March Training Assignment....CGC Exercises

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

 

 

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".

For our March training assignment we thought it would be a great idea for "our Doodle trainers" to select items from the CGC evaluation criteria.  Many of us are already working towards acquiring a CGC certification, so it seems to make sense that we would want our assignment to be in line with our goals.  Nancy posted the CGC objectives in an earlier discussion, and I've restated them here.  You may want to select a few "challenges" from this list to work towards during the month of March. Let us know what you'll be concentrating on, and as always please share your progress throughout the month.

 

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]

Congratulations, Rua!  Way to go Dori.

[Dori & Rua]

Woke up to snow on the ground yesterday.  It didn't warm up enough to melt it, and this morning, it was snowing again.  So after Rua's epic counter-surfing adventure this morning (see link), DH and I went shopping and to lunch on our own.

 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/rua-counter-surfing-how-is

 

Later this afternoon, I took her to shopping.  I was on a mission for Bunny Ears, a slicker brush, a new pretty collar, and thinning sheers.  (No luck on the bunny ears).  At Petsmart, she did the best she has ever done.  She was really good about sitting while I was looking at things (normally Rua would be straining at the leash to get to something).  Also, she was really good about reactions to other dogs and meeting them.  No barking at all.  We turned the corner and encountered (down towards the other end) 2 large dogs (a young lady had them both on a y leash-thing)...one was a mix of something big and the other was a 9 month old weimaraner.  I asked if her dogs were friendly (as Rua seemed very calm and was sitting next to me).  She said the weimaraner was a bit skittish and nippy.  We approached slowly (and I was confident) and let the mellow female and Rua greet!  They did great...I asked if she would let the weimaraner try, and again...they did great.  Meet and greet over.  Around the next corner, we came across a 2-year old wild little terrior something.  The dog started barking and strained.  She turned her dog around and I gave Rua a sit command.  She dog calmed down and I told Rua OK and she went and met the dog.  It went well and the woman was thrilled.

 

We can't, of course, go very far in any store (especially a pet store, of course) without people coming up and asking about what kind of dog Rua is, her color, her coat, and of course, can they pet her.  So, before I would let Rua get petted, she had to sit first!

 

I must say that was our best "outing".  And to think, I didn't have to give her one treat while we were out...I just let her stuff herself beforehand!  LOL

 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Good girl, Rua!

[Adina P]

What a good little girl you are Rua!  Even better than the CGC requires because you don't let dogs MEET on the CGC.  You simply briefly greet a person who has a dog and then keep walking.  Since the other person's dog is on their left and your dog is on your left...never the twain shall meet.  But if Rua can politely greet a stranger dog face to face she'll do great when it's just a quick stop, hello, and pass.

[Jodi and Stella]

This will be very helpful. I'd like to get Stella certified but we are very limited to classes of any kind in our area. I plan on working with her myself and this should help a lot!

[Melissa]

I am looking forward to Buddy getting his CGC.  I am planning on calling the trainer sometime in the next week or so to set up a time to meet with her and see what we need to do.

[Adina P]

Fun assignment.  Trying to make a few plans of places to take Boca to work on some of these. 

 

• Accepting a friendly stranger.--easy for Boca.  she has no aggression or shyness issues.
  
• Sitting politely for petting.-- I think this we can do too.  Her sit stay is pretty good.
  
• Allowing basic grooming procedures -- probably could use work.  It would rile her up and she'd get excited as it is now.
  
• Walking on a loose lead. -- yes.
  
• Walking through a crowd. -- yes.
  
• Sitting and lying down on command and staying in place. -- yes
  
• Coming when called. -- yes but we have done VERY little work with distractions and this.
  
• Reacting appropriately to another dog. -- NEEDS TONS OF WORK! 
  
• Reacting appropriately to distractions.-- I think so.
  
• Calmly enduring supervised separation from the owner. -- I think she's be okay with 'calmness' but might get exuberant with the stranger.  But her stays are decent so probably okay.

OKAY so overall I think our biggest areas of need are:

-- Allowing basic grooming by a stranger without getting all excited and kissing or being a pest.

-- Recall around distractions.

-- Reactions to other dogs -- this will be OUR biggest area where we need lots of work.  She loses her focus easily and although her reactions are excitedness not aggression.  Still too excited.

-- Separation

[Adina P]

Had a great training session today with Boca. Not because she was perfect but because I think she learned and did better than I thought! I took her to my friend's house (she has a large (TALL) poodle mix female about 3-4 y.o. and her mom has a standard poodle. I instructed her that I'd first heel Boca up and down their street/driveway and after I did that for a bit she should come out with one dog and just stand in one spot while we approached and reapproached. We started far and worked our way closer and threw in some sit and down stays. I could do a meet and greet because her dogs (both) are not really trained and were pulling or jumping the whole time. Still struggled a bit with Boca's whining but getting less and less I think. Boca also sat up from down stays a few times and got corrected back down but overall I think she did quite well and learned from the successes and mistakes. The 1st dog was the older poodle mix and at the end I released Boca to meet the dog (she has met her before a long time ago in our yard). And to mys surprise Boca did not RUSH to her like a crazy dog but was more controlled :) !! Fun day!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Yea, Boca and Adina!  We are just practicing.  The guys are making lots of mistakes but lots of good moves too.  Ned is coming when called now but still wants to come to my side more often than not. Clancy was on a down-stay with the light line.  A man came by with a pit (not aggressive but straining on-leash) and Clancy held his stay the entire time and at the same time children came over to meet him.  Go, Clancy!

[Adina P]

Good for you Clancy!   It's pretty darn hard to find those 'polite' dogs on leash to practice with.  But I figure if I practice with the hyper, untrained dogs...she'll be THAT much better when it's time for the polite ones used in the test =)

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Sounds perfect!

[Jennifer and Jack]

Yippie that sounds like a success to me