Beyond the Canine Good Citizen Title.
–by Ashley T. Lambert
You’re a dedicated owner. You’ve worked with your dog from puppyhood, did a bunch of basic obedience classes and have just nailed that CGC title. What do you do now? Well, first off, pat yourself on the back because the CGC is a spectacular accomplishment that showcases you and your best friend’s fantastic efforts. If you have a desire to stretch those skills out far and wide, know that the sky is the limit. AKC offers three varieties of the CGC title, each one more demanding than the last. The common, and most well known one, is the Canine Good Citizen. The other two are the Advanced (CGCA) and Urban (CGCU) titles, the latter of which truly tests your dog’s ability to exhibit appropriate behavior in the big wide world. Aspiring toward one of these titles would be a challenging and exciting experience, indeed.
What if obedience isn’t really your thing?
You have an active dog that’s well behaved, but you’re looking for something to satisfy his abun- dance of energy. Try scoping out a local club or training facility to see if they offer agility classes. Agility is a fast-paced dog sport that offers the dog both mental and physical stimulation. It’s a great team effort and most training facilities offer it both recreationally and for competition. There are vari- ous levels to agility, so always start with the foun- dation classes first. This will help both you and your pup figure out the basics and groundwork so you can start running together like the pros. What are some things to expect from a foun-
dations class? It usually begins with no obstacles. Sounds boring right? However, if you remember starting any sport (football, basketball, etc.) you never begin by getting to play right away.
(Above photo): Athena, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, at the NADAC CoolCritters,Valrico. Photograph by Kim Langevin.
(Opposite page): Standard Poodle Jolene at the Up Dog Challenge, Brooksville.
UpDogChallenge.com - Photograph by Good Dog Sports.
68 THE NEW BARKER
www.TheNewBarker.com
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