Canine good citizen classes

What does it take to become a Canine Good Citizenn (CGC)? First, temperament is critical. The dog should welcome attention from strangers without being ill-behaved. Dogs that are shy with strangers are not suited for therapy work. Jumping on people and licking are not allowed and walking politely on a 6-foot leash is required.

CGC testing covers temperament, obedience, and behavior skills. In one exercise, an owner walks the dog and stops to talk with a person; the dog must ignore the person. You never know if a person may be allergic or uncomfortable around dogs, so the owner should maintain complete control. In a similar exercise, the person asks to pet the dog. The dog should sit and stay by the owner’s side and accept petting on the head and body.

Obedience skills include Sit, Lie Down, and Stay on command. One test has the owner handing the leash to the evaluator while the owner walks away and returns to the dog remaining in position. They test the Come command with the evaluator holding the leash and offering a distraction while the owner calls the dog to come straight to them without stopping.

Walking skills are extremely important. The dog must walk on a loose leash by the owner’s side, stopping and changing directions, left and right turns, and U-turns in both directions without pulling to show that the dog is paying attention. Another exercise includes walking around distractions such as carts, walkers, and wheelchairs. Dogs should be able to approach people using this equipment without fear so they can be safely petted. A loud-noise distraction is also used: a metal bowl or other item is dropped, and the dog must not pull or try to flee. Overreacting to noise can be dangerous to the owner and others, so calm behavior is required.

To be a CGC the dog must also be comfortable being brushed, touched, and examined by someone other than the owner, including the body, ears, and paws. Nails should be dremeled or rounded so they don’t scratch people.

Two of the hardest challenges are calmly passing a person with another dog, your dog must ignore them, and supervised separation, in which you leave your dog with someone while you are out of sight for three minutes. Ignoring another dog is very difficult for social dogs, and separation can be stressful for owner-attached dogs. CGC requires dogs to be comfortable in both situations, taking cues from their owners.

If you are interested in volunteering in the community with your dog, please contact me for more information. Volunteering with your dog can be one of the most rewarding things you do, and sharing your dog is the best.

To become a Hos-pets Therapy Dog, at minimum the dog and owner must pass the AKC CGC test. After passing, the owner attends volunteer orientation with Mirasol Health, Hospice Care of the Lowcountry. Hos-pets visit assisted living, memory care, and private homes, bringing joy to many in our community.

Fall classes to train and certify dogs as Canine Good Citizens begin soon. A six-week series starts Friday mornings, October 17th, at 9:30 a.m. at National Health Care in Bluffton. Advance sign-up is required. The class and test fee is $125. Contact: Alphadogtrainingacademy@gmail.com

Abby Bird is the owner of Alphadog Training Academy. AlphadogTrainingAcade-my@gmail.com.