Could Koda be too confident and friendly?

[Lisa]

Last night in obedience class, in preparation for the CGC test the dogs in that class are scheduled to take on February 22, we had our dogs stay with a stranger for three minutes while we stepped outside the room.  Some of the dogs exhibited separation anxiety, whining, fidgeting, looking for their owners, etc. and I'm glad Koda didn't do any of that, but he did try to roughhouse with the woman holding him, jumping up on her, mouthing her hands and arms, just being really playful like he normally is with everyone.  He loves everyone.  She told him to sit several times before he would (he sits for me every time after just one command, but had never been handled by anyone else), finally he laid down and was good for the last bit of time with her.

If he acts like that the night of the CGC test he won't pass.  He's great at all the obedience stuff with me handling, could pass all that now.  I was told he could maybe jump up one time, but not repeatedly and refuse to sit.  I want him to pass the test and go on to compete but don't want to take his natural loving playfulness away.  Has anyone dealt with a similar issue, and/or have any advice?  I'm having a friend come over in the next few days and plan to try the exercise with him.  It should be even more of a challenge for Koda to sit quietly with him since they're friends and the guy has roughhoused with Koda lots of times before.  The obedience class handler also suggested that when we do the CGC test, I put Koda in a sit or down stay, and tell her not to touch or talk to Koda, before walking away.  Is that allowed for this test?

[BoxerPerson]

That is the ONLY thing Willie will not do!  My question is...why does a dog need to sit or down stay while you are away?  To me if my pups are with me and go into a down stay when I tell them to, why does it have to be 3 minutes or 5 with you away to get a CGC?

What am I missing here?

[Bugsys Mom]

Claire-They have to prove they are calm and good natured in every situation.  A stranger handling them is something that will be done often when they are out 'working'.

[BoxerPerson]

But just to get a CGC...he won't be "working" or handled by anyone but me or OH as long as we are alive, so often is mute in my scenario!

[BoxerWB]

Lisa - It doesn't sound like confident and friendly, it sounds like rude puppy (who may also be very confident and friendly). You live alone w/the pups, right? How often does actually practice visiting with people and following the basic rules of good manners? If he only gets to practice a couple of times in class, he may not have learned that the rules are supposed to apply to other people.

Claire - They don't have to do sit-stays or down-stays for the friendly stranger. But if they are actiing up and the stranger asks them to sit, they need to do that. A pup could stand there and just watch the world go by during the test, or sit/lay and (politely) ask for pats from their stranger. Dash actually surprised me by passing this when we were in CGC class - he spent part of the time checking out his stranger and part of the time looking around the building. I don't even remember which position he was in for most of it.

The idea is to mimic asking a person to hold your dog for some reason - like walking into a store - your dog has to stay with someone else for a couple of minutes and behave... no freaking out, no acting out.

[Lisa]

Yes, I live alone with them.  Koda does visit with other people fairly often but mainly the guy who's coming over in the next few days and other people who just play with him without giving him commands.  So yeah maybe he does have the idea that he only has to listen to me, and other people are to play with.  I'm going to have my friend work with him on obedience some and in the next two class sessions before the CGC test have other people handle him too.

[BoxerPerson]

Well I doubt that there will ever be an occassion I will need to have someone hold my pup while I go into a store.  They are with me or OH all the time when away from home and I would not trust a stranger to hold my dog(s)

I see where it could be a good thing for some, not all tho.  I just think that one size does not fit all and that part of the test seems not as important as the others.  just my opinion...

[BoxerWB]

What about the vets? If the dog needs to be brought into the back room for a test or medical procedure? Same situation - you not around, someone else holding the leash.  A dog lunging around or jumping on them is not a canine good citizen. It's the same reason they have the "exam" portion - pick up the dog's feet, pretend to brush them - the "easy" version of a vet situation.

[Rubidawg]

Most likely, with a few more practice runs, Koda will be just fine. Honestly to me tho, it sounds like he isn't all that confident. That to me, fidgetting is just a different form of it. (perhaps initiating play is his way to try to calm down his nerves from you being gone?? probably more confident than others, but still a lil uncertain as to what's going on.) I could be wrong. But, Grady did the same thing when we practiced for CGC. The first time...he was all over the handler holding him. Trying to crawl in her lap, trying to rile her up a bit. She said it was his way of sorta saying, "where's my momma! go get her!" lol But after we practiced a few more times in class, he got better. By the time we took the test, he was a nearly perfect angel and they commented on what a great dog he was when I left.

I say just keep working with him. Maybe see if the trainer will stay after class with you a lil bit to keep practicing. Starting out for 1 minute, then increasing up to 3 mins, etc. In our class, they didn't start us out right away with 3 minutes...we built up and I think that helped too.

[Lisa]

Koda acts the same way toward other people when I am right there.  We are also having to work on keeping him from being overly friendly and trying to play when they do the greet and exam.  He wants to play with all the other dogs in class too.

Claire, what does Willie do if you try to leave him with someone else?

[Lisa]

What a difference two weeks has made!  Tonight, the last class before the CGC test next Monday, we did a "rehearsal," running through all the test items and Koda did everything great, except for being too interested in the other dogs, wanting to play with them, during the walking in a crowd exercise, but not enough to fail the test according to the instructor. When he was left with someone else while I left the room for three minutes, this time I told him firmly to sit and stay, instead of basically just handing the leash over and walking off like last time when he jumped all over the person he was left with.  I peeked at him through a crack in the door (he couldn't see me) and he stayed sitting right there, staring at the door, almost the whole time.  Towards the end he did stand up, look around a little, and sit back down but no jumping, fidgeting or whining.   

  that he passes next week and earns his CGC!

[BoxerWB]

Glad to hear he's improved so much! 

Your trainers do walking through a crowd with other dogs??? That's not standard for the test, so I hope it was only used as proofing pre-test!

[Lisa]

Your trainers do walking through a crowd with other dogs??? That's not standard for the test, so I hope it was only used as proofing pre-test!

Thanks.  Yes, according to our AKC CGC testing information, test #5 is "walking through a crowd," described as "This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places.  The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three).  The dog may show some interest in the strangers, without appearing over exuberant, shy or resentful.  The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test.  The dog should not be straining at the leash."

I notice it doesn't mention walking around other dogs, but that's what she had us do tonight.  I'll e-mail to ask about it.  If there are only people that will be easier for Koda since we've been working on getting him not to try to play with everyone he sees.

[BoxerWB]

Actually now that I think about it, I think we might have practiced w/dogs so that walking with just people during the test didn't seem so hard. It is good proofing, so long as that isn't how they test!