![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
CGC class #2
Mar. 18th, 2009 08:22 amWe arrived far too early last night. I decided that instead of going inside the building and waiting for the other class to end that Dahlia and I would stay outside. She could wander around and sniff, explore a bit. It was just a really nice night so there was no reason to go in and disturb a class that really needs no more distractions. She did approach the dog statue again, but I wasn't quick enough with my camera. Ah well. As were wandering around, the other class came out and I, along with the guy with the GSD (Jackson), assumed that they were done. I used it as an opportunity to wander through the crowd of dogs, trying to keep Dahlia's attention on me and keeping her from trying to rush to the other dogs. She did great.
I got chatting with a couple people from that class. One woman had a fairly fearful dog who was interested in meeting Dahlia, but not interested at the same time. Poor guy was rather conflicted. Dahlia just sat there calmly, eyes trained on me most of the time. As we were talking, I discovered that the woman thought I was a volunteer at the SPCA who was there to train the dogs. I took that as a compliment. She was pretty impressed with Dahlia. It made me happy!
I also met my coworker's sister, who was there with her Jack Russell terrier. I chatted with her for a few minutes and she brought up Cesar Millan and how she'd been reading his books (apparently she missed the steam coming out of my ears at the mention of his name). GAH. When will people learn???
As we were talking, the instructor came out and called them all back in. OOPS. Jackson's guy and I looked sheepishly at each other because we both thought class was over. Oh well! We chatted for a few and he seems like a decent guy. He breeds GSD -- champions apparently too. I can't say that I've ever met a real breeder before, so it was interesting talking to him. He was also impressed with Dahlia and said she was a really nice dog.
And then their class really WAS over and it was time to head in. Class began with us just doing some review of sits, downs, and stays. Dahlia does well with those of course. We had the additional distraction of the instructor's dog tonight, who is fearful reactive (rescue dog with a bunch of issues, but she's gotten him to behave pretty well). After that we did tests 1 (dog remains calm while you shake hands with a stranger), 2 (stranger asks to pet the dog and then does), and 3 (stranger comes over, pets the dog, lifts both ears and both paws and lightly brushes the dog). Dahlia did brilliantly during all three. She only moved one time to get to the person petting her quicker. She does love being petted. But other than that, she sat nicely and didn't move. She's a good girl! I'm really not worried about that part.
We then moved on to test 4 (walking on a loose leash). Danielle (our instructor) set up the course we would be following during the CGC, which is pretty easy. Start with a sit, walk forward, take a right turn...pause...continue, take a left turn, continue, then do an about face, continue and then come to a complete stop. We did this twice (the second time I forgot to pause but that was my fault, not Dahlia's!) and both times she did really well. I found out that she does NOT have to be heeling the whole time. She can sniff and whatnot. I can also talk to her and do slight vocal and leash corrections to keep her with me. Ok THAT I think I can do. She did well enough her first time, without treats, so hopefully we can do it even better in a few weeks.
We also sort of did test 5 (walking through a crowd, which includes one dog). Danielle set this up so that two people stood at cones and kept their dog's attention on them, while one at a time the other two people did a figure 8 pattern between and around them. Dahlia and I were first in the group to stand by the cones and she did well with looking at me and not trying to go to the other dogs (even though both dogs were fearful ones -- Ruby, the Great Dane, is the type to run away, the other dog, whose name I did not catch, is reactive). Then it was our turn to weave around them in a figure 8. She did pretty well with this. She wanted to lag behind, especially on the right turns and I had to try to keep her going. Eventually she did keep up with me and started to look up to me to see where we were going. Overall, I think she did pretty well with it.
Danielle seems to think we're doing fine and Jackson's person thinks we'll pass easily. I hope they're right!
Class ended with a repeat of the first three tests and then Dahlia and I spent some time talking to Ruby's owner and working on keeping Ruby calm around me and Dahlia. Ruby actually does REALLY well with us -- she'll go right up to Dahlia and touch noses with her, sniff around her. Ruby has also started to come up to me and when she does, I offer her a treat. Apparently poor Ruby was originally the pet of her brother's friend, or something along that line. She lived the first 6 months or so of her life with a family that had three rambunctious kids that drove her nuts AND a bossy Jack Russell terrier that scared the bejesus out of her. Poor Ruby! She has a ways to go, but I think she'll get there. She did really well last night with the walking through the crowd and walking on a loose leash parts. It's the obedience commands (like sit and stay) that she has the most trouble with. I doubt she'll pass the CGC, but that's not the goal -- socialization and some training IS. Ruby's owner (I forget her name...typical dog person aren't I?) is a really good person who really cares about her dogs (she has two -- the other is an Old English bulldog).
I got chatting with a couple people from that class. One woman had a fairly fearful dog who was interested in meeting Dahlia, but not interested at the same time. Poor guy was rather conflicted. Dahlia just sat there calmly, eyes trained on me most of the time. As we were talking, I discovered that the woman thought I was a volunteer at the SPCA who was there to train the dogs. I took that as a compliment. She was pretty impressed with Dahlia. It made me happy!
I also met my coworker's sister, who was there with her Jack Russell terrier. I chatted with her for a few minutes and she brought up Cesar Millan and how she'd been reading his books (apparently she missed the steam coming out of my ears at the mention of his name). GAH. When will people learn???
As we were talking, the instructor came out and called them all back in. OOPS. Jackson's guy and I looked sheepishly at each other because we both thought class was over. Oh well! We chatted for a few and he seems like a decent guy. He breeds GSD -- champions apparently too. I can't say that I've ever met a real breeder before, so it was interesting talking to him. He was also impressed with Dahlia and said she was a really nice dog.
And then their class really WAS over and it was time to head in. Class began with us just doing some review of sits, downs, and stays. Dahlia does well with those of course. We had the additional distraction of the instructor's dog tonight, who is fearful reactive (rescue dog with a bunch of issues, but she's gotten him to behave pretty well). After that we did tests 1 (dog remains calm while you shake hands with a stranger), 2 (stranger asks to pet the dog and then does), and 3 (stranger comes over, pets the dog, lifts both ears and both paws and lightly brushes the dog). Dahlia did brilliantly during all three. She only moved one time to get to the person petting her quicker. She does love being petted. But other than that, she sat nicely and didn't move. She's a good girl! I'm really not worried about that part.
We then moved on to test 4 (walking on a loose leash). Danielle (our instructor) set up the course we would be following during the CGC, which is pretty easy. Start with a sit, walk forward, take a right turn...pause...continue, take a left turn, continue, then do an about face, continue and then come to a complete stop. We did this twice (the second time I forgot to pause but that was my fault, not Dahlia's!) and both times she did really well. I found out that she does NOT have to be heeling the whole time. She can sniff and whatnot. I can also talk to her and do slight vocal and leash corrections to keep her with me. Ok THAT I think I can do. She did well enough her first time, without treats, so hopefully we can do it even better in a few weeks.
We also sort of did test 5 (walking through a crowd, which includes one dog). Danielle set this up so that two people stood at cones and kept their dog's attention on them, while one at a time the other two people did a figure 8 pattern between and around them. Dahlia and I were first in the group to stand by the cones and she did well with looking at me and not trying to go to the other dogs (even though both dogs were fearful ones -- Ruby, the Great Dane, is the type to run away, the other dog, whose name I did not catch, is reactive). Then it was our turn to weave around them in a figure 8. She did pretty well with this. She wanted to lag behind, especially on the right turns and I had to try to keep her going. Eventually she did keep up with me and started to look up to me to see where we were going. Overall, I think she did pretty well with it.
Danielle seems to think we're doing fine and Jackson's person thinks we'll pass easily. I hope they're right!
Class ended with a repeat of the first three tests and then Dahlia and I spent some time talking to Ruby's owner and working on keeping Ruby calm around me and Dahlia. Ruby actually does REALLY well with us -- she'll go right up to Dahlia and touch noses with her, sniff around her. Ruby has also started to come up to me and when she does, I offer her a treat. Apparently poor Ruby was originally the pet of her brother's friend, or something along that line. She lived the first 6 months or so of her life with a family that had three rambunctious kids that drove her nuts AND a bossy Jack Russell terrier that scared the bejesus out of her. Poor Ruby! She has a ways to go, but I think she'll get there. She did really well last night with the walking through the crowd and walking on a loose leash parts. It's the obedience commands (like sit and stay) that she has the most trouble with. I doubt she'll pass the CGC, but that's not the goal -- socialization and some training IS. Ruby's owner (I forget her name...typical dog person aren't I?) is a really good person who really cares about her dogs (she has two -- the other is an Old English bulldog).