The Name's Iris, Kelsie Iris CGC

Posing with my CGC ribbon and bouquet!

I have some super exciting news to share with everyone: on Tuesday night, I passed my Canine Good Citizen Test!  I've been working towards this test for a long time, and even though I could have passed it a couple of months ago, I'm still so happy to have earned my CGC title.  I'm so proud of my new name: Kelsie Iris CGC.

For those who don't know, the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen test rewards dogs who have basic obedience training and exhibit good behavior, as well as responsible dog owners.  A dog must pass all 10 test items in order to pass (click here for a description of all ten items, as well as the pledge that owners must take beforehand).  To give you a brief idea of what the test covers, here is a brief overview of the 10 test items:

1. Accepting a Friendly Stranger
2. Sitting Politely for Petting
3. Appearance and Grooming
4. Out for a Walk (Walking on a Loose Lead)
5. Walking through a Crowd
6. Sit and Down on Command and Staying in Place
7. Coming When Called
8. Reaction to Another Dog
9. Reaction to Distraction
10. Supervised Separation

 I passed all 10 tests with flying colors!  I was even arguably the top dog in my class--but I'm a Service Dog, so that makes sense!  For test #8, everyone got to pick the dog and handler with whom they wanted to test, and everyone except one pair chose me as their tester dog because I was so well-behaved.  Mom was so proud of me, and even the evaluator commented that he wasn't surprised that I was so popular.  I received tons of compliments from the other handlers and many belly rubs from Mom--I came home wagging my tail and wearing the biggest puppy smile!

The CGC is a good test for all dogs to take.  Mom tells people that it's kind of like grade school/high school for humans, because it covers the various aspects of a dog's basic education for in and out of the home.  Since it's foundation in 1989, the CGC has become widely popular, and many groups--from PetCo to national breed clubs--now offer the test, often on a regular basis.  Many therapy dog organizations use the test to certify their dogs, and some apartments require that dogs pass the CGC in order to be allowed to live in the apartment.  So all in all, the CGC can be a very important and useful test for dogs to take!  If you have a canine partner, whether he/she is just a pet or is a working dog, I highly recommend that you sign up for the CGC.

Note that passing the CGC does NOT "certify" your dog as a Service Dog.  However, it's a good test for all Service Dogs to pass, especially owner-trained Service Dogs in the event that your legitimacy as a Service Dog is tried in court.

Huge tail wags and puppy kisses,
Kelsie Iris