Odda Passed her CGC testing!

Good job Odda!

Our Odda, Bernese Swiss Mountain Dog, at 1 year 4 mos of age has passed her Canine Good Citizen testing.  We had missed the original testing date, so this was a makeup date and she was the only one tested today.  Our dog trainer Susan is moving back to Yuma Arizona and leaving Monday morning.  I was so glad that she took the time out of her busy schedule to test Odda. 

Leah and Lennie went with for moral support.  We were at Heartland Park where there are several picnic areas, play grounds, tennis courts, and boat ramp.  There is a lot of parking there, as the park is adjacent to the Heartland Trails that is a walking and biking trail.  It connects several towns, so this park is always busy. 

We went an hour early, as it has been a month since I've had Odda to town, I was worried she'd be really hyper.  It was very warm and muggy out and by the time that Susan got there with her clip board and ready to test, Odda was doing just fine!   Here's the rules::::   The dog cannot fail any of these 10 items on the test:  1.  Accepting a friendly stranger: where they shake hands with the handler. Does not touch the dog.  2.  Sitting politely for petting: Evaluator pets the dog, dog must show no shyness or resentment.  Also several strangers asked to pet her before Susan came, and she did great.  3.  Appearance and grooming:  Evaluator inspects the dog, combs or brushes lightly, examines ears and each front foot.  4.  Out for a walk: Handler takes dog for short walk including right turn, left turn, about turn and stop.  5.  Walking through a crowd:  Dog and handler walk close to several people; dog may show casual interest by not jump up.  6.  Sit and down on command/Staying in place:  Handler shows dog can do sit and down, then chooses a position, leaves dog and goes to the end of a 20 ft line and then return.  7.  Coming when called:  With dog on 20 ft line from test 6, handler walks out 10 ft and calls the dog.  Handler cannot pull lead, dog has to come willingly.  8.  Reaction to another dog:  Two handlers and dogs approach, shake hands, exchange pleasantries, move on.  Dogs can only show casual interest.  9.  Reaction to distractions:  Distractions are presented; dog may not panic or show aggression.   (If your dog growls or yips at any time they automatically fail -  even if this would happen before evaluator actually started testing, and was in area to hear or see.)  10. Handler goes out of sight for 3 minutes, while dog is held on lead by an evaluator. 

I'm glad I've taken Odda to dog classes.  We've met some wonderful people and their dogs.  Now we'll have to try other training classes as they become available.  I do want to start Odda in harness and pulling, but want to do it correctly, so need to do some investigating as to where we need to go for good training, etc.  If it's not available somewhat near, we may have to try agility or something else.  I think if I'd thought of it,  that Hooch (our Jack Russell) would also have passed this test.   Do you know Far Side and Chance the Border Collie?  I also think that Chance should have gone for testing, as I know he would also have passed.   This test wasn't as strick as the Obedience testing, and sure is good for all dogs and their owners. 

You know, at the dog training classes, most of the training is for the owners!   As an owner of a pet, we humans sure can do a lot of wrong things, creating monsters out of pets.  It's so gratifiying for a trainer when at the completion of a session of classes, where dogs and handlers are able to do it all.  In the classes that Odda and I attended this last year, we had a couple that were handicapped and had just gotten a Pug puppy.  It was so fun to watch them progress with the rest of us.  Husband and wife would take turns as they would get tired out.  Mr. used a cane and couldn't bend over to help teach the pup to sit.  Well, it didn't take long for that puppy to learn that just a tap on it's top hip from the cane meant that she needed to sit.  It was so cute.  This little pupply learned that she had to go very slow and she learned it all by the end of that 6 week session.  

In July - before cutting up her nose!