Congratulations to Canine Good Citizen evaluator Karen Bales and her class of CGC graduates! Karen’s students passed the test this April at Barkefellers in Indianapolis. All three owners decided to pursue CGC because they’re interested in going on to therapy work with their dogs and thought this would be a great start.
Karen found the biggest challenge, not only with this group but with most groups she encounters, was reaction to another dog. She says that the dogs are so interested in each other that the owners get nervous, in turn making the dogs anxious. However, these students learned really well and passed the test with flying colors!
Let’s give a big shout out to the dogs and owners for a job well done!
Left to right: Jeremy Jones with “Jenkins,” Karen L. Bales (CGC instructor), Sara Patterson with “Chance,” and Amber Nobbe with “Diesel”
I’d love to learn more about your graduating classes! If you’re a CGC or AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluator or your dog is a CGC/S.T.A.R. grad, “like” CGC on Facebook and post photos of your class. Don’t forget the particulars about your students — names, ages, breeds, owners’ names, when and where the test took place, and fun stories about your class or interesting challenges your students overcame so everyone can learn from your experiences — and I’ll try to feature your class in a post!
Has your dog passed the CGC test? Was she a natural and passed on her first try, or did training truly transform her into a “Canine Good Citizen”? Share your experiences in the comments.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
