# Did your dog get the CGC?



## retrieverbear (Jan 19, 2014)

Wondering how many of us got the CGC


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I've had all my dogs tested, but I've never turned the paperwork into AKC.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

It's on our bucket list. I just gotta out the work in.


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## MommyMe (Jan 20, 2014)

*Cgc*

My Jamie just earned hers this summer (my first time pursuing it). My 7 month old passed the star puppy and is doing very well at obedience, but socially he is very submissive and still piddles when he gets excited around new people and other dogs. Hopefully some day. :crossfing:crossfing:crossfing


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

With my Danny.... it was one of those things I kinda wanted to do because I knew it'd take us years to get his CD (which at the time, every new owner taking puppy classes basically viewed that CD as the ultimate feasible goal of training their dog in organized classes - as opposed to now with most programs building up to only a CGC).

My Danny was very shy/fearful of strangers - so timing never worked out for me to do the CGC. It took me 3-4 years to get him used to the very routine procedures for novice (judge stands next your dog when you set up for heeling on and off leash and you leave your dog behind next to the judge for recalls and the judge has to be able to approach your dog and touch him for the stand for exam). Even with somebody who was around him every week since he was 10 weeks old, he barely tolerated her coming up and touching him and it took a lot of training and work on my part to get him through that. And getting a CD with Danny was my primary goal. 

But now even with Jacks and now Bertie - I just don't have a huge amount of interest in a CGC title for various reasons.


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

I've had all my dogs test for the CGC and they all passed with no problems. Am now working towards it with my youngest, Chloe, who is 14 months.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

In my area, the people who teach the classes are the ones who do the testing. If you take the class from them, you pretty can guarantee passing.


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## RYAC (Mar 10, 2014)

Our trainer is also a cgc evaluator but so is his partner who teaches a different class. We are scheduled to take ours in two weeks. I requested to use his partner. I want the test to be a real world challenge for Lucy. I'm excited to take it! We are also polishing up or skills to compete in novice and strive for her CD.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Yes, each of my dogs has been tested (and passed) since the CGC became available. Paperwork has been sent in to the AKC once that became available as well.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Lily got hers easily and within 8 months of adopting her. Tayla would do even better except she doesn't like to have her feet touched. We have a testing next Saturday at a local event and I may try it. She will shake, but anything else and she pulls away.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

We do CGC with all our personal dogs, though I haven't sent in the paperwork to convert it from a certification to a title (there were some changes in January 2013 that made it a title). Rather than converting to titles, I think I'm just going to take the boys to a CGCA test at some point when it's offered somewhere practical.

I think it's an ideal basic training level for all owners to pursue, because its skills are highly practical for the real world. It also has the basic skills a dog would need to go on to most other kinds of competition and training, so it's an excellent foundation for people newly interested in obedience, agility, therapy work, etc.

I would like to see a stronger conflict of interest rule so evaluators aren't the same people as the teacher of the class. When we do it at our center, we bring in an evaluator who did not teach the class so they can be more impartial. I think you tend to forgive problems more easily when you are the teacher because you are rooting for your students.

So you can check me off for three votes for the three dogs I've owned in my adult life instead of just the one the poll allows.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

LaPrincessa - our dog training center was the same way. We did the intermediate obedience class, with the CGC at the end. It made a difference, since Ben was already familiar with the other people and dogs in the class, so much less likely to respond badly when they were near. The evaluator was the director of the center, but she wanted everyone to pass so made it a bit easier, I think.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Our evaluators up here are different than the ones teaching the class. Nobody from your class is even in the room. So I'm not sure how it works that an evaluator also teaches the class. Doesn't seem fair.

All my dogs have passed. Only one has it submitted to AKC. One of my dogs passed without even taking an obedience class. One had tons of classes and had trouble passing. Every dog is definitely different!


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

Yes. CGN here in Canada.


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

Nope. Deaglan and I went to one class and were bored out of our minds.


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## retrieverbear (Jan 19, 2014)

It's so great to see that so many of you passed the CGC test.
I agree that it is a great foundation and really helpful in "Real world" training. We're definitely pursuing it as soon as our boy is ready.


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## rob1 (Sep 21, 2009)

CGC was probably my favorite class (barring agility). It was a lot of stuff you really need other people (preferably strangers) to practice with. And it really was a lot of 'life skills'.

In the future, I don't know if I'd bother with the paperwork for the title if I had to go out of my way to do it. But the class was a winner for me. And since you can do the paperwork/testing as part of the class, I'd do that again.

I do think having the test where you practice/take class helps. We had an outside evaluator, but Lucky was really comfortable with the location, which I'm sure helped a lot- especially with the out of sight stay.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Yup, Pearly got it at 9 mos old. I also put Lila through the test, and she would have passed except for 7.5 years of excessive greeting disorder. She jumped on the evaluator for hugs and kisses every time. Goofball!

I just voted one yes since Lila never "prepared" for the test and did it on a whim.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

GinnyinPA said:


> LaPrincessa - our dog training center was the same way. We did the intermediate obedience class, with the CGC at the end. It made a difference, since Ben was already familiar with the other people and dogs in the class, so much less likely to respond badly when they were near. The evaluator was the director of the center, but she wanted everyone to pass so made it a bit easier, I think.


The problem with this is that the dog is familiar with everyone so there's no test of how the dog reacts to a stranger, or a strange dog. And if the evaluator wants everyone to pass, how is that testing if the dog is really able to do what's required? 

My friend has a dog reactive Mastiff - who got her CGC.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Molly got her CGC after an 8 week course. It was an odd setup. The instructor was not *the* evaluator but one of 4. Each evaluator evaluated the dog at a station or two. We had multiple dogs taking the test at the same time since it was split up into stations. And, there were a ton of new dogs that had not taken the class. Many people came for the test only. The dog used in polite greetings with a stranger was a new dog and one we had never seen before. 

I think in our situation, the real benefit we got from taking the test at the end of the class was the fact that Molly was familiar with the place. She knew it was a place to work and not play. She was only ten months old at the time and I really don't know if she would have passed if the test was in a new and exciting place. I should add that I exercised her for three one hour sessions before the test.  Of course she would pass now at almost 3, esp since we have been in competition obedience classes since she was 10 months old.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> We do CGC with all our personal dogs, though I haven't sent in the paperwork to convert it from a certification to a title (there were some changes in January 2013 that made it a title). Rather than converting to titles, I think I'm just going to take the boys to a CGCA test at some point when it's offered somewhere practical.


Sadly, the AKC wants its money. so you have to change your CGC to the title before they will give you a CGCA, lol


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I use it as a 6 month benchmark for my puppies, to keep myself working with them enough one on one. I love the test and the program.


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## caseypooh (Dec 30, 2010)

Our Jessie got hers a few months ago. Jacob will be next, it's a great training goal to have.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I thought one of the test items was to pass a neutral dog that your dog has not worked around before? Or is that just something we do at our center? Comet and Jax have been the neutral dogs for CGC tests a bunch of times because they want a dog that the CGC class dogs haven't seen before.

We've failed lots of people that way, actually. They do a lot of the exercises with their handler just fine, but they can't handle new stuff, like passing by the neutral dog they haven't met or appropriately greeting the friendly stranger.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Tally is giving his 316th test in a few weeks- he is so bombproof as the neutra; dog along with his friend River golden who is too. I like being a CGC evaluator, but I am also glad the CGCA was added. It is a good test of real out & about skills for a dog.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Yogi got his CGC right at a year of age. We practiced out in public retail stores and took the test at the Flagship Half Price Book stores on a busy Sunday evening. Our trainer didn't offer classes in the winter months so during that time I took him up for an intermediate training class at a large training club about 35 miles from my home. It was strictly an intermediate class,but they recommended we sign up for a CGCA test independently after we finished that class. By the time we were ready for this I had already signed up for more training with our local trainer. On a whim I decided to test Yogi for the CGCA at the large training facility before we started back with our local trainer and he passed.I wasn't very impressed with the set up given our instructor was his evaluator, even though the dogs in this test were total strangers who attended other classes. Yogi passed with flying colors, even though he tested immediately next to a girl in season that the evaluator didn't know about until item 9 of the 10 part test. The owners failed to inform her and failed to put panties on her. Many of the male dogs were having difficulty with the test, but yogi did just fine. We started our other class the next week and it was much more real life, with classes held in various public settings. Our instructor made sure to have true strangers and stranger dogs interact with us. The final class was a CGCA test so we took it again, for grins. Yogi again passed with flying colors; however, this test was much more real and much more challenging for me as the handler! Once again she made sure to involve strangers and strange dogs in the test. I really felt like this was a much better way to take a CGCA instead of a sterile training facility. I wish the AKC would address the environment where the test should be given because to me, taking it in a familiar training facility feels like cheating and doesn't really test the dog out in a real world setting.

Next week I am starting my almost 11 year old, almost blind, somewhat noisy Toby in training classes. The jury is out if he can pass a CGC, but we shall see. He's had obedience training as a puppy, and I felt he might enjoy a group setting now that he is older, plus it is a great way to exercise his senior brain. If he enjoys it and does well,we may pursue a CGC for him as well.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Dallas Gold said:


> Yogi got his CGC right at a year of age. We practiced out in public retail stores and took the test at the Flagship Half Price Book stores on a busy Sunday evening. Our trainer didn't offer classes in the winter months so during that time I took him up for an intermediate training class at a large training club about 35 miles from my home. It was strictly an intermediate class,but they recommended we sign up for a CGCA test independently after we finished that class. By the time we were ready for this I had already signed up for more training with our local trainer. On a whim I decided to test Yogi for the CGCA at the large training facility before we started back with our local trainer and he passed.I wasn't very impressed with the set up given our instructor was his evaluator, even though the dogs in this test were total strangers who attended other classes. Yogi passed with flying colors, even though he tested immediately next to a girl in season that the evaluator didn't know about until item 9 of the 10 part test. The owners failed to inform her and failed to put panties on her. Many of the male dogs were having difficulty with the test, but yogi did just fine. We started our other class the next week and it was much more real life, with classes held in various public settings. Our instructor made sure to have true strangers and stranger dogs interact with us. The final class was a CGCA test so we took it again, for grins. Yogi again passed with flying colors; however, this test was much more real and much more challenging for me as the handler! Once again she made sure to involve strangers and strange dogs in the test. I really felt like this was a much better way to take a CGCA instead of a sterile training facility. *I wish the AKC would address the environment where the test should be given because to me, taking it in a familiar training facility feels like cheating and doesn't really test the dog out in a real world setting.*
> 
> Next week I am starting my almost 11 year old, almost blind, somewhat noisy Toby in training classes. The jury is out if he can pass a CGC, but we shall see. He's had obedience training as a puppy, and I felt he might enjoy a group setting now that he is older, plus it is a great way to exercise his senior brain. If he enjoys it and does well,we may pursue a CGC for him as well.


THIS!
Exactly what I've been trying to say - because my friends dogs were fine with the dogs they knew, but a strange dog would totally be a different story.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

One of Yogi's challenges with the tougher local trainer we use was leave it, though he was spot on perfect in the sterile training facility environment. It might have had something to do with the fact the local trainer always brought gourmet food to tempt the dogs- very smelly stuff too. It was tempting to me as well!  Anyway, Yogi is food obsessed and each week she'd try to outdo herself on tempting him for leave it. It didn't help that she'd let him have some after each class. :doh: She just sent me this Facebook video last night because it reminded her of how food obsessed Goldens approach these challenges: 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=849973911704177&set=vb.100000747270238&type=2&theater


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## retrieverbear (Jan 19, 2014)

Dallas Gold said:


> One of Yogi's challenges with the tougher local trainer we use was leave it, though he was spot on perfect in the sterile training facility environment. It might have had something to do with the fact the local trainer always brought gourmet food to tempt the dogs- very smelly stuff too. It was tempting to me as well!  Anyway, Yogi is food obsessed and each week she'd try to outdo herself on tempting him for leave it. It didn't help that she'd let him have some after each class. :doh: She just sent me this Facebook video last night because it reminded her of how food obsessed Goldens approach these challenges:
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=849973911704177&set=vb.100000747270238&type=2&theater


LOL!! That was too funny - I was laughing so hard, I had pieces of popcorn flying out of my mouth....I'm food motivated also :


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## pb2b (Nov 8, 2013)

Dallas Gold said:


> :
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=849973911704177&set=vb.100000747270238&type=2&theater



Yep. That's a golden for sure. When Henry had his first training class, the trainer was going through orientation and Henry was chilling at my feet, completely uninterested in anything around him. That was until she opened the cabinet that had bags of treats. All the other dogs just looked at her. My boy, however, leapt to his feet, ran to the end of his leash, and started barking just to make sure she knew he was interested.


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## photoweborama (Dec 6, 2007)

My last Golden, Bo, passed so easy, it was not even a test for him. 
Our current Golden, Ruby.... I doubt she will ever pass. 

Bo was a near perfect dog, I got so spoiled with him. I've learned with the new one.... Training is not so easy..... 
?


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