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The American Kennel Club
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
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MAY
2005
New York, NY – The AKC Canine Good Citizen®
program rewards responsible dog ownership and is the national
gold standard for recognizing good canine behavior and a dog owner’s
commitment to basic training. The 10-step CGC™ test not only
encourages owners to begin a journey with their canine companions
that epitomizes the human-animal bond, but is used as a yardstick
for canine manners by the government, the insurance industry, law
enforcement and beyond.
Since the program’s inception in 1989, the AKC
has issued more than a half million CGC™ certificates to both
purebred and mixed breed dogs. Nearly 30,000 dogs continue to be
tested annually and today, CGC™ is often the “stepping stone” for
AKC-registered dogs to enter other AKC activities such as obedience,
agility, rally, tracking and performance events.
The state legislatures of Colorado, Delaware
and Texas have recently passed resolutions recognizing the
importance of responsible dog ownership, citing the CGC™ test as the
official measure of that commitment. In total, 21 states
(Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Kansas, Alaska, Utah, Illinois,
Louisiana, Georgia, New York, Alabama, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania,
Nebraska, Michigan, Washington, and New Hampshire) join the
U.S. Senate in this official recognition. In addition, the CGC™ test
has been used as a model for similar programs around the world in
such countries as England, Australia, Japan, Hungary, Denmark and
Canada.
CGC™ is also turning up as a tool in many areas
where dogs and humans need a framework for forging a bond and
measuring behavior. For example, Petco is adding the CGC™ program as
part of its training curriculum, while police departments, animal
control agencies, therapy dog organizations, and 4-H groups use it
in a variety of educational and professional programs.
In an age of liability lawsuits and
breed-specific legislation, even insurance companies have come to
recognize the value of AKC Canine Good Citizenship. We applaud
Nationwide Insurance for allowing owners with previously banned
breeds to be considered for homeowners insurance if their dog passes
the CGC™ test.
With the new CGC™ evaluator testing program
bringing a higher standard to the program with trained, AKC-approved
evaluators and an enhanced testing protocol, we look forward to more
government agencies, businesses and pet owners adding AKC Canine
Good Citizen® to their vocabulary when talking about
responsible dog ownership.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Ronald H. Menaker
Chairman
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AKC has been
very successful in this area. So far, twenty states to
recognize the importance of well behaved, well cared-for dogs,
i.e. Responsible Dog Ownership. Colorado and
Delaware passed AKC Canine Good Citizenship®
resolutions. The twenty states that have adopted CGC™
resolutions are Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Kansas, Alaska,
Utah, Illinois, Louisiana, Georgia, New York, Alabama, Ohio,
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Michigan, Washington, New
Hampshire and the U.S. Senate.
One can’t help but wonder why that
knowledge and interest in Colorado has not filtered down to the
Animal Control in Denver where they are knocking on doors,
confiscating and killing pit bulls after a restraining order was
lifted.
AKC says “We thank our
CGC™
evaluators in
Delaware and Colorado for their tireless efforts, as well as the
Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs, Delaware Representative Wayne
Smith and Colorado Representative Al White for recognizing the
importance of responsible dog ownership.”
Representative Al White is quoted as
saying “Today, I am proud that with HJR05-1034, the Great State
of Colorado joins others who recognize that all dogs need
responsible owners.” And Shannan Koucherik, a dog advocate
who successfully pushed for the legislation said "The
CGC™
test
provides an opportunity for any dog owner to achieve nationally
recognized certification for their pet. It also serves as a good
baseline test for handlers wishing to progress to other
activities with their dogs, such as an animal assisted therapy
program." Ironically, she then made this remark "By passing
this resolution, the Colorado Legislature is recognizing the
importance of the animal/human connection." It is
unfortunate that Denver does not recognize that connection and
we hope that Ms. Koucherik will be able to stop the killing of
innocent dogs and re-establish that connection.
For those not yet familiar with this
wonderful program, AKC explains “CGCTM is a 10-step
certification program that rewards dogs with good manners at
home and in the community. Viewed as the first step in dog
training,
CGC™
lays the foundation for other AKC activities
such as obedience, agility, rally, tracking and performance
events.
CGC™
is one of the fastest growing programs at
AKC and it has become a model for similar programs adapted in
countries such as England, Australia, Japan, Hungary, Denmark
and Canada.”
To find a
CGC™
Test or Evaluator near you,
visit:
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm?page=3
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