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Is your dog a good citizen?  Lots of dogs at the Henderson County Animal Services on saturday became good citizens when they passed a series of tests put together by the American Kennel Club.

This is a test thay shows your dog has good social skills and is completely safe around people.  The test covers 10 skills of the good dog ranging from accepting friendly strangers to walking through a crowd and reacting well to other dogs.

One dog who finally got his good citizenship certification is a three year old German Shepard named Toby, who tried six times to complete the test properly.  Overall, Toby is a very good pup.

He's also a certified therapy dog and works with Mud Creek Canine Care Program.  As part of his work Toby spends time with troubled children and the elderly.  Plus, he and his owner, Tammy Shook of Hendersonville take time to send treats and supplies to military dogs in foreign countries.

The AKC test is part of a program started by the kennel club in 1989.  The program has two parts; resposible pet ownership and basic good manners for dogs.  Every dog that passes the Good Citizen Test can receive a certificate from the kennel club.

Pet owners looking to train their dog can start with the text as a way of working towards good manners and social skills. In fact the program is one of the most rapidly growing in the kennel club.

While Toby the German Shepard does a lot of work with people and charities, your pooch certainly doesn't need to be this actve to qualify for the good citizenship certification.  It's really as simple as completing a test an taking good care of your dog.

Source:http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20090920/SERVICES03/909201068/1042?Title=Pets-owners-gather-for-a-day-of-K9-games