Sign the Promise, Be a Responsible Dog Owner!

Aug. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Washington County Fl – The American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Responsible Dog Ownership (RDO) Day is an annual series of events that take place across the nation during the entire month of September.  The flagship AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day event is in Raleigh, N.C. on September 22, 2012 and will include AKC Canine Good Citizen® testing, agility demonstrations, games, free brochures, giveaways and the ever-popular AKC Meet the Breeds® exhibit featuring dozens of AKC breeds for the public to learn about and meet.  In addition, thousands of AKC affiliated dog clubs and other dog-related organizations and groups nationwide will hold community events to promote responsible dog ownership.  According to Stephanie Smith, Club Communications Coordinator, "Last year, more than 630 dog clubs and other organizations hosted events reaching millions of dog lovers and potential pet owners through extensive media coverage. Dog lovers also posted thousands of ‘Acts of Responsible Dog Ownership’ on our Facebook and Twitter pages to help us celebrate Virtual AKC RDO Days.”  

Each AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day event is unique and provides demonstrations of dog activities such as  AKC Rally®, Obedience and Agility, meet the breeds, microchip clinics, breed rescue information, legislation seminars, therapy dog/service dog demonstrations, health clinics, safety around dogs for kids, giveaways and other entertaining and educational activities. “We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to interact with the public and gain positive exposure for your club, breed and the AKC. Your participation will help this worthwhile program continue to gain momentum each year, benefiting dogs and dog owners everywhere," says Smith.    

The DogSmith Dog Training & Pet Care Franchise encourages all animal lovers to participate and to sign and observe the AKC pet promise.  Local DogSmith Dog Trainers will offer free puppy classes and Canine Good Citizen evaluations at RDO Day events.  “It is a great way to show your friends how smart and well-behaved your dog can be,” says DogSmith founder, Niki Tudge.  “The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test is a 10-step evaluation designed to demonstrate a dog’s good manners and obedience.  Our DogSmith puppy training classes are based on the AKC S.T.A.R. (Socialization, Training, Activity, Responsibility) Puppy program and the CGC test criteria,” Tudge says.

A List of AKC RDO Day events can be found at www.akc.org/rdod, or contact your local DogSmith to register for a free puppy class and start your dog down the path to Canine Good Citizenship.