Brother of the Wolf Welcomes You
ANNOUNCING THE NEW LEVEL OF Canine Good Citizen FOR PUPPIES! AKC S.T.A.R. PUPPY? Program “STAR” is an acronym for Socialization Training Activity and a Responsible owner.
These are all the things every puppy needs. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program is for owners who graduate from puppy or basic training classes taught by AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluators like Dawn Watson, owner & lead trainer of Brother of the Wolf. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is open to purebred and mixed breed dogs and the program defines ‘puppy’ as a dog up to the age of 1 year old. What is the Purpose of AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy?? The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is designed to reward owners who have taken the time to take their puppies to a class at least 6 weeks long. We know an estimated 90% of dogs who are relinquished to shelters have had no training and we want to get all puppies and their owners off to a good start. We want to do our part to ensure all puppies and their owners have a wonderful life together. _______________________________________________________________________ How does the program work? The program works like this: Owners take their puppies to a training class (at least 6 weeks long) taught by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator such as Dawn Watson. Support materials such as “Lessons for a Puppy’s People” are provided by the AKC. These lessons are brief talking points that an
instructor can use at the beginning of the class to give a 5-minute lesson to the dogs' owners. After training and observing the puppy for at least 6 weeks in a course, the evaluator administers the 20-item AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test in class. As in CGC, owners are given the paperwork to enroll in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program. (the owner sends paperwork to AKC). The evaluator orders AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test kits from AKC CGC just like they do CGC test kits. What do owners get when they enroll their puppies in AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy? Enrolling in AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy means the puppy is listed in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy records. In addition, the owner receives: • A gorgeous gold olympics-style medal with the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy logo (see photo-page 1). • An attractive, frameable AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate • An AKC Puppy Handbook
This 64 page booklet is full of information on raising puppies. What to expect each week during the first year, housetraining, crate training, and grooming tips are just some of the many topics. • Discount enrollment in AKC Companion Animal Recovery, and a
• Subscription to our monthly e-mail newsletter that includes training tips and other valuable information. ___________________________________________________________________________ What are the differences between AKC Canine Good Citizen and the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program? The main difference in AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and CGC is that CGC can be a one time test (at a dog show, as class graduation, etc.) and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is done at the end of a training course by the instructor who has been observing the puppy for at least 6 weeks. In the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, dogs are tested on collars. To meet the pet owner at his or her starting point, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy allows: * a collar or harness of the owner’s choice. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test allows dogs to be tested in collars, body harnesses and head collars. * AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy should NOT be used for admission to therapy dog groups, etc. What are the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test items? The test items are in 3 sections- Owner Behaviors, Puppy Behaviors, and Pre-CGC Behaviors. 20 STEPS To Success: The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Test
OWNER BEHAVIORS: 1. Maintains puppy's health (vaccines, exams, appears healthy) 2. Owner receives Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge 3. Owner describes adequate daily play and exercise plan 4. Owner and puppy attend at least 6 classes by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator 5. Owner brings bags to classes for cleaning up after puppy 6. Owner has obtained some form of ID for puppy-collar tag, etc. PUPPY BEHAVIORS: 7. Free of aggression toward people during at least 6 weeks of class 8. Free of aggression toward other puppies in class 9. Tolerates collar or body harness of owner’s choice 10. Owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size) 11. Puppy allows owner to take away a treat or toy PRE-CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® TEST BEHAVIORS 12. Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner 13. Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet) 14. Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line (15 steps) 15. Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people 5-ft away 16. Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure 17. Down on command-Owner may use a food lure 18. Comes to owner from 5-ft when name is called 19. Reaction to Distractions-distractions are presented 15-ft away 20. Stay on leash with another person (owner walks 10 steps and returns) This sounds great! How do I get started? Give us a call at 856-349-2508 to enroll your puppy! The cost for this 4-week training program with the evaluation is $150.00 _______________________________________________________________
* In the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test, owners may use food or toys as lures and rewards.
Sparky says, "I learned A LOT in my Puppy Star class at Brother of the Wolf."
Brother of the Wolf asks a $20 deposit to hold your seat in all classes. This deposit is non-refundable. However, if you call to cancel your reservation within 24 hours of the start of the class we will credit you that amount toward another program.
Milo Marshbank
pictured with his owner, Scott Marshbank, is the youngest dog to pass the AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. program in the South Jersey area! Milo is a 16 week old Rhodesian Ridgeback. He passed his evaluation exam on March 16, 2009. CONGRATULATIONS to Milo and his family!
"I can be your hero, Baby!"
Wes Guellich
Agility Champion