Good Citizenship
…for dogs
When I was in elementary school, I remember learning about what qualifications were necessary to become president of the United States.
The Constitution dictates that a presidential candidate must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years of age, and must have been a resident in America for “at least 14 years.” In addition, according to www.usa.gov/requirements-for-presidential-candidates:
“Anyone who meets these requirements can declare their candidacy for president. Once a candidate raises or spends more than $5,000 for their campaign, they must register with the Federal Election Commission. That includes naming a principal campaign committee to raise and spend campaign funds.”
Is there no other test? No. Can the candidate be a person of low integrity, a creator of chaos and confusion? Yes. We have seen this happen across many years of American political history.
Although a dog cannot be a president, there is a test of good citizenship for dogs and their owners. The American Kennel Club devised a 10-item test for dogs that might be applicable to presidential candidates, too. The tests involve being friendly to strangers, acting polite while in the presence of other animals, humans, and in crowds, being well-groomed, being comfortable on a leash, acting on cue (to me, that means paying good attention and having a certain discernment), confident in the face of distractions, and behaving well when away from its ‘main person’ (diplomacy). www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/canine-good-citizen-test-items/
So, my fellow Americans: Sit. Stay. Heal.
