Glindy passed her
Canine Good
Citizenship test today. She passed nine of the ten sub-tests
with flying colors, and even managed to impress the test
administrators in the process.
The test I most expected to be troublesome was "Test 8: Reaction to
Another Dog." However, I've learned some valuable coping skills
that got us through this test. What helped the most was letting
Glindy know I was in full control: as we came within about six feet
of the other team, I put Glindy into a sit, and then moved several
feet in front of her to greet the newcomers. This reassured Glindy
that I was taking the lead in handling the stranger and her dog, so
she didn't feel obliged to react protectively. In short, it was an
amazingly smooth process.
Glindy also exceeded expectations for "Test 10: Supervised
Separation." The test requires the handler to leave the dog with
the test administrator for three minutes while the handler is out
of eye- and ear-shot. Most dogs being tested today managed to
squeak through this test while displaying various levels of
restless energy and anxiety. Glindy, on the other hand, sat quietly
the entire time. In fact, Glindy was so calm that the test
administrator lost track of time, and didn't call me back until
four to five minutes had passed. Talk about going above and beyond
the call of duty!
The only test where Glindy was less than stellar was "Test 3:
Appearance and Grooming." The test requirements read, in part:
The evaluator then softly combs or brushes the dog, and
in a natural manner, lightly examines the ears and gently picks up
each front foot.
Glindy tolerated the brushing and the paw lifts, although she
really wasn't thrilled with either of them. No surprises there,
since she doesn't even enjoy having me do those things, although
she'll usually tolerate it for brief periods of time. However, we
hadn't been aware of the ear examination requirement, and hadn't
practiced it ahead of time. Still, I was able to reassure her
enough that she allowed the test administrator to finish the ear
examination without any particular drama. In many ways, that was
probably the most impressive thing Glindy did today: accede to
something unpleasant, because I let her know it was important to me
and safe for her.
When we were done with all ten of the sub-tests, I was happy to
learn she had passed every single one. I was so proud of her that I
thought I would pop. I know she could pick up on my feelings, as
her whole manner was unusually frisky and outgoing the entire time
we were discussing her performance with the evaluators.
Congratulations on becoming a Canine Good Citizen, Glindy. I'm so
very proud of you!