We had an awesome experience at our first CGC prep class! The single most important point I took away from it, for you, is to get into a really good state of mind, and the rest will work out just fine.
Before class, I got the dogs out for an off-lead walk, and then we all took naps (probably about ½ hour) in the sun back at the house. I felt blissful and really tried to keep the good vibes going even though I was a little nervous and excited about getting back into class.
Luckily Logan is a champ traveling – he is glad to come along no matter how nutty I might be acting. (I could not realistically expect that of Sage.) We left just in the nick of time, and his calm demeanor helped me peace out.
Class started with a quick ‘round-the-room about our goals. I explained Logan’s a good boy and he likes to be involved in things. He deserves to have the skills to participate in as many life experiences as possible.
I immediately noticed how connected Logan was to me, gazing into my eyes. 
I know it was because I was calm and relaxed. And once I noticed the connection, it just made me feel even better. We continued this connection all through class. I knew maintaining this aura would be the key to our success – the training would be secondary.
You can expect a lot of “stay” practice in CGC prep classes. Class #1 included it, and I’m sure we’ll work this skill through all of our classes. How good is your “stay”? Ours is o.k. but I noticed one thing right away… I’ve unintentionally taught my dogs that reward = release. Whoops! Now I am working on rewarding intermittently during the stay, and then releasing separately.
We also worked on tricks to boost our connection. You can enjoy some of our practice in the new Dog Momma Tricks video.
Logan wagged his tail a lot during class and melted my heart with his big brown eyes. I left thinking why we hadn’t done this a long time ago. Stay tuned for our Class #2 report! And… what are YOU waiting for?
