Community Corner
Animal Shelter Seeks Volunteers for Dog Training Program
North Fork Animal Welfare League needs volunteers to participate in its ongoing Dog Training Program.
There’s a dog waiting to be loved and trained by you. The North Fork Animal Welfare League is looking for dog lovers to participate in its ongoing Dog Training Program at the Southold Town Animal Shelter that features Canine Good Citizen behavior.
To work successfully with an individual dog, it is vital that volunteers realize that one needs to make a commitment of at least three times a week and possess the following qualifications:
1. You must LOVE dogs.
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2. You must have lots of patience and a good sense of humor.
3. You must be physically fit to undertake 30-minute walks.
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4. You must be able to handle a dog weighing 60 pounds.
5. You, yourself, must take direction well.
Started in 1989, the Canine Good Citizen Program is designed to reward dogs that have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part training class that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs that pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.
“Trained dogs make better pets and they invariably find a happy home quicker," explains Dawn Bennett, who directs the NFAWL training program and is an American Kennel Club Evaluator that allows her to test dogs for the Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R Puppy Programs.
Besides making a turn-around difference in a shelter’s dog’s life, “Volunteers also benefit from the training program with the easiest weight-loss regimen available locally.
"Don’t forget that bathing-suit season is around the corner!" she said.
For further information about the program, email Bennett at northforkdogs@gmail.com or contact the shelter at -631-765-1811.
