CGC Evaluators...I'd love your thoughts.

[Rottlva]

I've been helping a friend of my who does CGC testing. Normally we go to different events, I do the friendly stranger and sitting for petting and my dog Max and I do the reaction to a strange dog. I have been in agreement with the woman and her pass/failures until this point.

She just finished her first CGC class and did the testing where the class is held.... So, she was familiar with the students, thier quirks...ect.

Test # 1 An intact poodle, test goes well, handler is uptight and gives the poodle a few corrections (choke), but the dog is responsive and passes test. Passed

Test # 2 JRT dog does well, handler CRANKS on this dog during the walking on a loose lead. Dog obviously is taken aback, drops and rolls over. Reacts terribly submissively through the test. Passed

Test # 3 PUG sitting politely for petting goes great until I try to touch the ears...pug jumps up and runs for cover, under dad's legs, Finally after 4 tries he gets it.... Same thing with feet... he wouldn't let me touch his feet.... until about the fourth try. Passed

Test #4 ACD very fearful. I had to bend down shoulder faced towards her, eyes looking away in order to keep her from crawling from behind her mother. She is visibly trembling, whites of her eyes show..She lets me pet her....the mother relaxes some and the dog comes out of her shell, wiggles and wags...kisses me. Dog is visibly fearful in crowd.. minds her business, but ears are folded down and tail is tucked. Passed

I commented on the different dogs and how I felt they did after they had left. My friend told me that although the tests weren't "textbook perfect" all of these animals were truly good pets and nonprobematic in society. She said that thier problems had improved tenfold and they would continue to train.

MY problem with this is I think she as the instructor was biased and shouldn't have been doing the testing. Do you think there should be some sort of rule saying that the animals trainer can not be thier evaluator? I know it would be hard to do, but I think this would be fair to all....As I'm sure there are people doing exactly what my friend has done. Has anyone else encountered this? When Max and I obtained our CGC, I sought out someone I didn't know so we wouldn't have the advantage....

Thanks for your input....It just upsets me that some people work so hard for a CGC certificate and do it correctly and others don't.

[Judi W]

Now you know why I do not consider a CGC credentials. If you want to get one on your way to a CD - that's great but to declare that it really says much about the dog is debateable. The testers seem to not want to flunk the nice doggies and the requirements to be a tester are not very rigorous nor is there any oversight. One time, one generous tester and the dog carries a certificate.

[Carina43]

Originally posted by Judi W
Now you know why I do not consider a CGC credentials. If you want to get one on your way to a CD - that's great but to declare that it really says much about the dog is debateable. The testers seem to not want to flunk the nice doggies and the requirements to be a tester are not very rigorous nor is there any oversight. One time, one generous tester and the dog carries a certificate.

I never considered a CGC to be a "real" anything - I got it just because it's a prerequisite for TDI certification. I was all nervous because we were still working on Cooper's teenage snottieness towards some other dogs. It was such a breeze, I was almost disappointed! Over twenty dogs, and only one flunked - one very nervous and hand-shy dog passed, and several were given second tries at exercises.

[Liz]

Originally posted by Rottlva
MY problem with this is I think she as the instructor was biased and shouldn't have been doing the testing. Do you think there should be some sort of rule saying that the animals trainer can not be thier evaluator

I assist with CGC classes at our local kennel club and the club does have an informal rule forbidding class teachers and assistants from doing the evaluations. It's a large enough KC that we have people to do the testing who have not been involved in the classes, I think if we were smaller it would present a problem. Sometimes teachers, assistants and even class members end up in the group if necessary, but the primary evaluators have not been involved in classes.

It's kind of funny because one of our dogs in the spring class had a problem with a substitute teacher - she was very apprehensive around him and he didn't like that, but on the day of testing he was a peach - rolled over on his back for the friendly stranger, slobbered all over the holder in the isolation (a 70ish woman who weighed less than he does!!), etc. etc. An Amer. Bulldog that was in the class also had issues with her and he passed on the day of the test with no problems other than poor heeling <g>

Liz

[Sansano]

I have to agree. Even though I have put both a CGC and a CGN(Canadian CGC) on my girl I really don't value it that much. I totally understand using the CGC as a prerequisite to a TDI or CD, but to have a CGC as a goal...doesn't really say much.

[KattOK]

This thread depresses me. :(

Holly & I spent months getting ready for her CGC. When she passed it last year, we've continued practicing the things she learned. Our ultimate goal is therapy work but it wasn't the only reason to get the CGC.

Then I read this thread and feel like all Holly & I have been doing is spinning our wheels and no one cares ...

[Rottlva]

Kat, I started this thread not to downplay the CGC's which were deservedly given. I started this thread because I saw dogs which obviously should not be recieving a certificate which denotes a certain level of training that they did not have. What I was trying to understand was how common this was and how it may be possibly remedied.

I know you and others ( including myself) have worked very hard with thier dogs to accomplish this task and it leaves me disheartned to find out that others who haven't obtained a certain level of training are getting thier CGC certificate from "soft" instructors who are already biased my knowing thier test dog and thier weak/good exercises.

Be proud of your CGC. We know in our hearts that we deserved it. The effort put forth will not be looked over, and best of all you've trained your dog to a heightned level... Consider the CGC certificate icing on the cake! :) Jessica