Last weekend Addison and I did our very first educational session as AKC Canine Ambassadors! The AKC Canine Ambassadors Program is a network of volunteers who make presentations to children on various topics related to purebred dogs. The presentations can be done in classrooms, libraries, after-school programs, and at Girl/Boy Scouts meetings. We attended a local Girl Scout Troop meeting, run by my friend, Cheryl Lastomirsky Adkins. Cheryl and I were Girl Scouts together, a very long time ago, so when I was deciding where Addison and I should go, she was the first person I reached out to about scheduling a visit. Addison and I educated the girls on a few dog related topics, there were so many great resources provided by the AKC it was hard to narrow it down!
We started the presentation by talking about responsible pet ownership. We discussed how to approach a dog safely, how to properly care for a dog, including understanding their needs and respecting their boundaries. Addi helped me show the girls how many dogs prefer to receive pets on their body vs their head, and the girls took turns politely greeting Addison.
Then we discussed the different types of jobs/tasks that dogs can be trained to perform, including dogs who are working service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs. We also focused on the importance of asking permission to approach someone’s dog, and all the reasons why people should not distract or approach a service dog.
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| Addison posing with troop leader, Natalie |
We moved on to the different types of purebred dogs, and how all purebred dogs are divided into seven major groups. We briefly spoke about dog shows, and I let them know they could watch all the groups being judged on TV following the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I then moved on to the fun sports they could try with their dogs, and how to become a junior handler to compete with their own purebred dogs.
We did a question and answer period, and the girls were quizzed on the topics we discussed. The troop leaders handed out Addison’s stickers and trading cards to the girls who answered the questions correctly. They all loved Addi, and all the girls earned new badges through the education we provided. We had many wonderful AKC handouts, including coloring books about responsible dog ownership, pet fire safety, and many other topics. I had also printed out pamphlets from the Collie Club of America, to educate about the amazing collie breed. The girls and their families took home everything we had available. It was a wonderful experience, and I’m so happy we were able to do our first presentation as AKC Canine Ambassadors with the Girl Scouts!
It made me smile to hear the girls talking about how they wanted a collie that was just like Addison! Addi was the perfect collie ambassador, and the girls loved her. They even invited us to come Christmas caroling with them next month at our local nursing homes. If you have a purebred dog, and are looking for a way to help promote the breed and/or responsible dog ownership, I can’t recommend this program enough!
