Dog Gone Dogs

Well if you haven't read my last post, Tipper came into season a month early so I drove off to the week three class to observe and pick up the training info that I hoped to do at home.

We started the class with a heel on a loose lead and a flat buckle collar....and my first thought was OMG this is going to take some work. I don't think Tipper has been on a flat collar since she was 12 weeks old. Logan, Cassie and Killian did pretty well. Our instructor Kim then presented me with a "rent a dog" his name was Noodles and he was a 12 inch high plastic dog! We used Noodles as a distraction for the meet and great and the leave it because Noodle presented quite a distraction.
Props were also brought out, a walker, a wheel chair and an umbrella. I don't think the wheel chair will be a problem since I spent a month in one last winter. However when O got home and introduced the umbrella Tipper quickly left the room. Which reminded me of the time I was riding a horse and and older woman came up behind her with an umbrella, before I knew it I was on the ground.
So out the clicker came. First toss the treat near the umbrella, then under it, then on top of the umbrella and finally closing it up and actually standing on it. We will see tomorrow how well the lesson was retained. So this week we have heel, leave it and don't freak out with the umbrella.

Week Three at Canine Good Citizen Class

We haven't actually been to class but I thought I'd do a quick post to let you know that Tipper came into season yesterday which means she can't complete the last 2 classes but I will continue to go and train from home. I just hope that her show dog training and exposure will get her through the last 2 weeks of class. We should be able to take the test because she'll be out of season by then. So let's see what week 3 has in store for us.

Week Two of Canine Good Citizen

We had practiced the "park it" and I felt pretty confident that Tipper would perform. We arrived at class without any incident and  had acquired a new dog and owner in our class since the previous week. So the class consists of Logan the Wheaten & Valerie, Cassie the golden & Janet, Jeff & the Visla, Killian and Tipper & myself. Three new challenges were presented to us, the sit/stay, the down/stay and being left for 3 minutes out of sight!
Tipper barely knew the sit and was now being asked to stay. As for the down, the "sphinx" down was never going to turn into a stay and there was no way she was going to roll onto a hip but believe it or not she stayed sitting even with some tension on the leash. As for the down even though it was a "sphinx" down I was eventually able to put a treat on each paw and she waited to take them until I told her it was okay.
By using the treats on the paws you get the leave it and the stay all together. Now Tipper is a big momma's baby and when I was asked to leave her with the teacher and go out of sight for three minutes there was a moment of dread. Have you ever timed three minutes? Well 10 seconds seemed like an eternity! Three minutes was forever. When I walked back around the corner there was Tipper on one side of the instructor and Killian on the other side. She was standing calmly wagging her tail and looking directly at me. She passed that part with flying colors. When it came time to park it she couldn't seem to get much more than a paw on the mat. Next week we will bring her blanket which is really what the park it is all about. So we have much homework to do this week because I'm not really confident with those stit/down stays.
While I find myself concentrating on Tippers training, I am aware that the other dogs are also having their challenges in the class. The 2 things my dog has done well are the stand for examination and being left. Two experiences  that has been ingrained in her from her time going dog shows. Things she has been asked to do for a long time. So my advise to you if you are having trouble training your dog is celebrate and reward what they do well and just keep trying on the stuff that is not so great.

Was the homework a fluke??

So today Tipper and I collected the bed and the clicker to see if yesterdays "park it" was just a fluke or has she actually figured it out.
I set the bed down on the floor and began the training routine, not only did she "park it" but she wouldn't let Alex near the bed. She has figured out that the bed means treats. On the few occasions that she came back to the bed and did not sit when I said "park it" she looked at me for a few seconds and then quickly put her butt down on the bed. Tomorrow night will be the real test for "park it".

Homework

We have a week between classes. Last night was Monday and we have only done our homework 3 times!!! We are going to look like total failures in class. So tonight I was determined to work on "park it". I filled up the bait bag with weight watchers string cheese picked up my clicker and put the leopard Sherpa lined bed on the floor. To my amazement I told Tipper to "park it" and she did! That little butt parked itself right on the blanket! Woo Hoo. Hopefully this wasn't a fluke. Tomorrow will tell.

First Night of CGC Class

As a New Englander I don't really have any right to complain about how cold it is because almost every day the temperature has been in the 40's this winter but last Thursday night was damn cold and dark.  I had sent my money so after a long day of day care and training Tipper and I bundled up and made the half hour trip to class at Fit and Trim.
Now for those of you who don't know the story, Last summer Tipper had an interesting experience with one of my handlers Chihuahua's. Tipper seemed to think it was a very exciting stuffed toy. She scooped it right off the top of a crate as she was walking by, so fast that no one even saw it happen and she wasn't going to give it up. Luckily for everyone the tiny dog was unscathed and the handler spent the next few hours picking chi hair out of Tippers teeth. The reason I'm telling this story is that as soon as we entered the lobby there was a long haired Chihuahua and my first thought was oh crap, this isn't going to go well. Especially after another woman immediately mentioned that the little dog was very aggressive. Lucky for us the dog was there for agility. Our first hurdle overcome! Our class was only half full and besides Tipper we had a Wheaton Terrier named "Logan" and a golden who's name escapes me but by our next class I will remember it. Once we entered our side of the room and got ourselves situated Tipper approached the instructor for a sniff and a pet. Another hurdle overcome. The 2 areas were separated by an ex pen covered by a tarp and someone knocked it down! Crash a loud sound and Tipper passed another phase of CGC without realizing it.
Lesson one was with the golden who likes to jump on people to greet them, but what dog doesn't? So the dog jumped on the instructor who's name is Kim. She took the dogs front paws in both hands and danced around with the dog until it wanted to get down. This was repeated 2 or 3 times. The fourth time the dog approached Kim she put out her hands with fingers spread and sure enough the dog did not jump!!!! Woo Hooo!
Lesson Two was to sit, sounds pretty simple, but not for my retired show dog. We tried every trick in the book but she wasn't going to put that butt on the floor. We finally resorted to scooping an arm around behind her butt and moving her backward with the collar. SUCCESS. The next part of class was getting our dogs to relax on a piece of carpet. Most training classes shape this behavior because it gives the dog the ability to chill out on his or her blanket no matter where they are. I have used the command "mat" or go to your mat but Kim uses "park it" which I love. Think about it.... You want your dog to chill and now you have the command "park it". By the end of class my show dog was parking her butt on that piece of carpet. A little cheese, some time and we had completed the first class. Now home and homework.

So like kids....

We have been blessed with some amazingly warm weather in November. The last few days have been on the 60's and so it's outside we go after all I know how soon the bad weather will be upon us and much of the crew at Sit Stay & Play will not relish the cold snowy winter. Austin and Margaux being the exception. So rather than running around playing in the huge pile of leaves I have raked they sit by the fence. Begging with sad eyes to go inside. Go figure.

Canine Good Citizen

My first experience with the CGC program was in 1992. I can't be sure but I think it was at the Dalmatian Club of America Show. The dog in question was CH Brookside's Four by Four affectionately known as "Dodger". In 1992 the title while supported by the American Kennel Club was not an official title, so while Dodger earned his title without the need for classes he was never allowed to use the CGC at the end of his name.
The nice thing about the CGC now is it gives the dog owner the opportunity to train their dogs to be good citizens. A CGC title is also required if you are ever interested in going further and getting a Therapy title on your dog. Regardless of titles training your dog is fun but lets face it without the knowledge that on Thursday night you dog may embarrass you in front of other people,training fall somewhere behind taking out the trash or raking the lawn. The CGC class combines temperament and some basic obedience and on my opinion provides your dog with a good balance of training. There are many people who dive into all the obedience classes offered but not my cup of tea. So let's talk about what a dog needs to do for their CGC title. Sit, Stay, walk on a loose lead, be approached by a strange dog and a stranger, not react to loud noise, be touched by a stranger and be left with a stranger without showing agitation.so you can see a blend of temperament and basic obedience. The course is 5 weeks long with the fifth week the actual test. Not a huge investment of time but time well spent.

Attaining your Canine Good Citizen Title

Tipper and I are starting a 5 week course to achieve her Canine Good Citizen Title or CGC. I thought it might be a fun blog for people to follow the weekly event because I can guarantee you it will make for some fun reading.

So the first post will be the history of the CGC, my first experience with the CGC. How to find a class and other info.
The second post will be our first class and so on.