Tips needed - TDI / CGC tests

NewfieMama

NewfieMama

New member
Hi all,

I want to get Cooper certified as a therapy dog and Zuzu her CGC, maybe a TDI (she'd be great with a kids' reading program or other work with kids).

Cooper is just a love and lots of people have asked me about therapy because he's just so sweet and soothing. We've met elderly neighbors on their porches and a few folks in wheelchairs and Cooper just sits, close enough to be petted, and offers his head. :)

However, both of my dogs get really happy when they see another dog. Like, wagging and pulling a bit on the leash, occasionally whining. They don't pull out of control but they do show "more than a casual interest" in the other dog.

Also, Zuzu has a hard time waiting when someone approaches to pet her; she'll wait till the person is about a step away but when they reach for me, or her, she'll break her sit and poke her head forward, wagging like mad. So, again, not aggressive or fearful but probably overly exuberant (this may be a maturity thing, being 10 months old).

So - thoughts on this? Suggestions welcome!

Thanks,
Mary
 
BluwaterNewfs

BluwaterNewfs

New member
Train, Train Train and then train some more. Both these test are given with the dog on buckle collar. No slip or training collar of any kind. You must be able to control your dog on the buckle collar under all circumstances. I have put CGC on all my newfs and have done TDI test all of them. I suggest you go to the AKC website and the TDI website and download the requirements for the tests.
 
NewfieMama

NewfieMama

New member
Hi Joan,

Thanks. They are in training, and Zuzu is in a class specifically for the CGC. The instructor thinks she'll pass EXCEPT for the greeting other dogs part.

So ... how do you train them not to be excited to see other dogs?

ETA they both go on flat collars, loose leash, just fine.
 
NessaM

NessaM

New member
Joan hit the nail on the head. Training is key.

You can't change their essential nature. They will ALWAYS be excited to see other dogs. But you can train them to overrule that excitement with obedience. Maturity will help with that, but at 10 months she's totally capable of it now. So training, and you being really in tune with her brain and body, will help a lot. You need to be able to read her thoughts - to see by the subtle shifts in her body language when she's thinking about moving. Don't forget though that TDI doesn't permit a dog to be certified until they are 12 months of age or older.

First thing to remember is, there are no limits to the number of commands you can give during the test, so you can repeat, "Sit, Stay stay stay stay stay stay" until you're blue in the face. It's not like formal obedience testing, where you may only give a command once. You can use hand signals and voice commands repeatedly. That helps - When we took the test, we walked up to the evaluator with her dog, and stopped, and I told Nanook, "SIT. STAY." And he did. But then as I was shaking the evaluator's hand, Nanook was thinking about breaking his sit-stay, and I saw him eyeballing the other dog and thinking about it, and I cracked out a "STAY!" that really got his attention, and derailed his mindset, and he held the stay, and we passed.

But mostly, repetition in training is the only thing that's going to do the trick for you. So take them to train in places where there are lots of dogs. Here's how we did it with Nanook, who had the exact same problem:

Went to dog parks, and asked folks who were arriving, or leaving, that still had their dogs on leash, if they would help with our training - explained what we needed, and then practiced.

We started with something easy - Nanook in a sit/stay while someone else with a dog approached us. If Nanook got up from the sit, the other person immediately backed off, and I repeated the command, put him back in the sit/stay, and the person advanced again. Rinse and repeat until they hold the sit as the person approaches. If they hold the sit, praise praise praise and treat treat treat. Set the dog up for success so that they learn what it is you're looking for. So maybe you have the dog sit/stay while the other person takes a few steps towards you, then praise/treat/release. Work up to the other person getting closer, until finally you're able to shake hands.

Then work on the walking towards the other person and sitting, at a distance, then closer, then closer, until you can walk up to another person who is stationary, and sit, and shake hands.

Then you can start working on walking up to another person who is also walking towards you, sitting around the same time, and shaking hands.

Make sure you train in lots of different environments, with lots of different dogs. If you have multiple dog parks around you, train at all of them. If you have multiple PetSmarts around you, train at all of them. I was totally the crazy person who approached folks with other dogs at PetSmart and asked them to shake my hand. Like a lunatic. But it worked!

It goes without saying that the treats you should be using for this are unbelievably delicious. These should be the most delicious treats in all of the Universe. Time should stand still for your dog while these treats are around. For Nanook, that meant either freshly fried chicken livers, or pate that had been cut into cubes and frozen. You need to have treats, at least in the beginning, that are WAY more important to your dog than anything else, including visiting another dog.
 
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Ivoryudx

Ivoryudx

New member
Most greetings of another dog is what YOU are doing. You need to ask for your dogs attention on you, and offer a cookie for doing so. It will be a bribe at first and once it becomes a habit to turn attention to you in anticipation of the cookie, when another dog is present, then it will become a reward. Of course don't just let this become a check in and check out situation where focus goes back to the other dog. Give your dog a command, and make it happen. Take off heeling, or offer a nice relaxing massage to the top of the neck. Anything that keeps focus back on you.

HTH,
 
BluwaterNewfs

BluwaterNewfs

New member
I don't really believe in special classes for CGC or TDI. We attend obedience classes starting with puppy kindergarten , basic obedience and then advanced. I repeat the advanced as a drop in until they are ready for AKC obedience class. The last 5 dogs I did CGC with, I saw it was being giving at a show and we just went and did the test. Three of them about 9 months old when I did this.

Practice, practice, practice.... I would work with them on heel, Sit, Stay, Down, Come, and Leave it .

First you to make sure you have control in your own environment. Have friends come over and your own neighbor hood. If you don't have the control in your environment, you will not have else where. Then find as many places as you can to take the dogs. Strip malls, train stations, school yard are good places.
 
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plafleursr

plafleursr

New member
As Nessa had, TDI will not certify a dog under 1 year old. Just work the dog in different places as others have said. Meet other different strangers, have dog sit and wait.
 
newflizzie

newflizzie

New member
Lizzie is always very happy (as in play bow etc) to see little dogs or another newf. I trained a lot in different places with dogs that were on leash (outside of the dog park where they are on leash, pet stores, walking around the neighborhood etc). I really worked on her paying attention to me. She never took a CGC or TDI class but took the STAR pup class. She has a command "look" so I can get her attention and let her know it's time to work. I was a bit nervous at the CGC for the dog exercise since she was 6 mos old and I'd never tried the test before. I told her to heel which she didn't do well but she did keep her attention on me, sat when I stopped to say hello and it was fine. I had to go back and get her TDI when she turned 1 last month so again I was nervous on the dog exercise but she was heeling and her attention was much better. Just keep up practicing the attention on you - especially in an area with distractions. Good luck!
 
CMDRTED

CMDRTED

New member
As a CGC Evaluator, the only tips I can offer, is what others have said. Training is the key. Reward correct behavior praise the snottola out of them and reward correct reactions. Do not reward incorrect behavior. You have to pass all of the stations, to get a CGC Certificate, so don't test until ready. You don't want your Newfies to fail, and you don't want to be frustrated, and have the guys see you frustrated with them.
 
sendchocolate

sendchocolate

New member
Can you use treats for the CGC or TDI? That's my goal, as well. Poppy is 11 mos, but loves loves people so much. She will not jump on them, but she lies at their feet! Once she lies down it is hard to get her back up until they pet her!

We are still really working on the flat collar thing. We are so not there yet. She likes to pull when she gets excited, but it is happening less and less.

You people who put the CGC on a 8-9 mos old newf? You are amazing! Poppy just isn't there, yet.
 
Sound Bay Newfs

Sound Bay Newfs

Active member
Cooper should make a great Therapy dog, especially that his mother is one too! Zu should too when she matures more.

Here is what is required to complete the program...
http://dogplay.com/Activities/Therapy/cgc.html

And here is a video on the test..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M7jwd4Uvm8

If you can get to an outdoor dog show in the Spring, where there are a lot of dogs in a calm controlled environment, they might learn to be around other dogs. If the show offers the CGC test, you could observe. Working with one dog at a time might help too.
 
NewfLove

NewfLove

New member
We just took the Delta test and I think they are similar. Three weeks before the test, I relented and started Darcy on a Gentle Leader because of the pulling, especially when she saw a dog she thought might want to play with her. This type of collar made all the difference in the world. (Another Newf who tested right after we did failed because of the neutral dog. She is now going to go as many places as possible where dogs are and train extensively, giving oceans of treats as her Newf passes by them nicely. Every dog has their one issue and that was theirs - the neutral dog.) Also, in Delta you are allowed to stop the test if you need to. I had noticed that Darcy's Gentle Leader had slipped off her nose and asked if we could stop for a second. Then I asked if I could let go of the leash for a second to reposition the collar. (Don't know about TDI, but in Delta you never, ever, for any reason let go of the leash.)

Just reinforce the good behavior. A million times!
 
BluwaterNewfs

BluwaterNewfs

New member
I believe the tests for Delta and TDI are different. The TDI test is a modified CGC test. A gentle leader would not be allowed for a TDI. The dog must have a buckle collar. No training collars of any kind - not even a slip collar. I haven't seen anything that says you can't let go of the leash for TDI. They are looking that you have control of the dog in any circumstance.
 
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