The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that is designed to teach responsible dog ownership to owners and certify dogs that have the training and behaviors needed to be reliable, well-behaved members of their families and communities. This week, before we get to the individual items of the Canine Good Citizen Test, we want to talk about the atmosphere at the CGC Test and the behavior of the dogs.

Most of the time it is a pleasure to be a CGC evaluator. We always try to be professional and maintain a high ethical standard. In our CGC Practice we explain exactly what we expect to see from the dogs in the test environment. Our current CGC demo dog is Hope, a 5-year-old Newfoundland. We have had two other demo dogs over the years, but they’re retired now. Our dogs provide a visual standard of what is required for the test.

The majority of the dogs we see at the test are happy and well behaved. However, we sometimes see signs of aggression. Aggression includes biting, snapping, growling, or an attempt to attack. If we see any of these signs prior to or after testing we send a written report to the American Kennel Club CGC Department. If we see signs of aggression during the test, we dismiss the dog and the dog does not pass the CGC.

As evaluators, we never try to work through an aggressive behavior on the test site. If we were testing at an AKC event we would dismiss the dog and notify the show superintendent and the AKC field representative immediately. We would need to give the show superintendent the information on the CGC registration form.

At the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club we use the largest room in the building for the test. The dogs and handlers are sitting along the wall. When the dog and handler come in, they sign in; everyone is taken on a first come first serve basis. We had a situation once when two dogs were sitting next to each other and one dog was moving around, adjusting his sit, and started sniffing the dog next to him. The dog next to him was sitting still and then jumped, lunged and snapped at the other dog. The dog showing the aggressive behavior was dismissed and written up.

Although the other dog was fidgeting, sniffing and invading the space of another dog, and his owner should have controlled him better, none of his behaviors were contrary to our expectations for a dog. But dog-on-human and dog-on-dog aggression is unacceptable.

Another incident we had was after the test. This happened to my husband, Bruce. We had just passed a Belgian sheepdog, whose owner was talking to someone and not paying attention to her dog. Her dog started to stare at two basenjis, who were in a crate. Bruce was keeping an eye on the situation and knew that it was escalating. He stepped between the dogs to break the eye contact just as the Belgian sheepdog lunged for the basenjis.

The Belgian sheepdog missed the basenjis and the crate and bit Bruce in the leg. There was a complete write-up, and the report went to the AKC. Ultimately the Belgian sheepdog received more training and was evaluated again later by a behaviorist. The behaviorist sent his report to the AKC and the sheepdog got his good standing back.

The lessons to be learned from these examples are that dogs on leash can often be more confident and more aggressive than when they are off leash. This is because they draw strength from their owners, and because a leash takes away one of their options in a tense situation. Dogs can flee or fight, and they usually choose to flee when they are presented with a situation that makes them nervous, anxious and fearful. But on leash, they can’t flee. They thus tend to be guarded and more vocal and demonstrative.

Sometimes your dog can pick up on your fear and nervousness during a test (as testing often brings out in us), which makes them more fearful, and thus more aggressive. During the test you may always talk to your dog, which can reassure her during the test. In such cases we have even said, “Relax, you are doing fine.”

When we have become nervous while showing or competing with our dogs, some of the things we do that don't help are: we don't talk to them as usual, we give no praise, our movements are more rote or jerky, we move faster than usual, and the tone in our voices is different. All of these behaviors can send warning signals to our dogs, who may then also respond nervously, making us fail the test. It is hard to be relaxed in a test situation but necessary when handling your dog. We often say, "Your nervousness runs right down the leash to your dog."

So, try to relax, move easily, and talk normally to your dog.

It is important, then, to be vigilant when you have your dog in a situation with other dogs and people in close quarters. Chatting can come later; always be aware of where your dog is, and break any eye contact with other dogs.

Even dogs that are playing on leash while their owners chat should be watched carefully. We have encountered many situations where what began as play escalated beyond the dogs’ emotional control and became a fight. We’ve seen this even between two dogs who played with each other on a daily basis.

So, it’s best to remember that when you are out in public with your dog, your companion should have your undivided attention at all times, and you should aware of your surroundings and potential problems. Next week we’ll begin with the CGC test items.

If you would like to come by and see a CGC Test, there will be a CGC Test conducted at 7:30 p.m. June 21 in rooms 1-2. See the AADTC website for directions. No preregistration is required. The test costs $10.

Bruce and Tracy Willoughby have taught dog training at the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club for several years. They can be reached at bew@umich.edu.