ADULT TIP SHEET

Going to the Dog Show A fun program for children

Created by Marlene Groves © 2010

Lifetime Girl Scout & Dog Show Enthusiast

The program can be used by any Youth Group:

Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, etc.

An Educational Program Coordinated By

Program is approved for INSERT YOUR DATE

Registration Deadline is INSERT YOUR DATE RSVP to: INSERT YOUR EMAIL

Send in: Contact Name & Cell Phone #, Group Name/Number & number of children coming

This event will be held at: INSERT VENUE NAME

INSERT VENUE ADDRESS INSERT CITY, STATE ZIP

This activity is sponsored by

FREE PATCHES for registered children

Parents and Leaders, This tip sheet is for the AKC Going to the Dog Show Patch Program to provide information to adults assisting children earning this patch. Your group may need a permission slip to attend, but we don’t require them. Please advise all parents their child will be attending an AKC Dog Show so it is possible they may be photographed. Dog Shows operate on a very critical time line. Each dog is judged for approximately 2 minutes to the American Kennel Club breed standard. A detailed judging program will be available about 2 weeks prior to the show. If you have registered, you will receive an email with a link to the judging program. Registered participants will also receive important information regarding TIME to meet, WHERE to meet, WHAT to bring, etc. All attending the program MUST check in with your dog show contact for orientation before you begin. Try to be somewhat quiet while watching. Be careful of grassy areas as they are dog potty areas. Dog show people are friendly and enjoy talking about their dogs. However, always ASK before touching a dog! To receive your patches, the parent or leader will need to complete the Patch Request Form & Program Evaluation Form (page 6 of this document,) and return it to your dog show contact. Thank you for coming to our AKC Dog Show; we hope you have lots of fun!

1.1 Children learn & list the 7 AKC dog groups 1.2 Then, they learn and list a dog from each of the 7 groups At the dog show, we will have an AKC poster of dogs by groups, the dog show catalog will have the breeds listed by group and you can also use the AKC 7 Groups Flyer online. SUGGESTED FOR ALL AGES: Adults might use the poster or flyer to tell children that there are 7 dog groups. These groups include: Toy (companion dogs), Working (bred to pull carts, guard property, and perform search and rescue service), Herding (dogs that herd animals), Hound (dogs that hunt by scent or sight), Terrier (bred to rid property of vermin), Sporting (bred to hunt), Non-Sporting (a variety of dogs).

INSERT LOCAL

KENNEL CLUB LOGO

AKC Going To The Dog Show – A Fun & Educational Patch Program LEADERS TIP SHEET Page 2

2.1 Children should watch at least one judged dog breed (a breed of your choice).

At the show make sure the children watch 1 dog breed. If your group of children has special interest in a particular breed, make sure to look up the breed in the Judging Catalog to find the ring and time the breed will show. There may also be a link from the kennel club’s website to the judging program when it is available.

2.2 If possible, please watch another type of event (Rally, Obedience, Agility, etc).

To help you select another event, you may want to check out the AKC Events in Brief.

2.3 On a separate sheet, children should write or type an overall review of what they observed & learned from attending the Dog Show.

3.1 Children find their favorite dog or the funniest dog from the Dog Show. (Which breed of dog is it?)

3.2 Why was it their favorite dog or the funniest dog?

3.3 What is the dog’s special function? (Its purpose or dog talent.)

Encourage children to locate a person with this type of dog, and ask them for more information on the dog’s special purpose or talent.

PLEASE NOTE – Dog Show Etiquette: Before engaging with dog show exhibitors, we suggest that you quickly review the tips on AKC Dog Show Etiquette.

In addition, the AKC website is a good resource to look up information on particular dog breeds.

3.4 OPTIONAL – On a separate sheet of paper, children can draw their favorite type of dog (or you can ask to take a photo of your favorite/funniest dog).

4.1 Children think about 2 dogs that would be a good fit for them and their family.

4.2 Children think about 2 dogs that would not be a good fit for the dog, them and their family.

For both of these, we encourage a discussion with the group, and the ages of the children in your group will determine how detailed your discussion is. It might include things like: If a dog breed is really active and a family is really busy, maybe dogs are not a fit at all. If you have a small yard, maybe a big dog is not a good fit. If a family does lots of walking & hiking, maybe a small dog would not be able to keep up. If you dislike lots of dog hair, maybe a dog that sheds a lot is not a good idea. If someone in the family has an allergy, this would be a consideration.

Below are two resources that may help with your discussion: What’s the right dog for me? AKC Breed Selector

AKC Going To The Dog Show – A Fun & Educational Patch Program LEADERS TIP SHEET Page 3

This lesson can be completed before the dog show with information based on their dog or a friend or neighbor’s dog. General information on responsible dog ownership is available on the AKC website. A Dog is for Life Bailey the Beagle Responsible Dog Ownership Tip Sheet Additionally, we have provided some possible responses for each question. 5.1 DOG FOOD - How many times will you feed a dog per day?

Most adult dogs get 2 meals per day, 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening. Puppies often require at least 3 meals per day.

5.2 DOG REST - How much rest (sleep) does a dog need per day?

Most dogs sleep approximately 14 hours per day (puppies & senior dogs often more); sleeping and activity levels of dog vary by breed and their living environment.

5.3 DOG EXERCISE - How much exercise does a dog need per day?

Dogs need 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day. This will vary according to age, breed, health and environment.

5.4 DOG ATTENTION - How much attention does a dog need per day? A dog should not be left unattended & ignored all day. Depending on the dog’s breed, age, and even personality, the amount of attention will vary. We might suggest at least 1 to 2 hours per day. This can be anything from just playing in the backyard, to taking a dog on a walk, to participating in a dog class, etc.

5.5 DOG CLEAN UP - Who is (or would be) in charge of dog clean up? 5.6 SPECIAL DOG CARE - Some dogs require special daily care (grooming, cleaning big ears, or something else). Who would be (or is) in charge of any special care?

6.1 What is needed for a dog to go safely outside? A fenced in yard or leash. 6.2 What do you need outside for dog shelter? A dog house. 6.3 What will help you identify your dog? A microchip or a dog collar with a proper ID tag. 6.4 What will you need to walk your dog? At least a dog collar & leash (maybe dog training & socializing). 6.5 Where will your dog sleep at night? Responses might be in the house, garage, or outside in a dog house.

AKC Going To The Dog Show – A Fun & Educational Patch Program LEADERS TIP SHEET Page 4

The objective is for children to understand the lifespan of a dog breed and how long they will have to care for the dog if they got a puppy of that breed today. Note: Most breeds live for 8 to 20 years… A lifelong commitment! An AKC booklet, Before You Buy A Dog, can be found online here.

8.1 Children will choose a breed, then learn and list a few health concerns for this breed. Before the show, visit the AKC website to search for the national breed club of the chosen breed

Example – Pug (the search button refers you to www.pugs.org, Pug Dog Club of America.)

Alternatively, while at the dog show, you can find an exhibitor of the chosen breed and ask for information. 8.2 Dogs need people to keep them safe from dangerous items. List something in your garage that would be dangerous for a dog. (Examples include: antifreeze, insecticides, mulch,

snow melt.) List something in your kitchen or bathroom that would be dangerous for a dog. (Examples include: cleaning

products: Windex, bleach, etc.)

List a food (for people) that could be dangerous for a dog. (Examples include: chocolate, grapes, onions) Two AKC online documents are available to help with lesson 8. They are: Plants can be Hazardous to your Dog’s Health Certain Foods and Household Products can be Dangerous to Dogs!

There are 5 basic commands to learn: sit, stay, down, come and heel. (If a child has a dog, they should give their dog these commands, and then answer the Yes or No depending on the result.)

The AKC has some basic obedience information on the website. You can also refer to the flyer, The Benefits of a

Trained Dog. OPTIONAL – Ask someone at the dog show if they can show you these 5 basic dog commands with their dog. Alternatively, watch dogs that are doing Obedience.

AKC Going To The Dog Show – A Fun & Educational Patch Program LEADERS TIP SHEET Page 5

First, choose a dog breed and find out its average life span. Then, investigate the basic costs of owning a dog. There are suggestions on how to find costs on each line item.

The most challenging cost to find is dog food. Math skills are needed and we suggest having calculators available.

- For this exercise, figure the cost of dry food for a dog. The economical price point of 40 lb. bag of dog food is $22, but children may complete this exercise with any dog food brand and price point.

- Children should find out how much dog food the breed requires; then how many servings are in a 40 lb. bag. There are dog food estimators online; enter a dog weight and it will recommend the amount of food. (Or, read some dog food bags at a pet supply or grocery store.)

The end result will be a 1st year Total Estimated Cost, and an Estimated Total Lifetime Cost. NOTE: Please keep in mind that there are no exact answers for this exercise. This exercise merely shows that there are many costs associated with owning a dog (not just the initial cost of the dog or puppy).

The investigation of 6 canine careers is required. Dog walker, dog sitter, dog groomer, dog trainer, vet technician, veterinarian 2 Optional canine careers: professional dog show handler and dog show judge There are suggestions on how to investigate each possible canine career; but other methods can also be used.

For each canine career, children are to determine: - Education requirements (if any) - Salary (which might be per hour, per dog, per event, per year)

General duties of the career.

This lesson focuses on dog jobs; some dogs are chosen for their job based on their AKC breed and because of their unique capabilities. 12.1 Pick a dog job to investigate, and then locate a dog that does this job. Options are: Police K9 Dog, Search & Rescue Dog, Military/Narcotics/Bomb Dog, Service Dog and Sheep/Cattle Ranching Dog.

What is the dog’s job? Who is the dog? Where does the dog work? What breed of dog is it? Was it chosen because of its breed?

12.2 List some of the dog’s special breed qualities.

12.3 List some of the dog’s regular duties.

12.4 How was the dog trained for his job?

AKC Going To The Dog Show – A Fun & Educational Patch Program LEADERS TIP SHEET Page 6

Going to the Dog Show

AKC DOG CLUBS: List Your Club Name:_______________________________

email a completed copy of this form to publiced@akc.org or fax a copy to 212.696.8345 Attn: Public Education

Group Name & #___________________

Age Range of Children ______________

Number of: Children _____ Adults _____

Number of children attending

a dog show for the first time? _________

Number of children who own a dog: ____

How did you hear about the dog show

and/or the Dog Show Patch Program?

ADULTS Thank you for attending the dog show!

We hope you had FUN!

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM (just 1 per group) and give it to your kennel club contact to get your patches.

Was this

EASY or

HARD

Was this

FUN or

NOT

Did Your group

LEARN from this

YES or NO

Other Lesson Comments

(write on the back if needed)

Lesson 1 - 7 AKC Dog Groups

Lesson 2 – Dog Judging & Dog Event

Lesson 3 – Favorite & Funniest Dogs

Lesson 4 – Dog is an Important Decision

Lesson 5 – Dog’s Daily Needs (Care)

Lesson 6 – Dog’s Basic Needs (Things)

Lesson 7 – Dogs are for Life (Age Exercise)

Lesson 8 – Dog Health & Safety

Lesson 9 – 6 Basic Dog Commands

Lesson 10 – Costs of Owning a Dog

Lesson 11 – Canine Careers

Lesson 12 – Dogs with Jobs

Comments - Dog Show:

Comments - Patch Program:

Comments – People you interacted with:

Additional comments: