo cute!!!!! Although his paws are like ginormous!!!!!! ;)
Carina J.
Cool! (And you spelled Lhasa Apso right!)
Gabrielle P.
This is Tala, an adoptable puppy at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. His adoption his pending. In a way, he resembles the Spice Puppies. Below is a picture of Tala:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/filestore.rescuegroups.org/6685/pictures/animal...
Rebekah S
Yes, I looked at the Kong website yesterday. You should check it out, they have a lot of great products on there. No, I don't think that I've heard of Nylabone. I'll have to check that out too. :)
Rebekah S
That's true, my older dog destroys the soft toys or tears the squeakers out of them, then we have to throw them away. Yeah, I guess it would depend on the dog, My puppy prefers the rubber toys, but that's probably because she is still teething. Still though, Kong has a lot of products to choose from.
Gabrielle P.
One time, we got a Kong bed for our dog when she was a young adult. Not too long after we bought it, she chewed a hole in it! Now, however, she doesn't chew as nearly as much.
Gabrielle P.
You should also check out www.drsfostersmith.com. They have lots of animal supplies.
Rebekah S
Okay, thanks I will. :) Do they have supplies for all different kinds of animals? Or only specific ones?
Rebekah S
What kind of dog is Tala?
Rebekah S
Okay, never mind. I just checked out www.drfostersmith.com and they have a lot of different types of animals they carry products for. That was a really neat website. :) Thanks for telling me about it, I'll probably check out some things for my dogs.
Gabrielle P.
Best Friends thinks that Tala is a shepherd mix, but I think that he is part Chow Chow and Saint Bernard with a bit of shepherd mixed in. I just checked Best Friends' website today and found that Tala is no longer on the adoptable dogs list. His adoption was pending, so I'm sure that he is getting adopted.
Gabrielle P.
Another website with a lot of pet merchandise is www.wag.com.
Where do you shop for your dogs? My family usually goes to PetSmart to get food and other items for our dog, although sometimes we'll find a dog toy or something of the likes somewhere else.
Gabrielle P.
We've never ordered from www.drsfosterandsmith.com, but they do have some cool items. One to mention is orapup--look is up in the search box on their website. The orapup brush and lickies would be an alternative to brushing the dogs' teeth.
Gabrielle P.
Do you use heartworm and flea prevention on your dogs? If so, what is the brand?
We use Sentinel Flavor Tabs for our dog.
Gabrielle P.
So earlier this week, we finally got our dog to the vet. Turns out, the spot near her paw (I thought it was a tick) is actually a tumor--we just don't know if it is cancerous or not. Hopefully is isn't, but she will be having surgery next Tuesday to get it removed. After the surgery, she's not going to be able to run around for a couple of weeks.
Gabrielle P.
Shelter update-
Abby is doing fine--she says hi! A couple is REALLY interested in her and I think that they have made a home visit!
Abigail the Chihuahua mix may have a home visit also!
Kaia and the other dogs are fine.
Rebekah S
We typically buy their food at Trader Joe's. We have a food co-op we typically get their shampoo and flea prevention from, I can't remember the name of the company for them at the moment, but I will make sure to let you know the next time we get some. We have a store here called Tuesday Morning where we get their toys. Every once in a while we shop at PetSmart, but we don't really go there all that often.
Rebekah S
I pray that the surgery goes well, and that the tumor is not anything serious.
Gabrielle P.
We also have a Tuesday Morning near us.
Rebekah S.
Okay, I wasn't exactly sure if they were all across the US or only in specific states. :)
Gabrielle P.
That's fine!
Gabrielle P.
Abigail the Chihuahua mix got adopted!!
Rebekah S
How wonderful to hear about all of these adoptions!! :)
Rebekah S
How is your dog doing?
Gabrielle P.
Our dog's surgery was scheduled for tomorrow, but we postponed it for a week because we think that it is getting smaller--I just hope we're doing the right thing!
Rebekah S
I hope that it continues to shrink. My dog has a benign tumor on the right side of her face that recently started shrinking. It started out being the size of a dime (maybe a bit smaller), but now it's maybe the size of a pin-head.
Gabrielle P.
A while ago, our dog had two bumps on her face. One was near her eye and the other was on her muzzle. They've since shrunk.
Rebekah S
My dog's is on her cheek. We've also found one on her hip.
Gabrielle P.
Shelter update:
Turns out, Abby hasn't been adopted. When she met the people's dog they didn't get along well.
Kaia the shepherd mix has been adopted!
Some people are interested in Diego and Ryker.
Everybody else is just fine!
Gabrielle P.
So yesterday, I was struck with this question: How does a shelter support itself and the people that work there? When I volunteered at Loving Heart today, I asked one of the ladies that worked there. She told me that through donations and fundraisers, it works. That, and she is the only person that works full-time at the shelter; another lady works part-time, and all the other people on the board of directors have professional jobs.
So to speak, running a shelter would mean getting lots of support, donations, and having fundraisers. Maybe we could have a monthly donor program.
Gabrielle P.
One more thing--Loving Heart also adopted out two cats! (I loved one of the cats that got adopted out; all he wanted was love and attention!)
Gabrielle P.
What are your favorite horse breeds? Gypsy Vanners and Arabians are some of my favorites.
Rebekah S
Yay, more adoptions. I hope that Abby finds that forever home, I'm sorry to hear that she hasn't been adopted yet. My favorite horse breeds are the Akhal-Teke, the Knabstrupper, and the Grulla. Really, I just like horses in general, but those are some of the ones that I've found that really like in particular.
Rebekah S
I don't think I've heard of a Gypsy Vanner before. I'll have to look one up when I get a chance. :)
Gabrielle P.
Gypsy Vanners are beautiful horses. They're usually piebald or skewbald. Other names for the Gypsy Vanner are Vanner Horse, Tinker Horse, Gypsy Horse, Gypsy Cob, Irish Cob, Colored Cob, or Drum Horse. Gypsies look like smaller draft horses.
Gabrielle P.
Another thing about Abby--as I've found out, she's kind of people-selective. Most of the time, she will bark and growl at new people--I've seen her do this. Sometimes, however, she likes new people. Abby is always friendly to me and the LHAS staff members.
Rebekah S
Okay, I think I've heard of them referred to as the Gypsy Cob. They really are pretty. Their feet almost remind me of a Clydesdale. :)
Rebekah S
Have any potential adopters ever been able to pet Abby?
Gabrielle P.
The people that were really interested in Abby got to spend time with and pet her. It just depends on which people Abby likes--sometimes she likes men, sometimes she doesn't; sometimes she likes women, sometimes she doesn't. It's just so sad to think of all Abby has been through, having been adopted and returned twice; with that she's become an anxious dog.
Gabrielle P.
What cues should we start training dogs in our shelter/rescue? I was thinking of recall and sit at the most; if the dog excels at those cues, then maybe we could train him/her down, shake a paw, stay, etc. It would depend on the individual dogs and how much he/she is willing to learn.
One thing I've heard a lot is that a strong relationship is essential to training animals. So when we would first accept the dog, the dog would go through quarantine and we would get to know him/her better before attempting training.
What do you think and what is your opinion on this?
Gabrielle P.
This morning we took another look at the bump on our dog's leg. We peeled the scab off and discovered that the bump had gotten a lot smaller; it was almost even with her skin! So to say, our dog will not be having surgery! :)
Rebekah S
It makes my heart sad to hear how many times Abby has been returned. Did the people that adopted and returned her, actually try and work with her at all?
Rebekah S
I think that getting to know the dog first would be a good idea, especially if the dog is still a puppy. When I got my puppy it took a little while for her to adjust and get to know us. The first day of 4-h wasn't really the best for her, but when I started working at home, she got a lot better. Now, she is really enjoying doing 4-h dog. :)
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