Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) Testing

[JERRY8888]

Let me preface my question with some information. I've owned GSDs for 35+ years and my current GSD is training for tracking/SAR. She is obedience trained with a great personality. I thought I'd get her CGC and contacted some evaluators. One evaluator gave me a little pause when she indicated that she would conduct the evaluation at our home (backyard). Now, if we conducted the test at a location away from our home, our GSD would pass with flying colors; but, she is protective of our home environment, which is exactly what I want from her. She will not allow a stranger into our home unless I tell her to, and, even then, she watches the stranger like, well, like a protective GSD. How she acts in public is not how I want her to act at our home. If a friend comes to our home, she is fine, which, again, is what I want from her. So, it seems to me that wanting to conduct a CGC evaluation of a GSD in their home, when the GSD has never met the evaluators/strangers before is, IMHO, unrealistic; i.e. I don't want my GSD to readily accept a stranger (friendly or otherwise) in my home, but I do want her to act that way in public; all of which she does. She also accepts a friend (someone she knows) into our home. So, my question is whether I'm off-base or the CGC evaluator is off-base regarding the use of a CGC test of a GSD at the dog's home.

[Cassidy's Mom]

I've never heard of anyone having the CGC test done at their home, and it seems like that would be against the spirit of what the CGC test is all about. Not for the reasons you're talking about though, as not all dogs are protective of their home environment.

Many dogs are well behaved at home, in a familiar low distraction environment, but that doesn't always transfer over to a new, or at least more distracting environment, which is why I'd think it would be better to test somewhere else. If a dog had been trained exclusively at home they'd probably pass the CGC easily, but might fail if the test were performed in a public park or at a training facility where they'd never been before. Isn't the point that the dog is a good citizen in public? I'd look for another evaluator.

[4TheDawgies]

as a CGC evaluator I can tell you with confidence that the test specifically states that an evaluator must not test the dog in a familiar area that the dog has always been in. Especially the home of the animal.

Find another evaluator

[PaddyD]

I think you are both off base. The evaluator is supposed to test away from a familiar environment. And I think that a dog should pass the test wherever it is given (within reason). Of course my opinion is moot on the dog testing OK at home because that would be an invalid test. FWIW, my dog did not pass the test.

[cassadee7]

I wouldn't want to do the test at home, even though I think she could pass. How would they do the "walking through a crowd" and the response to a strange dog at your home? I wouldn't want someone bringing a strange dog in my home. I'd find someone else to do it away from home. Saber would probably have passed either way EXCEPT if it had been at home she'd have been a lot more excited to play with the other dog. After all why would we bring a dog here for her to ignore?

[selzer]

I could do it at home. But what a bother. The evaluator would have to bring at least three or four people with them to mill in the crowd. And they would have to bring a dog, which I really don't know how my dogs would react to another dog on my property. I mean, I have had strangers at my home, and my dogs have been ok with them. The mobile groomers have come and bathed them in their van out front. I have had litters of pups in my front yard and greeted people at the car with the dam, and I have had a previous pup come back for a visit with their owner, and play with her littermate, but both girls were yet young, a little less then a year.

I suppose if I trained a week or two with people coming over with their dogs and trained them together in my front yard, it would be no big deal.

It just seems a lot easier for you and the dog to go their way.

I guess I can see both sides of the argument. A canine good citizen, especially if people use it to get lower home-owner's insurance rates, should be able to accept people in and around your home, so long as you are there and are not freaking out, or hand the dog off to one of them. On the other hand, dogs can be great out and about, specifically with other dogs, but they can be a little more territorial on your own property.

I guess, if it concerns you, ask if you can do it elsewhere.