Now, I had been a bad dog "mom" and the poor guy wasn't hardly leased trained at that point. Noah has what we call a "soft" temperament. Another word for "wimp" *wink* Usually when you leash train a puppy/dog and it's not used to the pressure of the leash, they will hit the end and stop or some will turn into bucking broncos! Noah on the other hand, would hit the end of the leash and yelp! Which made training a bit of a challenge.
So we started Noah off the first half of the class on a flat collar instead of the usual training collar. He seemed to catch on quickly to what was asked of him. I had to be careful with my corrections though, because of his sensitive nature. And use a lot of praise and encouragement!
Class gave us the basics; sit, down, come, sit-stay, down-stay, stand for exam, walking on a loose leash making different turns and staying together as a team. The teacher always likes to throw in some fun stuff too; relays, Simon Says, and fun agility courses. (I highly recommend basic obedience and CGC testing (if available) for all our Pinewood puppies and families!)
Last week she gave us a sample test of the basics that we had been learning and scored each one on how we did. Noah did really well and got in the 1st place category along with quite a few others.
Last night we received our graduation certificates (and treats for the dog!), plus the chance to go through the CGC test. For those who don't know, the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) is a test that the American Kennel Club (A.K.C.) puts on all over the country by various instructors.
Here's a quote from the CGC pamphlet:
"The AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program is designed to recognize dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. This rapidly growing nationally recognized program stresses responsible dog ownership for owners and basic training and good manners for dogs.
The AKC CGC Program provides an excellent foundation for training in other fun activities such as Rally, Obedience and Agility and results in a well-mannered dog who is a joy to live with. Some therapy dog groups require passing the CGC Test as a prerequisite, some insurance companies recommend CGC training, and and increasing number of apartments and condos are requiring CGC training for resident dogs."
So you can see what a benefit passing this test can be. There are 10 parts to the test that the dog must pass. Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger. Test 2: Sitting politely for petting. Test 3: Appearance and grooming. Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead). Test 5: Walking through a crowd. Test 6: Sit and down on command and staying in place. Test 7: Coming when called. Test 8: Reaction to another dog. Test 9: Reaction to distraction. Test 10: Supervised separation. (AKC has a pamphlet with more specifics about each portion of the test. Contact them at cgc@akc.org)
Well, I was worried about Noah not passing the "down". This is one thing we've had trouble with. And I'll be honest, I hadn't practiced it as much as I could have. But, he passed that part and every test before it! The last part; "Supervised Separation", was the part I didn't think we'd have any problem with. You hand your dog's leash to another person and they hold it for you while you go out of sight for three minutes. He almost flunked! Whiner! But thankfully, he passed that portion also.
So now Noah's official title is "Rose City's Noble Heir CGC" (pending AKC approval)
Waiting our turn!
Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Getting ready for Test 4: Out for a walk
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Part of Test 6: Sit-stay
Test 7: Coming when called
Ahhhh...testing is over. Noah takes a break to play with his friend, Little Bear.
Good job Noah!
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