Ramblings of a Curious Mind: April 2009

So, as I've said many times in the past, Jackson will be taking his test this Sunday for his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certification. We will be signing him up for intermediate class soon, and we'll follow that with Advanced class. When he completes the Advanced class he will take his AKC Canine Good Citizen Test. If he passes that (which I have no doubt he will) when he is 1 year old we will have him tested by TDI (Therapy Dogs International) so that he is officially a service dog. But he will still be a pet for us. So the following information is where Jackson stands, and what the tests require to pass. (This is a long blog entry)

20 STEPS To Success: The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Test

S ocialization
T raining
A ctivity
R esponsibility

OWNER BEHAVIORS:

1. Maintains puppy’s health (vaccines, exams, appears healthy)

Jackson is completely up to date on all of his shots, he is on preventative heartworm medication. He is neutered, and is a perfect 34.6 lbs.

2. Owner receives Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge

Of course we signed the pledge to be responsible owners, he's our baby!

3. Owner describes adequate daily play and exercise plan

We also have multiple pictures! But we go to the local dog park about once a week for socialization and exercise. We play with him in our backyard for at least an hour every day and he naps after every playtime. We also take him to the neighborhood park to play with his friend Rory if she's there. But lately it's been a tad too hot for the park.

4. Owner and puppy attend at least 6 classes by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator

We have attended 9 consecutive Puppy Training classes.

5. Owner brings bags to classes for cleaning up after puppy

We always bring 2 "Pooch Pick-up" bags for if Jackson has an accident. But he's good at letting us know when he needs to go.

6. Owner has obtained some form of ID for puppy-collar tag, etc.

Jackson has a blue metallic tag with his name and our phone number on it. He also has his 24 PetWatch tag that has his microchip number on his should he ever get loose.

PUPPY BEHAVIORS:

7. Free of aggression toward people during at least 6 weeks of class

Jackson loves all the people in Puppy Training, he readily walks up to the all for pets and kisses.

8. Free of aggression toward other puppies in class

Despite what may appear to be aggression in some of his Puppy Training photos, he is sweet as can be, and has never displayed even the slightest sign of aggression towards the other puppies

9. Tolerates collar or body harness of owner’s choice

Jackson has no issue with his collar, harness, or car harness.

10. Owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size)

He loves when we hold and hug him. He wants to be coddled like a baby sometimes.

11. Puppy allows owner to take away a treat or toy

Unlike some dogs, Jackson has never growled, nipped, or shown any dislike when we take treats and toys from him. Sometimes he thinks we are playing and wants to wrestle the toy from us, but he's never aggressive.

PRE-CANINE GOOD CITIZEN^® TEST BEHAVIORS:

12. Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner

Jackson is still a little timid when new people walk up to him. Especially children and tall men. If you give him some time to sniff you and adjust (like you should with all dogs) Then he's fine being handled by anyone.

13. Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet)

As long as it's brief we can look at his ears and feet. If he is in his "settle" position we can handle them for considerably longer.

14. Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line (15 steps)

Jackson is very good walking on the leash, 15 steps should be no problem.

15. Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people 5-ft away

Jackson may glance at the other people, but he wont make an attempt to lunge at them or pull on the leash. He's pretty good around distractions.

16. Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure

Jackson will sit via word command, hand signal command, or a combination of the two. He no longer needs a food lure to get him to do it, but we love to reward him with love and an occasional treat.

17. Down on command-Owner may use a food lure

Jackson has had trouble with down in the past, because the hand signal command is very similar to that of "stay" But lately we have been practicing "Down" with him alot and he seems to be an old pro at it now.

18. Comes to owner from 5-ft when name is called

So long as he's not incredibly distracted, he will generally come to just a voice command. However, we also combo it with the hand signal command quite often. And 5 feet is nothing. We've done it from 50 feet. LOL

19. Reaction to Distractions-distractions are presented 15-ft away

We honestly don't have much practice with this. All of his training is conducted at Petsmart, where there is alot of distraction. But I'm not sure how he'd respond to a crying baby, or a frying pan being dropped. I'd guess pretty well considering he didn't flinch much when our security alarm went off.

20. Stay on leash with another person (owner walks 10 steps and returns)

Jackson is quite often being held by another person, whether it's my sister, Lacy. My step-dad, Kevin. Any of the people in Puppy Training, and the receptionist at his vet office, Jennifer. He doesn't care if I disappear for 5 minutes, let alone 10 steps.

Needless to say, I think that Jackson should pass the S.T.A.R. Puppy Exam with flying colors. And when he does we can send out for his frameable certificate, medal, and all the benefits that come with registering with the AKC.

When Jackson takes Advanced Class he must pass the following criteria to get his CGC:

AKC® CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® PROGRAM
The CGC TEST consists of 10 skills needed by all well-mannered dogs.
All of the exercises are done on a leash.

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
The dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation.
Jackson already allows us to do this, people are always coming up to us when we are on walks or at the park. He does extremely well and never whines.

Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
The dog will allow a friendly stranger to pet it while it is out with its handler.
Again, Jackson already lets people do this.

Test 3: Appearance and grooming
The dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so.
Jackson got his nails grinded yesterday and did just fine. He didn't mind when the vet touched his wee wee when it was infected, he lets us touch him where ever we please.

Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
The handler/dog team will take a short "walk" to show that the dog is in control while walking on a leash.
Because Jackson is a puppy he still gets excited from time to time and sniffs around or stops for a minute. But usually he does very well and needs little correction.

Test 5: Walking through a crowd
The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three) to demonstrate that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places.
Not sure about this one yet, most of the time he's near a crowd is at the dog park, and he doesn't have a leash on.

Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
The dog will respond to the handler's commands to 1) sit, 2) down and will 3) remain in the place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler prefers).
He sits and downs on command. I'm not sure how much time they want them to do it for, I'll have to read up on it.

Test 7: Coming when called
The dog will come when called by the handler. The handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog.
Jackson could do that no problem.

Test 8: Reaction to another dog
To demonstrate that the dog can behave politely around other dogs, two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and continue on for about 10 feet.
Should be fine, he's been taught how to appropriately greet other dogs.

Test 9: Reaction to distraction
To demonstrate the dog is confident when faced with common distracting situations, the evaluator will select and present two distractions. Examples of distractions include dropping a chair, rolling a crate dolly past the dog, having a jogger run in front of the dog, or dropping a crutch or cane.
I don't think he'd have a bad reaction, but this is something we have not tested yet.

Test 10: Supervised separation
This test demonstrates that a dog can be left with a trusted person, if necessary, and will maintain training and good manners. Evaluators are encouraged to say something like, "Would you like me to watch your dog?" and then take hold of the dog's leash. The owner will go out of sight for three minutes.
I think Jackson would do ok with this part of the test.

I'm guessing that Jackson could take the CGC test right now and probably pass. But slow and steady goes it.

Well that's all I'll talk about it. I'm sure I'll update on Sunday on whether or not he passed, and then again when we finally get his certificate and medal. :-)

Well, I guess technically it was Easter about 20 minutes ago. But I can't seem to fall asleep, even though I know I have to get up for work in 3 hours. Oh well.

So yesterday Lacy had spent the night at our house. We didn't want her to be all alone for Easter, since Kevin was working. We watched a couple movies before going to bed. Then when we woke up in the morning we watched Jackson "open" his Easter basket. He got a bunch of treats, and 2 new toys.

Soon after, around 1 pm we went to Cosmos Dog Park. We met Tabitha and Justin there (they are in our puppy class with their puppy, Jake) They brought their 3 dogs, Winston, Boomer, and Jake. I gave them a puppy Easter basket. Not too many frills, just some treats and toys. Jackson had such a blast at the park and to our surprise he actually went into the water. It was fun to watch and I got alot of pictures!

After the park we went to Derek's mom's house for dinner. She made a delicious meal of ham, potatoes, and lots of croissants. There is leftovers in our fridge. (Yum!) Then we took Lacy home.

Overall, it was alot of fun, and I am glad that we did it all.

And now, pictures...