Has anyone here gone through Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification? What can you tell me about it?

Is that like certification to become therapy dogs?

Exactly. It's my understanding that in order to even be considered for a Therapy Dog, they have to be CGCs.

http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation

Ginger could possibly pass all these tests....

http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/cgc_bystate.cfm

Here's where you can find evaluators when you're ready to have your pup take the test.

Oooh - if you decide to do this, LMK and we'll come and cheer you guys on! I think Nikolai could do 1-5, but 6 is something we're working on, 7... he's a husky, has a mind of his own thankyouverymuch, 8 - he just gets VERY EXCITED to see other dogs when we're on a walk, starts pulling and whining... 9 he'd pass like a rock star and 10, well... depends on who we leave him with, but I think he'd rock that, too.

http://www.tdi-dog.org/

And here's a link to one site for therapy dogs...

I'll look more into it and maybe email one of the evaluators and let you know!

WOOHOO!!! :-)

OOooh!
I just emailed someone in Colorado Springs asking about having Ginger evaluated if she has potential/characteristics in being a therapy dog!

I'll keep you posted!

OOC, why in Colorado Springs? There were lots listed in Denver...

I think Nikolai has the temperament for it, but he needs the formal training.

That was for CGC...my email was to an evaluator for therapy dog...different group. And therapy dog evaluators in Colorado had only 4.

Hailey would pass. Koda would be a typical husky. LOL.

I've heard of it, never done it though. If your husky passes though, it does help a lot with homeowner's insurance.

It was a potentially helpful criteria on ours. However, they both passed all the other questions, so it wasn't needed.

It depends on your insurance. We're with Liberty Mutual and it was definitely something they mentioned. I can't speak about others though

It shouldn't matter who pays the insurance. What matters is who and what is being insured. Our insurance is paid through an escrow account as well, but our dogs are listed on our homeowners policy for sure.

All of mine have taken/passed the CGC. It's not to difficult at all... especially if you take a training class which includes the actual test at the end of the 6-8 weeks or whatever.

We have State Farm so no breed problems for us.

From stuff I've read on other forums it's fairly easy to pass unless you get a stickler of a judge. There's no real uniform enforcement or clarification of terms in the AKC literature. Some people who need it for certain breeds (apt living and such) shop around for the more lax judges.

I think my dogs would pass everything except Ridik and supervised separation. He's stupid. We trained for it when I first got all of the dogs, but once they exhibited the proper traits I lost interest in the certificate thing. Not sure that it [CGC] is REQUIRED for TD stuff, but it sure is a good measure of a well mannered dog.

just mentioned to hubby about having Ginger evaluated to be a TD and he was all excited as he's a therapist and sees opportunity to have Ginger in some of his client sessions with kids...so, if we hear back from that evaluator, we'll take it from there!

aww good luck with Ginger Zoey has potential to pass when she's older, she absolutely adores people, licks them to death but she likes to jump up on them to lick them

Embry could if he would walk nicely