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Who’s A Canine Good Citizen?

Posted on February 13, 2011 by admin

The Canine Good Citizen program is an American Kennel Club program open to all dogs, mixed breed and purebred. Its purpose is to reward dogs and their owners who can show that they have good manners both in the community and at home. It fundamentally stresses responsible dog ownership and good social skills. Dogs who take part in the program go through a 10-part test and, if they pass, receive a certificate from the AKC and the CGC title.

The Canine Good Citizen program is often the first step for an owner and their dog in obedience training. They may go on to participate in obedience competitions, agility or rally events. However, many people earn the CGC title just to prove that their dogs have basic obedience skills. The CGC title is often accepted as proof by landlords and others that a dog has basic obedience skills. Forty-two state legislatures have already passed resolutions endorsing the Canine Good Citizen program at the state level.

Before taking the CGC test (sometimes at a dog show or other AKC event, sometimes at a dog training center with a certified tester), an owner will sign a Responsible Dog Owners Pledge. After that, he/she and their dog will go through the 10-step test:

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
This test shows that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach and greet the handler. The evaluator comes up to the owner and speaks to him/her while ignoring the dog.

Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
In this test the dog should allow a friendly stranger to touch him while he’s out with his owner. The owner may talk to the dog throughout the test.

Test 3: Appearance and grooming
In this test the dog should welcome being groomed and examined. He should allow someone, such as a vet, groomer or friendly stranger to go over him. The evaluator will look over the dog to see that he/she is clean and groomed. The dog should appear to be in good condition. The evaluator then combs or brushes the dog, checks the ears and picks up the front paws. This simulates a vet exam — dogs should be well-behaved during vet exams.

Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)

This test shows that the owner is in control of the dog on a loose leash. The dog may walk on either side of the owner. The dog should appear to be attentive and responsive to the owner’s changes of direction. There are several turns on a course in this test. The owner can talk to the dog, praise the dog, and give commands.

Test 5: Walking through a crowd
The test shows that the dog can move calmly and politely in foot traffic and be controlled in public places. The dog and owner walk around and pass close to several people. There should be no over-excitement, shyness or resentment.

Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
This test shows the dog’s training and that he will respond to his owner’s commands to sit and lie down. He should also remain in the place commanded by his owner. The leash is replaced with a 20-foot line during this test.

Test 7: Coming when called
During this test the owner walks 10 feet from the dog, faces the dog and calls.

Test 8: Reaction to another dog
This test shows that the dog can behave well around other dogs.

Test 9: Reaction to distraction
During this test the evaluator chooses two distractions. These can be dropping a chair, having a jogger go by, dropping a cane, etc. The dog should not show any panic or try to run away or otherwise misbehave.

Test 10: Supervised separation
This final test shows that the dog can be left with someone and still maintain his good manners. The owner is out of sight for three minutes. The dog shouldn’t bark the whole time, whine or show more than mild agitation.

All of the exercises are performed on leash. Your dog should wear a buckle or slip collar. Leather, fabric or chain collars are fine. You should bring your dog’s comb or brush with you to the test.

Kennel clubs and dog training centers offer classes for the Canine Good Citizen test but it is possible to pass the test without taking any classes. You can prepare for it with your dog at home.

The Canine Good Citizen test is a good test for dogs and their owners. It’s good for your dog to learn some basic manners and for you to work with your dog on simple obedience lessons. These lessons will come in handy again and again for your dog and make him a more desirable dog in the community.

Who’s A Canine Good Citizen courtesy Dog Articles.

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3 Things That Embarrass Dog Owners

Posted on January 16, 2011 by admin

We all want to be proud of our dogs. That’s one of the reasons we get a dog. We love them and they become almost like a child in some cases. You can see bumper stickers that say “My Dog Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student.” How embarrassing is it then when your dog does something that makes you want to crawl into a hole? You’ve been telling people how smart, how cute, how wonderful your dog is and as soon as they see your dog he does something you hate.

1. Jumping on people. One of the embarrassing things some dogs do is jumping on people. Whether you’re out for a walk or your dog jumps on people when they walk in your door, this is embarrassing behavior. It’s a clear sign that your overly-enthusiastic dog seems to be out of control.

What can you do to stop the jumping behavior? One of the best things you can do to head off jumping behavior is teach your dog the Sit command when she is preparing to jump. It’s best to practice this in a confined area at first. Practice when it’s just you and your dog. Make sure she already knows Sit. When she starts to jump on you tell her to Sit. Depending on how excited she is it may take a few tries to get this right but it will work. Make sure you praise her and give her a reward she really enjoys, whether it’s treats, a favorite toy or lots of petting and attention.

Once your dog is reliably sitting when she starts to jump on you, you can practice having a friend or family member ring your doorbell or knock on your door. Your dog may get very excited again and prepared to jump on them when they enter. Practice having her sit before opening the door. Again, this may take some practice but your dog should get the idea that she is supposed to sit instead of jump. If nothing else, she should be responding to your command to Sit.

Eventually you will move on to the hardest part — teaching your dog to politely sit when she has the urge to jump up on someone she meets in the street or elsewhere. This is an uncontrolled situation so you should always have your dog leashed when you’re out. Make sure that your dog gives you a perfect Sit at home when she has the urge to jump before you try this outside your home.

2. Lunging at Dogs. It’s very embarrassing, not to mention rather dangerous, to have your dog lunging at other dogs when you’re out for a walk. The best way to prevent this problem is by making sure that you socialize any puppy well from an early age. However, if you have a dog that is already lunging at other dogs or people, it’s a little late for socialization. You need to take steps to keep your dog from hurting anyone. You may want to consider whether you should be walking your dog in public and whether you are able to control him.

You should consider whether your dog could have any kind of veterinary condition causing him to lunge or behave aggressively toward others. Your vet may be able to find a physical cause for your dog’s behavior. If not, then you need to consider possible behavioral problems. If your dog lunges at other dogs (or people) on an ongoing basis then you may wish to ask your vet to recommend a dog behaviorist. They may be able to work with your dog and find the problem.

There are some things you can do yourself if your dog lunges at other dogs. Consider a properly fitted muzzle or head collar. A head collar such as a Halti or Gentle Leader is not a good choice for every dog but it does give added control over dogs that lunge and pull their owners. You should be careful about possible neck injuries to your dog when he’s wearing a head collar.

Avoid walking where there may be loose or stray dogs. Your lunging dog doesn’t need an added reason to pull on the leash.

Walk your dog in quiet neighborhoods and more controlled settings.

3. Constant Barking. One thing that frequently embarrasses people with their neighbors is a dog that barks constantly. If your dog is a nuisance barker and you’re outside yelling at him to shut up, the neighbors can become annoyed with both of you very quickly, especially when they’re trying to sleep.

Dogs often bark because they are bored, lonely or frustrated. But there are some dogs that seem to bark to hear the sound of their own voice. The best advice to deal with barking dogs is to make sure that all of their needs are being met on a regular basis. Take away their reasons to bark. Make sure that your dog gets lots of exercise — tired dogs take naps. Make sure that your dog has plenty of fun toys. And, very importantly, spend time training your dog. Obedience training can help keep a dog mentally fit — the opposite of boredom. Spending time training your dog also means that you’re spending time together. When your dog is having all of his needs met he will, hopefully, have less to bark about.

If your dog still stands in the backyard and barks at least he will have had a little obedience training. When you tell him to “Come!” you have a better chance of him actually obeying you and coming inside where he will be quiet.

3 Things That Embarrass Dog Owners courtesy of Dog Articles.

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