This class started out feeling a bit like American Idol because Grumpy Lady (from Class #2) was not there, and there were only seven of us left. I’m not going to lie; my competitive side kicked in and I thought “oh yeah, we can win this whole thing”. But then I remembered – we need these people and dogs! This is a team effort. It takes a village to raise a dog to be a good citizen.
Logan practicing social skills
To practice for CGC Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger and Test 2: Sitting politely for petting, our instructor arranged for us to meet each other’s dogs. While I played the “stranger” for other dogs, Logan waited alone, tied to a peg. This was also good practice for Test 10: Supervised separation.
The best way to teach your dog to succeed as a citizen – in “life” situations that involve new people, dogs, distractions, etc. – is to practice in those situations. However, you do NOT want to practice upsetting your dog. The class environment is ideal because it is controlled and positive.
The other big emphasis of Class #3 was practicing fine motor skills. I must admit, I rolled my eyes when our instructor commented “his toes need to align with yours” (when we’re both facing forward) or “you need to be able to turn (either direction) with your dog tight by your side”. I contemplated… “really? We’re pretty laid back; I’m not sure we need all of those precision skills.” But the real truth is, the more in sync we are, the more laid back we will be. Especially in a situation like CGC Test 5: Walking through a crowd.
And I reminded myself of what I always tell others… it is much easier for your dog to understand what TO DO rather than what not to do. Learning more skills gives you more options of what “to do” in various situations.
