Canine "good citizens" in Lomita
The Lomita Obedience Training Club had a record turnout Saturday when dog owners gathered to get their canines tested for the AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program.
Of the 14 dogs who took the test, 12 passed.
The training club administers the test two to three times a year -- the next test has not been
scheduled but will likely come up sometime in late summer (late August). We'll be sure to announce the date here when it becomes available. (If your dog has been through one of the club's training classes, they'll waive the $5 fee for the exam; check out the group's class schedule and class descriptions on their website).
(Below are a couple shots from Saturday's event held at Hathaway Park in Lomita. Because of the numbers who turned out, there was a bit of a wait to get called onto the basketball court where the formal exam was held; that gave owners a chance to practice with their dogs a bit.)
So what's the test good for?
"I always think of it as the first step to doing something more with your dog," said Barbara Millman, who headed up the team of examiners on Saturday. "There are some people who can get a house or an apartment to rent because their dog has passed the CGC."
The test was established in 1989 and stresses responsible pet ownership and basic good manners for dogs. Once dogs pass, they are in a better position to continue training for obedience, therapy, agility, tracking or performance events.
My dogs, Tess & Cowboy, were among those who passed, which was a thrill. They congratulate each other, below.
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
Those are all pretty snazzy. I fear my dogs are collecting too many tags -- we have their city license tag, their microchip tag, a plain ID tag AND a cute pewter "got sheep?" tag. The weight may become too much for them to bear if I had another jingly to their collars!
YES! Here is where I got it from. I picked the Large White one and it's pretty big...much bigger than I expected.
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/OK9TG1.pdf
Congrats to YOU, Tess, and Cowboy! How exciting!! Are you going to order the CGC dog tag? Indi wears hers very proudly!!
Ooo, there's a tag? :-)
Congrats on getting the CGC on your dogs, Donna! This test was originally created to help fight discrimination against certain dog breeds. The AKC decided it would be helpful to have an agreed-upon standard of behavior for dogs to deem them to be acceptable out in public. The criteria for the test are very practical in everyday life and it's something I think every dog owner should strive to achieve with their dog.
From there, you can move on to other more advanced "public" skills, such as:
- While on a down-stay at Starbucks, does your dog maintain the down-stay when a small yappy dog on a flexi-line comes running up to your dog while its owner is completely clueless? ;-)
- Will your very cute dog maintain a sit-stay or down-stay while 3 toddlers lean over it and pet it and then let out a piercing squeal of delight?
- Will your dog ignore an entire super-size serving of french fries that have fallen on tne concrete, which you didn't notice, and you're accidentally walking right over them?
- While walking with your dog next to a few kids who suddenly lean back on their heels and glide swiftly forward on their wheely shoes, will your dog feign boredom and be unphased?
Ahhhh, the challenges of being a dog in this crazy world we live in. Congrats again on a job well done!
Diane Bassett
Thanks for the excellent background on the test -- and for those very vivid examples of what's possible! We still have work to do (as the cat keeps reminding me, though we are currently enrolled in another training class). But passing this test was very encouraging.
Congrats to Tess and Cowboy (and you) for passing the CGC test. PLEASE keep us posted when you find out when the next CGC testing date is.
Thank you! I was pleasantly surprised. :-)
And we definitely will let everyone know when the next test date rolls around.