# Remy passed his CGC



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Huge congratulations for team Remy. That's an important achievement. 

I bet Remy just whined a little and was under the threshold of indicating a distress. There were dogs that failed when Babykins and Theo took the test - dogs fail for lots of different reasons. Some dogs just need a little more training before retesting.


TEST 10:
SUPERVISED SEPARATION
This test demonstrates that a dog can be left with
a trusted person, if necessary, and will maintain
training and good manners. Evaluators are en-
couraged to say something like, “Would you like
me to watch your dog?” and then take hold of the
dog’s leash. The owner will go out of sight for
three minutes. The dog does not have to stay in
position but should not continually bark, whine,
or pace unnecessarily, or show anything stronger
than mild agitation or nervousness. Evaluators
may talk to the dog but should not engage in ex-
cessive talking, petting, or management attempts
(e.g, “there, there, it’s alright”).


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## MaizieFrosty (Apr 12, 2019)

Congratulations to you and Remy!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Big congratulations team! Lily had a really hard time with the greeting a friendly stranger without jumping up and/or licking the person. For Javelin the supervised separation was a big deal. Peeves rocked it all around.

For most dogs I've tested the supervised separation the struggle was there if anywhere.


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## Misteline (Mar 10, 2019)

Congratulations! And such a handsome young man.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Well done!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Congratulations!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Nicely done, Team Remy!


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Congratulations.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Congratulations! Definitely an accomplishment to be proud of! 😊


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Skylar said:


> Huge congratulations for team Remy. That's an important achievement.
> 
> I bet Remy just whined a little and was under the threshold of indicating a distress. There were dogs that failed when Babykins and Theo took the test - dogs fail for lots of different reasons. Some dogs just need a little more training before retesting.
> 
> ...


I think you’re right that his behavior during the supervised separation didn’t rise to the level of distress according to the evaluators. I often think that I’m the one with separation anxiety - I just hate to see him even a little bit uncomfortable.

Thanks to all at PF for your congratulations and good wishes!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

To add to Skylar's quote on the supervised separation, note that on the eval form it is marked as pass or needs more training (roughly). There is no notation of failure. If one doesn't get a pass for each of the items it is useful to look at your form and to talk with the instructor to know what you can do to get to the point where you will pass all items in the future. I expect to give several CGC and CGCA tests in January. The owner of one of the CGC candidates has been convinced for ages that it wouldn't ever be possible to pass the supervised separation (even though the dog has a CD and is up to rally master, so not an untrainable dog or handler that doesn't know what to do). A group of us have work with them on it for a couple of months and I ha ve every expectation that they will succeed.

Anyone who wants to do CGC with their dog can succeed if they are patient and persistent and just so long as the handlers realize they are being unfair to expect a pass out of a dog that doesn't know what is expected of them. I've had a couple of people insist they could come in cold and pass (both were unmitigated disasters). Even for my own CGC test with Javelin I spent a lot of time training him to understand what was happening before we did the test (at a venue of a four ring obedience/rally trial). We succeeded because he really knew it all very well and I knew where his potential weak points were.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

lily cd re said:


> To add to Skylar's quote on the supervised separation, note that on the eval form it is marked as pass or needs more training (roughly). There is no notation of failure. If one doesn't get a pass for each of the items it is useful to look at your form and to talk with the instructor to know what you can do to get to the point where you will pass all items in the future. I expect to give several CGC and CGCA tests in January. The owner of one of the CGC candidates has been convinced for ages that it wouldn't ever be possible to pass the supervised separation (even though the dog has a CD and is up to rally master, so not an untrainable dog or handler that doesn't know what to do). A group of us have work with them on it for a couple of months and I ha ve every expectation that they will succeed.
> 
> Anyone who wants to do CGC with their dog can succeed if they are patient and persistent and just so long as the handlers realize they are being unfair to expect a pass out of a dog that doesn't know what is expected of them. I've had a couple of people insist they could come in cold and pass (both were unmitigated disasters). Even for my own CGC test with Javelin I spent a lot of time training him to understand what was happening before we did the test (at a venue of a four ring obedience/rally trial). We succeeded because he really knew it all very well and I knew where his potential weak points were.


Thank you for your insights!

The supervised separation was the first element in Remy's CGC test, and I spent the rest of the time during the test convinced that he wasn't going to pass his CGC based on his performance in supervised separation (he did great with everything else). I decided to view the rest of the test as a training opportunity, and he definately got a lot out of the entire experience.

Even though he earned his CGC, I'm going to continue to work on the supervised separation, and separation in general. Although he did well enough to pass his CGC, I know he can do better. Any training suggestions for separation would be greatly appreciated.

Once again, thanks for your insights!


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

Congratulations to you and your handsome dog! I consider CGC to be such an accomplishment. The separation skill is something Topper and I really need to work on, because he's a Velcro dog. This post has been helpful as I plan our approach to this!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Bigbark I would suggest having different people you trust taking Remy from you as directed in the test description in different places to universalize it, but also do many repeats in the place when you would test it if you were going to redo it. Start by having the person calling you back before Remy shows much in the way of worry about your disappearance. Don't get crazy when you go back to him, but just give him a nice hello pet and tell him he was good. You can do as short as you need to at the beginning and build to the three minutes. Telling the dog they were good rather than big party rewards will help prevent the dog from anticipating the handler's return.


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## kuriooo (Feb 17, 2010)

Wow, congrats to Team Remy!!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Bigbark said:


> The supervised separation was the first element in Remy's CGC test, and I spent the rest of the time during the test convinced that he wasn't going to pass his CGC based on his performance in supervised separation


I have learned the hard way to always read the rules carefully and ask questions before the trial so I’m fully prepared and understand what is being tested.

I was most worried about the separation, until I read the description above and realized Theo was ready.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Yes Skylar, knowing the rules very well is super important. In this case I will add one comment releated to the OP's testing. I never do the items out of the order in which they are presented in the rules and on the evaluation form. While I encourage people to practice them in random orders at times I think at least half of the full practice sessions should be in that order too. While we do want to help our dogs understand that things are no always predictable we also want them to be able to get confidence from predictability some of the time. This is why beginner novice and novice obedience routines only have one sequence and why open A and utility A also are always in the same order.


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## a2girl (Oct 4, 2020)

Congratulations! I am always impressed by this achievement. I am hoping to get Hugo started on this goal in 2022. There hasn't been a training class near me since the summer.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

a2girl despite not being able to find a class you can probably make a lot of progress in training for CGC on your own. I trained Javelin mostly by taking him to pet stores and working things there. Also here is a link to the AKC resource page for the CGC program. There is a search tool there for finding classes, but also a link to an AKC video for CGC. Training Resources – American Kennel Club


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## a2girl (Oct 4, 2020)

lily cd re said:


> a2girl despite not being able to find a class you can probably make a lot of progress in training for CGC on your own. I trained Javelin mostly by taking him to pet stores and working things there. Also here is a link to the AKC resource page for the CGC program. There is a search tool there for finding classes, but also a link to an AKC video for CGC. Training Resources – American Kennel Club


Thank you, I will take a look. The reason that I have been leaning toward a CGC class is because I work full time at a very demanding job that doesn’t leave me with much time or energy to organize the training on my own. The training I do with Hugo tends to be reinforcement of what he’s learned in various classes he’s already taken.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I get it that it can be hard to find places to fit in training and that a class can help impose discipline about working on things! You could probably make some progress by doing 5 or 10 minutes at a time at home each day then going to a public space one day a week for about 20-30 minutes. As I recall that is roughly what I did with Javelin.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

lily cd re said:


> Bigbark I would suggest having different people you trust taking Remy from you as directed in the test description in different places to universalize it, but also do many repeats in the place when you would test it if you were going to redo it. Start by having the person calling you back before Remy shows much in the way of worry about your disappearance. Don't get crazy when you go back to him, but just give him a nice hello pet and tell him he was good. You can do as short as you need to at the beginning and build to the three minutes. Telling the dog they were good rather than big party rewards will help prevent the dog from anticipating the handler's return.


Thanks! I'll be following your advice whenever the opportunity presents itself. Our training club would be a good place to practice this skill.

Also, I love your suggestion for training at a pet store. I did a lot of this to get Remy ready for his test since he is shy of strangers. The big box stores make him uncomfortable, so we train mostly at a smaller pet store with friendly cashiers.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Congratulations! That's not an easy test to pass. I know because I'm evaluator and I teach that class. Greeting a friendly stranger, without going bonkers is hard. By far, the supervised separation seems to cause my students the most trouble. Getting through both is an achievement for sure. Great work! What's next? Tricks?


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Congratulations! That's not an easy test to pass. I know because I'm evaluator and I teach that class. Greeting a friendly stranger, without going bonkers is hard. By far, the supervised separation seems to cause my students the most trouble. Getting through both is an achievement for sure. Great work! What's next? Tricks?


Many thanks click - I’m for sure proud of my little boy.

Remy has a nice collection of tricks. Once his AKC CGC paperwork is finalized, I plan to make a trick video. Remy and I are also doing Rally which I love, although I seem to have more trouble in the ring than he does. I’ve already submitted one video for the first virtual trial. I hope we have a qualifying score.

Thanks again for your good wishes!


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Rally rocks! I teach four rally classes a week and they are fun. If you haven't gotten it yet, look for the K9 Rally app for your phone. It has all the AKC rally signs, descriptions, rules, and videos of rally judges doing the signs. Oh, and it's free. Rally on team!


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## MsTalika (Aug 29, 2021)

Congratulations! 🎈


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Rally rocks! I teach four rally classes a week and they are fun. If you haven't gotten it yet, look for the K9 Rally app for your phone. It has all the AKC rally signs, descriptions, rules, and videos of rally judges doing the signs. Oh, and it's free. Rally on team!


I loaded the app. NOW I finally understand what Rally-O is. Thank you! I watched most of the Novice videos. I think Elroy can do a number of them already!
Do you usually train the individual moves by themselves at first? Looks like stuff we can practice in the yard.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Tom I teach the signs independently. Think of them as being like teaching tricks. Once the dog knows a number of the tricks then string them together with short bits of heeling. Usually there will be about 4-8 feet between signs depending on the level being done.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

94Magna_Tom said:


> I loaded the app. NOW I finally understand what Rally-O is. Thank you! I watched most of the Novice videos. I think Elroy can do a number of them already!
> Do you usually train the individual moves by themselves at first? Looks like stuff we can practice in the yard.


If you have never done Rally before, it’s probably best to start in a good class. There are a lot of subtleties and its easier to train them correctly the first time. Having a good trainer watch you and give feedback is invaluable. Then you can practice at home. Poodles can learn all the basic moves quickly, but YOU need to lean how to cue your dog through the course.

Remy loves Rally. He’s a little bit skittish and Rally has given him so much confidence. It’s made our walkies way more fun because when he’s done sniffing, I incorporate Rally moves into our walk. I’m a total fan.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Rally classes at my training facility are "drop in" classes. Sign up online, and then pay ($30) when you get there. I'll see if I can get into some novice classes. Are "drop-in" classes a normal thing?


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

94Magna_Tom said:


> Are "drop-in" classes a normal thing?


Yes, but they aren’t usually good for people who are new to a sport. I rarely see them for a beginner class. One of my clubs has a drop in rally class, but they also offer a full session rally class. however if you go weekly it will be like a full semester.

Tom, I hope you and Elroy love rally. It’s lots of fun and really helps you build a strong connection with your dog.


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