# CGCA Testing- Food on the Floor Question



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

For CGCA evaluators and those who've taken this test- what type of food was used for the part of the test where food is put on the floor and you walk by at a 3 foot distance asking your dog to leave it? Was it a dog biscuit or something very tempting like fresh meat? 

Yogi passed his CGCA already where the evaluator used dog biscuits on a plate. Not a biggie at all. We are in another class closer to home that will culminate in a CGCA test, but the evaluator in this class is using fresh meat. The dogs are a little too interested in the bait. :uhoh:


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

There is plenty of discretion evaluator to evaluator. On the TDI test, Copley, Tally and Finn had to walk right over a big pile of liver, cheese, and hotdogs for their "leave it". I personally go the charlie bears in the rally dish route in giving the test.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I am learning just how much discretion there is. This trainer trains us in retail stores with distractions everywhere, plus the down stay is 3 minutes, not 30 seconds. I think this is much harder for teams, but it is more real life and what we will actually encounter in our public outings. I am actually happy this is a much different setting for us. Yesterday we were doing a 3 minute down stay in the shoe area of the store when a man just came and sat down right next to me! I was more shocked than Yogi!

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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

One of the tricky things with the CGCA is the Evaluator rules are still in "draft". When you call to clarify exactly what they want, they are not always sure. I think though, htey are very clear they do not want it in a training center or typical ring, but real life/community based. Something they gave as a rule that the CGC doesnt have is that if a dog shows aggression to a person on the CGCA, you have to call AKC and tell them.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Ljilly28 said:


> One of the tricky things with the CGCA is the Evaluator rules are still in "draft". When you call to clarify exactly what they want, they are not always sure. I think though, htey are very clear they do not want it in a training center or typical ring, but real life/community based. Something they gave as a rule that the CGC doesnt have is that if a dog shows aggression to a person on the CGCA, you have to call AKC and tell them.


That is very interesting. I'm glad we will test this again in the public venue.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

If Yogi already has his CGCA is there any reason to repeat the test?


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

TheZ's said:


> If Yogi already has his CGCA is there any reason to repeat the test?


No, no reason other than I'm taking a different class that offers it during the last session. We could sit out of course, but I'd like to see how he does in this type of setting. As I understand it, the owner/handler files the paperwork, the evaluator holds onto a copy for their records for a year- we will only file paperwork once.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

Were you near the dog for the down/stay and the food leave it? Also for the 3 minutes on their own. Where are you? I'm hesitating in doing the test as while Murphy is okay being left on his own. If he sees me walk away, he'll whine or want to come in my direction. Unless I tell him wait and he's with someone he knows. Seems to vary by evaluator so wondered about your experience?


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

On the food- it's placed 3 feet away from a path you walk your dog down- dog is on the side of the food and you say leave it before they get there. In our first test at the training center the evaluator encouraged us to do a fast pace by the food and make noises to direct the dog's attention to us and away from the food. The new class evaluator wants us to walk at normal pace, which is much harder for the handler if the dog is food motivated. 

On the 3 minutes on their own- that is not in the CGCA rules. It requires you to put the dog in a stay of some sort- down or sit and then you sit down beside them and do something that takes your attention off the dog, like filling out paperwork. In our first test it was 30 seconds and I might be mistaken but that is what the CGCA rules state; however, this new trainer wants us to do this for 3 minutes. Some therapy groups (Baylor hospital here for example) require you to put the dog in a 3 minute stay while you leave the room and the dog cannot pop up, but that isn't a requirement for the CGCA that I know of. 

The test requires you to put the dog in a stay (sit or down), then you walk away with your back to them for 20 feet, and then pick up or put down an object and then come back to them without them jumping up or following you. Another similar test item is to put them in a sit or down stay, with a distraction offset about 10 feet away with the owner in front of the dog 20 feet away and you call the dog to you. The dog is supposed to come to you and avoid the distraction that is offset.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We took the test tonight with the other trainer and again we passed! This one is the one I'm more proud of because it was done in a public setting, in a crowded bookstore, filled with people, children and other dogs. The other test he passed was in the training facility where we took classes and it was a sterile environment. There were stuffed animals in bins and on the floor, and lots of distractions. The evaluator used scrambled eggs and green beans instead of fresh meat. Whew!


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## drofen (Feb 2, 2013)

Good boy Yogi!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I love that Yogi gets to take this twice, and it really highlights how differently evaluators envision this new test. I teach it more like your second instructor mainly bc it is how I read the rules in the Evaluator Guide.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Ljilly28 said:


> I love that Yogi gets to take this twice, and it really highlights how differently evaluators envision this new test. I teach it more like your second instructor mainly bc it is how I read the rules in the Evaluator Guide.


Personally, taking it out in public with unforseen distractions is the best way to truly evaluate the dog's manners. While it is harder for both handler and dog, because you don't know what to expect (for example, a toddler running as fast as they can towards your dog, in a sit stay, with the parent not in hot pursuit), it really is a better indicator of the dog's behavior and public manners. The training facility testing is too sterile and the dogs associate it with class. I bet more teams pass in that type of environment. Our trainer sat us down before we walked into the store, and asked us to put our dogs in a good down stay while she read the evaluator guide to us and I agree with you entirely after hearing what the guide states. For example, at the training facility, we only did a 30 second down stay while we pretended to fill out paperwork. Frankly, any dog with some basic obedience can do that- but at last night's test, she sat us down at tables in the store with actual customers to ask us to fill out some paperwork and she timed us for at least 3 minutes. It was actually longer because at my table the customer started asking me questions about Yogi and the test so I didn't get my stuff filled out as quickly. The guide mentioned the 3 minutes so she did it right. Also, the sit stay in the middle of a busy bookstore with people walking by and you walk with your back towards the dog 20 feet, pick up a book, walk back to the dog, tell them to continue the stay and walk back and put it up- much different than doing the same thing in the middle of an obedience ring. The distraction isn't there, unless you count the other dogs and owners, and again, the dog assumes it's training. We encountered stuffed toys on the floor, paper products on the floor (Yogi has an affinity for kleenex) and she judged us on how well the dog's responded to our leave it. She also had us do a leave it to exercise the food requirement on the test.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

That's interesting. In our training (not CGCA trainers), its not food on the floor but how they behave with food at the table since they'll be in restaurants and stores. EG. Will they sit/down beside you or react in some way to the food. I'll have to practice the way both ways you were tested and see how they do. Not sure about the six month old staying down while I leave the room though and I was told 3 minutes, hence the question and debating waiting. I guess I'll find out when I register us for testing. Was trying to decide whether to go for it now or wait til a year as some suggest. He's doing fine in all else.


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