We didn't pass Canine Good Citizen:-(

[Seamus & Haidee]

We are kinda bummed out this morning because Seamus didnt pass the Canine Good Citizen test.  He cried and then barked at the 3 minute separation part.  The evaluator said he can be retested this fall. Any advice for us?

[Kyoko]

I think passing the test or not, isn't to say, the dog is smart or not smart, good or bad.

I think it is just a measurement tool to see the strength and weakness, and to see what you need to work on.

That is awesome Seamus can pass all of the other 9 items! That is an accomplishment!!

Now you know what he needs to work on, and you can start the supervised separation 10 second at the time!

 

[Seamus & Haidee]

Kyoko, thank you for your helpful point of view. I'm proud that Seamus was able to successfully pass 9 out of 10 on the CGC. Although we didnt get 100%, we praised him and we are very proud of his achievements. Thanks again for the positive reinforcement.

[Kyoko]

:-) He is still so young!! It is really amazing that he can do the 9 items at such young age!

[Traz, Karen & Dale]

It just meant that Seamus wasn't ready and needs a little more practice before the next test.  When Traz took his CGC, he got distracted on the "come" command because there was a water bottle left in the testing area that he found more interesting.  Luckily, we had 1 "do over" and he did fine...and passed.  Phew!  Since you've been through the process once, the next time you and Seamus know what to expect and will be prepared..plus he'll be older and might breeze through without any issues.  Good luck :-)

[Seamus & Haidee]

Thank you!!!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I feel for you but Seamus will pass if you keep working with him. Practice, practice, practice. Here's something another class member and I did and it helped.  Maybe it will help you.  We teamed up and together we went to public places with our two dogs.  A park, a town. We practiced short  separations.  One person stays with both dogs in a sit or a down stay while the other person goes into a shop. Then switch.  Try the same thing with a friend and no other dog. The more places you practice and the more situations you try, the more confidence the dog gains. Also, when I put Finn into a sit stay, the LAST thing I always say to him is "I'll be back." The instructor said we should use a phrase like this consistently when we worked on separation. It took awhile for him to put it together but now he knows that when I say that phrase I'm going to disappear but I will reappear and he waits patiently.  I think the important thing is that each day you're building a relationship with Seamus through training that will help you both enjoy being out in public and it will let you do more things together.  Training is a journey not a destination:)  Good luck!    

[Seamus & Haidee]

Thank you Cheryl:-)

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I just saw how young Seamus is... he's doing great!  

[Adrienne]

For 10 mos old, that is a great accomplishment.  He is a star IMO.

[Seamus & Haidee]

Thanks for the good vibes Adrienne!

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

I was surprised when Monty passed at 10 months old. I still think he tricked the evaluator. It was in the afternoon and I made sure he was tired out. I don't even try with Auggie and he is almost a year old now.

If that was the only part that was hard for Seamus, I would practice with friends. Do the same exercise with different people to see how he does. 

I know you are bummed, but really it's not a big deal. I was so crazy about titles and stuff for Monty since he was my first dog. In retrospect now, it really does not matter as long as you dog can generally behave well in public. I felt bad that Auggie (my second one) is nowhere near passing the test at 10 months, but then I thought....he does not care, it's me that's obsessing about the test. So I will keep working with him and perhaps one day he would be ready to pass.

[Seamus & Haidee]

What a great point of view, especially since you have two doodles. So thanks, Im over being bummed and thankful for having a great dog who likes to be close to me;-)