The “Community Canine Advanced” Test

When I went to Minnesota last week to take the dogs to the rehab vet specialist we also did a Canine Good Citizen(CGC)/Community Canine (CGCA
)test to raise money for my friend’s foster dog and his veterinary expenses.  We had six people and seven dogs participate and a group of 3 helpers that came out to test (one ended up attempting the test!).

Two teams took the “Community Canine” test which is a second level to the much -better known Canine Good Citizen test. It was my first time giving the Community Canine test.  Here are a few of my thoughts:

Great things:

• Some other countries have multiple levels to their equivalent of the CGC. I’m happy we now have that option!
• There is more variety in the types of activities and the tasks are more “life like” than those in the first level.
• I don’t think the test is that much harder than the first level (which could be good or bad – great for the teams that had to work so hard for the first level or those just wanting to accumulate titles – not so great in terms of ‘what’s the point’).
• Passing teams with the CGCA (and the CGC too now) get ribbons – they’re just very basic flat ribbons but I think this is great, especially for dog owners first taking the CGC test. It’s more immediate than the certificate that comes weeks later!

Interesting/not so great aspects:

• Teams have to be registered with the AKC. Now that AKC has registration options for mix breed dogs and altered/unknown history purebreds, this does open it up to a majority (but not all) dogs.  But it is an additional expense for dog owners who may want to do this test but not other events in AKC.
• At the bottom of the evaluation form and in the evaluator booklet there is a list of 6-8 other ‘activities’ that are not part of the test but that could be used/taught in a group class.  Why is that even on the test form? Why use that space and ink? What is that for?
• The order of the exercises does not flow as well as they do on the CGC test – in that one like-items are grouped together, here it just wasn’t the same.
• Some parts are hard to evaluate. During the “Leave it” exercise the dogs did not even look at the item when the handlers passed by. They were the required distance, the dogs were the required distance, the handler’s said “leave it,” but the dogs didn’t even look at the item.

Both teams taking the CGCA passed (easily!), I look forward to having more opportunities to offer this test.