Canine Good Citizen Certificates

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I thought it might be a good idea to post information about the Canine Good Citizen certificate somewhere in the training group so that those of us who have not researched or achieved this honor with our dogs could get first hand information from those of you who have.  Did you take a class or classes? Depending upon where your dog's skill level was, how much time was spent practicing specifically for the exam? Did your dog pass the first time?  What was the examination like? What was easiest for your dog?  What was hardest? What advice would you give so that the dogs could be better prepared?

According to Wikipedia:

The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program, established in 1989, is an American Kennel Club program to promote responsible dog ownership and to encourage the training of well-mannered dogs. A dog and handler team must take a short behavioral evaluation of less than half an hour; dogs who pass the evaluation earn the Canine Good Citizen certificate, which many people represent after the dog's name, abbreviating it as CGC; for example, "Fido, CGC".

The evaluation consists of ten objectives. All items must be completed satisfactorily or the team fails. Test items include:

• Accepting a friendly stranger.
• Sitting politely for petting.
• Allowing basic grooming procedures.
• Walking on a loose lead.
• Walking through a crowd.
• Sitting and lying down on command and staying in place.
• Coming when called.
• Reacting appropriately to another dog.
• Reacting appropriately to distractions.
• Calmly enduring supervised separation from the owner.

Evaluators sometimes combine elements during the actual test.

If all ten objectives are met, the handler can apply for a certificate and special dog tag from the AKC stating that the dog has earned the CGC.

Dogs do not have to be registered with the AKC to earn a CGC, nor do they have to be purebred or, in fact, registered with any canine organization. The goal is to promote good citizenship for all dogs.

Since its inception, the CGC program has become the model for similar programs around the world, is the backbone of other exams, such as those given for therapy dogs, and is a good starting point for more advanced dog training.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Touch is no problem, but brushing...... Thanks, I will make sure the expectation in my area before we sign up.

[Adina P]

The CGC isn't about evaluating therapy potential.  It's an old test and I think it has to do with general public behavior including being good at the groomer because it will allow itself to be touched by a stranger and isn't the type of dog to try to nip or freak out if someone tries to run a brush over it.  Because some dogs do NOT tolerate that kind of stuff.  The CGC is about not being a crazy dog and therapy dog tests take it a step further.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Beside making sure they have the basic obedience, I anticipate several areas we would have to work specifically with the dogs so that they would be ready to take the test.  Fake/gentle brushing from a stranger would be one area.  Experience meeting new dogs on-leash -  before our current training we let the dogs meet/sniff, now  we need to find some 'strangers with dogs' we can meet and greet with the dogs ignoring each other.  And Ned needs to not kiss/sniff little children who come up to pet him!   Since I am not directly working with Clancy I don't know his weakest areas.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Nancy, our grooming test consisted of the touching the foot, legs, neck and then....................... ( and this was the true test) picking up the ears.  Oh horrors for both of my dogs.  The dreaded, " let me see your ears" test. 

I witnessed 3 examinations and none of the different evaluators carried a comb   :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think we could pass the ears test much easier than a comb test! 

Comb + human =  bad bad vibes

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Webber was 15 months old when he got CGC.  We had two classes: a family manners class and a CGC class before the exam.  The CGC class was organized around the test items so we just practiced each skill one week at a time at home and then ran through all the skills a couple of times the week of the exam.  He passed the first time.  The examiner did not do exactly the same things we had practiced in class, which was a little scary.  Instead of making a loud noise, like we had practiced, they sent a child running past Webber for the distraction one.  Fortunately, he didn't take off after the child.  I think the hardest for Webber was the 3 minute supervised separation with a stranger.  He wasn't allowed to cry, bark or act panicked.  We practiced this in class.   If I were to give any advice it would be to make sure the dog has been well exercised before the exam.  The sitting, laying in place and staying, required putting the dog on a stay, turning your back on him and walking across the room, turning around and walking back to the dog, turning again and going back across the room, and then calling the dog to come.  That took some practice.  Therapy dog merely added a few skills to the CGC, like walking through a crowd, sitting next to a wheelchair for petting, approaching someone with a walker, and with a cane, passing by strong smelling canned dog food without veering off course  (leave it command) and comfort around people with uneven gait.  We also took a Therapy Dog class that was a re-run of the CGC skills with the additional medical issues added.  In the TDI training they were interested in whether the dog appeared to want to approach people, rather than just doing what it was told.  And whether the dog would respond negatively to being petted roughly, which sometimes happens with patients that have dementia.  How the dog took a treat was evaluated as well.  They needed to be gentle and not snap at the treat.  The examiner said that I was more nervous than my dog was.  Webber was showing off and loved to perform.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

This is great information.  I can see that you would want to make sure you practiced out of site stays and with various distractions from food to children.  I never thought of socializing my dogs to wheel chairs/walkers.  What a good idea - whether for a certificate or not.

[Linda]

Webster and I took our 1st CGC a couple of months before his 2nd birthday. As the handler I was so nervous, I decided to wait before taking the TDI. In the meantime we started going to the school where I had taught for 29 yrs. That was such a huge success, I decided to try again. We went through two CGC classes simultaneously at different locations mainly because one was at the doggie daycare where he had gone. He gets SO excited when he goes there and sees the instructors, I decided he'd never pass the TDI test. At the other location he was the star student!

Webster had no trouble with any of the requirements except LEAVE IT. The examiner allowed us to try it about 3 times giving me several suggestions. One of them almost caused me to tell her what I was thinking. She said to pretend I had a treat in my pocket as we walked by the one on the floor. But my Webster KNEW I had no treats because we'd done every other part of the test with no food rewards. Finally she suggested we go around in circles so both of us were so dizzy we sort of staggered by the treat that time.

We are continuing to visit the same school weekly. He and one 5th grade boy have a very close relationship. Webster whines and wants to follow him when he goes back to his class. The CGC & TDI were certainly worth the harrowing experience - for me. I highly recommend therapy work for any handler & Doodle who has the time and personality for it.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I will practice leave it a lot!!!  I would love to have Ned or Clancy read with students, if my school allowed it and if I felt they would be good boys.

[Betsi]

Kirby is 8 months old today.  We finished his beginner class last week, and start a 7 week intermediate class next week.  At the end of that class he will take his CGC test.  This discussion is great, and very helpful.  There is a local Therapet group (www.therapet.org)  that I have joined, and I can't wait for Kirby to pass his tests, and get old enough to actually make visits!  He's a great puppy, but of course has a little settling down to do.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

And I guess nothing is local for us; at least in my search so far.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

We took Daisy to 3 consecutive training classes, first kindergarten, then 1st level puppy and then 2nd level puppy. She received her CGC at the age of 9 months. At the time of her testing they were also testing for Therapy dogs, after she was tested and passed her CGC the ladies said you should test her for Therapy and she also passed that, however since she was not 1 year old it didn't count. Silly me did not take her back at 1, I fear she would no longer pass since she is now a full on teenager!