After I moved out to North Dakota, The Gamer and I started renting a house that was finally large enough for a dog. Of course, with out luck, we ended up with two. Bleeding hearts, the both of us. Can't stand to see any animals suffering or starving.
Shadow is a three year old Husky/German Shepard mix. He enjoys running, playing with Abby, and stealing my spot on the couch. He's starting to get the whole "fetch" game, but is very easily distracted and has issues with the bringing it back part. He LOVES people and has the jovial demeanor that makes me think that he would be an excellent therapy dog. He had no formal training before we adopted him, but picks things up fairly quickly, and has a small problem with "impulse control". Especially when it comes to new people because they are just SO EXCITING!
He also likes to sleep upside down in front of the stove. Or the fridge. Really, anywhere that I'm likely to step on him.
Abby is a six year old black lab mix. We're guessing, by her behavior, that the mix is some sort of herding breed, like a border collie or an australian shepherd. She has endless energy and there are few things in the world she loves more than a ball or a frisbee. She will literally play until she drops and we have to be careful when taking her out to play that we watch her breathing, especially in the cold weather, since she'll play past the point of being able to comfortably inhale. The other half of the time, she's a lazy couch-dog who The Gamer has affectionately named "Sausage Dog" since getting her to gain back the weight that she was missing when we adopted her was not difficult in the least. To address the weight issue and her abundant energy, my goal with her is agility training.
She also doesn't like her winter boots, but when it got freakishly cold outside, she would cry while walking on the ice. They were a necessary evil, unfortunately.
Goal number 45 is to achieve an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate for both dogs. So lets take a look at the test.
(copied from the American Kennel Club website at http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm)
Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. The evaluator walks up to the dog and handler and greets the handler in a friendly manner, ignoring the dog. The evaluator and handler shake hands and exchange pleasantries. The dog must show no sign of resentment or shyness, and must not break position or try to go to the evaluator.
Resentment or shyness won't be an issue for either of my dogs, they both love meeting new people. Maybe too much. Not breaking position and mauling the handler with attention and love will be something to work through, but I think it should be fairly easy with the right practice.
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler. With the dog sitting at the handler's side, to begin the exercise, the evaluator pets the dog on the head and body. The handler may talk to his or her dog throughout the exercise. The dog may stand in place as it is petted. The dog must not show shyness or resentment.
No problem here, both dogs love attention and being petted. Main area to work on will be not breaking position again.
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
This practical test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so. It also demonstrates the owner's care, concern and sense of responsibility. The evaluator inspects the dog to determine if it is clean and groomed. The dog must appear to be in healthy condition (i.e., proper weight, clean, healthy and alert). The handler should supply the comb or brush commonly used on the dog. The evaluator then softly combs or brushes the dog, and in a natural manner, lightly examines the ears and gently picks up each front foot. It is not necessary for the dog to hold a specific position during the examination, and the handler may talk to the dog, praise it and give encouragement throughout.
Uh oh, Abby doesn't like being brushed. She'll stand for it without being restrained but wears a "why do you hate me?" look the entire time. Both are good with their feet and being touched all over, at least by us. Might also need to work on "Sausage Dog"'s weight before then.
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
This test demonstrates that the handler is in control of the dog. The dog may be on either side of the handler. The dog's position should leave no doubt that the dog is attentive to the handler and is responding to the handler's movements and changes of direction. The dog need not be perfectly aligned with the handler and need not sit when the handler stops. The evaluator may use a pre-plotted course or may direct the handler/dog team by issuing instructions or commands. In either case, there should be a right turn, left turn, and an about turn with at least one stop in between and another at the end. The handler may talk to the dog along the way, praise the dog, or give commands in a normal tone of voice. The handler may sit the dog at the halts if desired.
Probably our biggest challenge at the moment. Although, both dogs are pretty much perfect when they're being walked by themselves, it's only when the two of them are together that they pull. Shadow still uses a head collar to remind him not to drag me after the squirrels, but part of that is because of the ice on the roads and my having no traction even in my boots. We're getting better here though.
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places. The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three). The dog may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence of over-exuberance, shyness or resentment. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash.
This one's going to be hard just to find a place to practice. We live in a teeny tiny little town and "crowds" just don't really exist. The lack of cars makes walking them very easy, but I'll probably have to drive into town to get them used to walking around people. "Over-exuberance" certainly describes Shadow's reaction to people right now, so that's something we'll have to focus on.
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
This test demonstrates that the dog has training, will respond to the handler's commands to sit and down and will remain in the place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler prefers). The dog must do sit AND down on command, then the owner chooses the position for leaving the dog in the stay. Prior to this test, the dog's leash is replaced with a line 20 feet long. The handler may take a reasonable amount of time and use more than one command to get the dog to sit and then down. The evaluator must determine if the dog has responded to the handler's commands. The handler may not force the dog into position but may touch the dog to offer gentle guidance. When instructed by the evaluator, the handler tells the dog to stay and walks forward the length of the line, turns and returns to the dog at a natural pace. The dog must remain in the place in which it was left (it may change position) until the evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog. The dog may be released from the front or the side.
Shadow has sit and down pretty much perfect, Abby's a little slower at times, but I think she knows it. Stay is getting better and better, though holding position as I'm walking back to them is difficult. They definitely know what their release word is though and wait for it expectantly.
Test 7: Coming when called
This test demonstrates that the dog will come when called by the handler. The handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog. The handler may use encouragement to get the dog to come. Handlers may choose to tell dogs to "stay" or "wait" or they may simply walk away, giving no instructions to the dog.
Heh, this is a work in progress. Abby's pretty good, Shadow is... distractable. He comes perfectly in the house or when he's on leash, but while running around playing... I don't know if he's tuning me out because he thinks I'm going to take him home or whether he honestly just doesn't remember what "come" means, but this is definitely an area we need some serious work on.
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
This test demonstrates that the dog can behave politely around other dogs. Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and continue on for about 10 feet. The dogs should show no more than casual interest in each other. Neither dog should go to the other dog or its handler.
Well, neither dog has shown any signs of aggression towards other dogs, but I think that ignoring another dog in such close proximity might prove a challenge. This will be another that's going to be hard to practice, as no one in our town seems to walk their dogs...
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
This test demonstrates that the dog is confident at all times when faced with common distracting situations. The evaluator will select and present two distractions. Examples of distractions include dropping a chair, rolling a crate dolly past the dog, having a jogger run in front of the dog, or dropping a crutch or cane. The dog may express natural interest and curiosity and/or may appear slightly startled but should not panic, try to run away, show aggressiveness, or bark. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise it throughout the exercise.
Distractions are hard, but the ones presented here I think we could handle. Things like squirrels... well, we're working on that.
Test 10: Supervised separation
This test demonstrates that a dog can be left with a trusted person, if necessary, and will maintain training and good manners. Evaluators are encouraged to say something like, "Would you like me to watch your dog?" and then take hold of the dog's leash. The owner will go out of sight for three minutes. The dog does not have to stay in position but should not continually bark, whine, or pace unnecessarily, or show anything stronger than mild agitation or nervousness. Evaluators may talk to the dog but should not engage in excessive talking, petting, or management attempts (e.g, "there, there, it's alright").
Neither dog has ever displayed a mistrust or difficulty with strangers, so I think we'd be okay in this one. Granted, that's always been when they're together. Both dogs are a lot less confident when they're apart. The attachment issues they have with each other are definitely something we're trying to address.
Equipment
All tests must be performed on leash. For collars, dogs should wear well-fitting buckle or slip collars made of leather, fabric, or chain. Special training collars such as pinch collars, head halters, and electronic collars are not permitted in the CGC test.
As of November 4, 2010, body harnesses may be used in the CGC test. The evaluator should check to make sure the harness is not of a type that completely restricts the dog's movement such that it could not pull or jump up if it tried.
We recognize that special training collars such as head collars and no-jump harnesses may be very useful tools for beginning dog trainers, however, we feel that dogs are ready to take the CGC test at the point at which they are transitioned to equipment that allows the evaluator to see that the dog has been trained.
The evaluator supplies a 20-foot lead for the test. The owner/handler should bring the dog's brush or comb to the test.
Shadow's still wearing his head collar, but I think we're close to being able to swtich to a normal collar as soon as the ice melts and I don't have to worry about going skiing. Abby was a strangler when we got her, but is walking much calmer now, so I think we'll be okay.
Encouragement
Owners/handlers may use praise and encouragement throughout the test. The owner may pet the dog between exercises. Food and treats are not permitted during testing, nor is the use of toys, squeaky toys, etc. to get the dog to do something. We recognize that food and toys may provide valuable reinforcement or encouragement during the training process but these items should not be used during the test.
No treats in my pocket, gotcha. Maybe I can rub my pocket with treats before hand so they THINK I have treats... that might be cheating.
Failures – Dismissals
Any dog that eliminates during testing must be marked failed. The only exception to this rule is that elimination is allowable in test Item 10, but only when test Item 10 is held outdoors.
Any dog that growls, snaps, bites, attacks, or attempts to attack a person or another dog is not a good citizen and must be dismissed from the test.
Honestly, not an aggressive bone in either of their bodies, and the only time we've had potty issues was when they were sick when we first got them.
So, overall, I think this is very doable with both dogs. I think Abby's slightly nervous character might be more worrying than Shadow's exuberance, but we'll see how things progress. She might get more confident as her training gets better and she's exposed to different situations.
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