Canine Good Citizen

lrushe

Just wondering if anybody here has done the CGC with the IKC? Basically I'd like to hear their experience and I also have a few questions.
For example test no. 2 requires a dog to walk on a loose lead passed distractions, Brook doesn't drag me down the road but there wouldn't be a 'C' shape in the lead either, would this be ok or should I be training her to leave a looser lead? Would stopping to smell something on the ground be a fail?
Also no. 4 requires a dog on a loose lead to sit for 1 min while the owner has a conversation with a stranger and their dog. If Brook breaks the sit (she sometimes loses concentration) is it an automatic fail or can I re-sit her and start again for 1 min.
Any help on the above would be grateful

belongtojazz

I haven't done the Irish one, but I have done the UK one and would imagine they are very similar.

A loose lead means you are not being dragged, there shouldn't be any tension in the lead. I think the stopping to smell is ok so long as you don't have to tug to get the dog restarted. In the UK one the meeting someone is slightly different in that the dog doesn't have to sit when you meet someone they just have to be relaxed.

I think a lot of it is down to the examiners interpretation.

Best of Luck

lrushe

belongtojazz wrote: »

I think a lot of it is down to the examiners interpretation.

That's the worst part and the hardest thing to train for, it's like doing my driving test all over again

Thanks for the input!!

belongtojazz

Yep, took my dog 2 tries to get her silver and she behaved exactly the same during both, but the 2nd examiner passed her :rolleyes:

aah well I was chuffed to bits and did think she should have passed first time, not that I'm biased or anything

lrushe

Yeah I have one dog who is almost 10 and I know he would pass it first time, he's absolutely bomb proof in any situation. My Rotties is almost 14 months and can do everything perfect one day and then forget everything the next :rolleyes: Gonna do a few more months of training with her before I apply, it's only €10 to re-sit it, so it's not the end of the world if we have to try it a second time

belongtojazz

I've just been reading up on it on the IKC website and it seems it is very similar to the UK Bronze award. It is such a great feeling when you get them through it, it feels like a validation for all the hard work you're both putting into the training

I was really surprised when I first looked into awards here to find their wasn't any ( I gather this is new for the IKC). The training school I took Jazz too geared their classes to pass this awards which meant extra to aim for (as well as a well behaved dog of course lol) I felt it helped structure the classes.

Plus I have some snazzy rosettes and certificates

lrushe

Yeah I'm doing it more for myself and my dog as you don't get any 'offical' titles for your dogs. But I will get a badge that I can pin to Brooks collar. So when people steer their children and small dogs away from my big, bad Rottie, I can flash the badge and announce "Good Citizen coming through" ha ha!!

belongtojazz

Haha sounds like a good plan, of course the only thing they are in danger of is being loved to death

My Jack is only about 5 inches tall (if even that) but her favourite playmates are rotties and GSD, I think she believes she's their size, the poor owners used to get all anxious that their dogs would injure her as she was forever under their feet, but big dogs seem to recognise her size and take it easier on her, not to say that she didn't get knocked around but she loves it :rolleyes:

Rotties are great at learning I reckon you'll fly through it.

I do think having to sit/lie still when you're greeting someone is tough though, most dogs want to at least say hi.

lrushe

Brook's best mate is my Chihuahua, the 2 will roll around the floor for ages wrestling, it's hilarious!!!:D

I think I'll concentrate on Brook sitting rather than lying, I think she will be more comfortable being at eye level with a strange dog rather than lying down in front of it.

Watch this space, hopefully I will have good news to report....!!!:)

tk123

lrushe wrote: »

So when people steer their children and small dogs away from my big, bad Rottie, I can flash the badge and announce "Good Citizen coming through" ha ha!!

Ah we get that too so it's just your lovely Rottie getting picked on! :rolleyes: "Run to the hills - a golden retriever is approaching and he's going to gnaw thru his lead and eat us!!!" - maybe they think he's a lab and he wants to steal their Andrex. :pac:
Our guy is the same age as your Rottie and he'd be the same - almost there but still some areas to work on. We go to class every week and sometimes it's a bit frustrating when all the other dogs are doing brilliantly (he's the baby of the class) and my guy wants to play instead or lie on the floor in strike or bark at the trainers for a pet :rolleyes: etc but when you step back and think of how much they've improved over a few months you realize they'll get there eventually - well hope they will! :pac:

andreac

Ive done it with my rottie and its fairly straight forward and they do let you away with a few mistakes so dont worry too much if the test isnt perfect and you make few mistakes.

lrushe

That's a relief, she 70% there but I still need to work a little with her not getting too excited when meeting a new dog face on. Its ironic because off leash she doesn't want to know other dogs, she's always looking to me to throw her ball (even if I haven't got it with me!) but being on leash she tends to focus a bit more on approaching dogs, not a huge big deal but something to work on

antomagoo

lrushe wrote: »

That's a relief, she 70% there but I still need to work a little with her not getting too excited when meeting a new dog face on. Its ironic because off leash she doesn't want to know other dogs, she's always looking to me to throw her ball (even if I haven't got it with me!) but being on leash she tends to focus a bit more on approaching dogs, not a huge big deal but something to work on

Our Rottie is the same. When on leash she gets very focused on other dogs esp other dogs on leash, becoming a bit of an issue at the moment but were working on it