[BrennasMom]

I was reading the AKC list of tests to earn a CGC and noticed almost all of them say the dog cannot show nervousness.

Brenna has come a long way, she used to growl at almost any stranger. Now, she will do it on occasion, but rarely. She has never shown any indication that she would bite, no baring of teeth or snapping, etc. Just a warning grumble.

Anyways, I feel she could probably pass the test soon with just a little more training, except for the nervousness. She is, and undoubtedly always will be, a nervous dog. So will she never be able to pass the CGC? I know in my heart she would do fine in all the tests (except for a little obedience which we are working on) but if they base the ruling on body language she would definitely fail.

Sorry for the long rant, I was just wondering how heavily they weigh the fact that a dog is visibly nervous? She tends to crouch down and will sometimes cower. If a person really scares her she will shake, especially if being stared at, but she will allow people to pet her even if she is uneasy with them.

I'd love to get a CGC for her, as well as my beagle. The beagle has no issues but needs more obedience work first.

 

[Kayla's Dad]

I think like other AKC events, different judges will weigh it differently. That's the human element.

Do you or have you considered finding an organization that boths trains for and does the C.G.C.? That way you can really get Brenna through the environment of the test for a time before actually taking the test and make the assessment of when she is really ready.

 

[BrennasMom]

That's a good idea. I was going to sign her up for a class where I used to live but missed the deadline, I'll have to do some research and see if there are any around here.

 

[DancingCavy]

Ris is a shy/fearful dog as well but she got her CGC. We still need to do more work with her around other people, of course. She still tends to back away from strangers. But she was fine with her evaluator and continued to be 'okay' around people the rest of the day.

I wasn't 100% sure that she was ready either but figured I'd give it a shot anyway. You can always retake it! Sometimes you just have to take the test to figure out where you stand. A CGC class would be an excellent idea as well since they'll prepare you for the 10 portions of the test and give you an idea of what you need to perfect.

Good luck.