AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day in Athens

French Bulldog
The Southeastern Ohio Kennel Club will celebrate the American Kennel Club’s Responsible Dog Ownership Day with a free event on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 10 am. to 1 p.m., at the East State Street Park in Athens. Beginning and advanced obedience, agility, and disc dog demonstrations are planned. See full schedule of events.

The day will also include grooming and dog bite prevention presentations, as well as a demo of the AKC’s newest sport for dogs, Rally Obedience. Best Pets Dog Training LLC will be on hand to teach old and new dogs a few tricks. Owners who want to test their dogs’ skills will have the opportunity to do so during the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs that have good manners at home and in the community. The CGC test will be held twice during the event. Registration for the first test starts at 10:30 a.m., with the test following at 11 a.m.; and another opportunity to register takes place at noon, with the test at 12:30 p.m. The cost to take the CGC test is $10. For information on test requirements, visit www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm.

Leashed, friendly dogs are welcome to attend the event, which begins at 10 a.m. with an obedience demonstration, followed by an agility demonstration at 10:30 a.m. and a dog bite prevention presentation at noon.

The AKC’s Responsible Dog Ownership Day is designed to give families the opportunity to learn more about what the AKC has to offer. Attendees can speak one-on-one with experienced dog breeders and trainers. To learn more about dog sports and other events offered by the American Kennel Club, visit www.akc.org.

Schedule of events

10 a.m. – Novice Obedience demonstration
10:15 a.m. – Open Obedience demonstration
10:30 a.m. – Agility demonstration, CGC registration
10:45 a.m. – Disc Dog demonstration, CGC registration
11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – CGC Test

11:30 a.m. – Utility Obedience demonstration
11:45 a.m. – Open Obedience demonstration
Noon – Dog Bite Prevention presentation
12:15 p.m. – Rally Obedience demonstration
12:30 – 1 p.m. – CGC Test

A grooming expo, trick training for all dogs and representatives of various dog-related organizations and rescue groups will be on hand throughout the day. Be sure to bring plenty of water for your pet and a chair or blanket for your family.

Creative Commons License photo credit: El Caganer