Friday, July 20th, 7:00 pm at Baths and Bones in Cumming, 1.5 miles east of GA 400 (exit 14) on Hwy 20.  Turn left into the Publix shopping center, behind Backyard Burger.  Baths and Bones is next to Ninja Steakhouse.

Those testing need to be there at 6:45 pm, bringing your dog on a simple collar and leash (no prong collars, head collars/halters, harnesses, or retractable leashes). Dogs must be current on rabies vaccinations. Please bring a brush you normally use on your dog. The fee to test is heavily discounted to $10 per dog.  Please contact Catherine Crabtree at furryacademy@aol.com in advance.

Here are some of the dogs (and owners) who passed our CGC testing on September 30.  Left to right are all Canine Good Citizens: Paula Gross with Baron, Carol Jarvis with Simon, Cinda Raines with Annie, Dana Allen with Carley, and Kurt Krattinger with Mariah. Not pictured:  Bev Ann Bonds and Buster.  (Click on the picture for a larger view.)

As the Dawson County Humane Society (DCHS) attains information on securing liability insurance to cover our many fundraising events, we have found that the largest liability is the dogs that our volunteers bring to events. The insurance company has asked us for some method of certification to determine that the dogs at this event are "low risk."

A method of testing used by most 'Therapy Dog' organizations, and recognized by many state legislations, is the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test. It is a test backed by the American Kennel Club, however it is open to all breed and mix breed dogs. The test consists of simple items that prove your dog's reliability in different situations.

As a safety precaution, the DCHS Board has agreed that all dogs who come to volunteer at our events (mainly to collect donations by wearing the special saddle blankets) should have this CGC award to attest to their stable temperament. This will almost certainly be a requirement of our insurance carrier, and we will maintain a list of our volunteer dogs that have passed testing and can attend such events representing DCHS. (If your dog currently holds a CGC Award, simply e-mail a scan or present it to a board member to have your dog's name added to the listing)

Any dog over one year of age may test. Dogs 6 months - 11 months are allowed to test for practice, but may not be allowed at events until over one year of age. This follows along the lines of many societies (including Delta and Therapy Dogs of Georgia) as most dogs don't develop their "reactivity level" until after 8 months of age.

We would love for all of our volunteers to get their dogs tested to allow for as many doggy volunteers to be present at our events as possible! Historically, at events like the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall fundraisers, your wonderful dogs have managed to rope in the most donations!

For a listing of what the test covers, you can visit http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/

Or send a S.A.S.E. to CGC Testing c/o Catherine Crabtree, 367 Rainey Drive, Dawsonville, GA 30534 for a tri-fold on CGC testing.

I look forward to seeing you all at the testing.

Catherine Crabtree
AKC CGC Evaluator # 7789