# Congrats to my dogs! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594 "2015-11-14T22:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/1 "2015-11-14T22:16:49Z")
My basenjis passed the [Canine Good Citizen](http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/about/) test this morning! And then, since we were on a roll, we took, and passed, the advanced test, [Community Canine](http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/akc-community-canine/). They both had to re-take an element of the second test - Zef was disqualified during the loose-leash walking since she stopped to pee (!), and Epi broke her recall past a distraction. It wasn’t the distraction itself (the tester’s bag) but another dog romping about just outside the ring. But they both redeemed themselves on their second chance. The hardest part for them both was probably the supervised separation - the tester takes the leash and the owner leaves their sight for three minutes. I think they both whined a little bit, which is allowable - they’ve had problems with separation anxiety in the past, so I was very proud that they can manage this now! It was a bit awkward switching between dogs, too, but my husband **MaxTheVool** helped out. Here’s [a pic](http://imgur.com/7rr1Znr)with their blue ribbons! That’s Epilogue CDCA on the left, and Zephyr CDCA on the right! ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/2 "2015-11-14T22:27:37Z")
Hooray for two lovely and smart pooches! And their owners too! I’m hoping my youngest sister will start working on Canine Good Citizen training with her schnauzer soon. He’s about six or seven months old now and I think he would be an ideal candidate for this. Sis was thinking about taking him to nursing homes and such. I hope she still is. Is that what you and your husband plan to do too? ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/3 "2015-11-14T22:46:02Z")
> [@Hopeful\_Crow](#): > > . Sis was thinking about taking him to nursing homes and such. I hope she still is. Is that what you and your husband plan to do too? The [Therapy Dog program](http://www.akc.org/events/title-recognition-program/therapy/) starts with a different test, which our tester said we’d all be sure to pass. But I don’t know how into it Zef and Epi would be. We mostly just did the CDC tests to have a goal, and prove to the naysayers that basenjis ARE trainable 🙂 They’re nine years old, though! We did the test with a 1.5 yr old Yorkie, and a 6 month old Labrador! ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/4 "2015-11-14T23:06:22Z")
Look at those beautiful canine citizens! Who’s a good citizen? Yes, you both are! ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/5 "2015-11-15T04:24:07Z")
[proud clapping and abundant treat tossing] Well done!! said the 4-time puppy obedience class flunk-out:( ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/6 "2015-11-15T05:02:19Z")
Congrats! I always wanted to do this with my golden retriever but she could not do the separation. I kind of sucked at it too 😉 Looking forward to stories of their adventures amongst the citizenry! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/7 "2015-11-15T07:05:21Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > They both had to re-take an element of the second test - Zef was disqualified during the loose-leash walking since she stopped to pee (!), and Epi broke her recall past a distraction. It wasn’t the distraction itself (the tester’s bag) but another dog romping about just outside the ring. But they both redeemed themselves on their second chance. Not to worry! [At least they didn’t do this!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnu_2zTHueY) (Hilarious video of doggy failing concentration and speed competition.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/8 "2015-11-15T07:10:36Z")
My dogs killed a mouse and ripped a sage brush out of the ground today. No certificates for them! ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/9 "2015-11-15T08:45:09Z")
Hey, congratulations to your doggies! My dog also passed CNC but did not get a ribbon as you have to buy them, although he does have a certificate. However, he needs to go through this again, because his training has slipped, or something, and he needs to work on passing another dog and sitting politely for petting by a stranger. (He really needs the latter.) It’s been 5 years. But good work. Also, Basenjis are so cute. They look pleased. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/10 "2015-11-15T13:02:31Z")
Yay for smart puppies! And having gone through the class multiple times I know it takes a lot of homework…so yay for you too! ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/11 "2015-11-15T13:36:51Z")
Those are very handsome boys you’ve got there. Congrats on the achievement. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/12 "2015-11-15T13:41:57Z")
Congratulations! Our GSD brings home ribbons from the Paws For A Cure each year. The Good Citizen is on our to-do list. Beautiful basenjis. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/13 "2015-11-15T13:57:12Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > My basenjis passed the [Canine Good Citizen](http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/about/) test this morning! And then, since we were on a roll, we took, and passed, the advanced test, [Community Canine](http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/akc-community-canine/). If you are looking for other dog training things to do, one of our dogs will be starting [Nose Work](https://www.nacsw.net) soon (scent identification, tracking, etc). ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/14 "2015-11-15T21:32:28Z")
Congrats on the blue ribbons for two beautiful and talented dogs! But hey, they should be _ **wearing** _ those ribbons, draped from their collars on their brilliant white chests! ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/15 "2015-11-15T21:37:41Z")
Wow… and I was proud that my little (dog) girl went through the drive through and only barked once at the guy in the window. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/16 "2015-11-16T01:48:41Z")
Congratulations to you and your pups! Well done! ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/17 "2015-11-16T18:06:58Z")
Congratulations to you and your talented pups! I was certain that my Rottie, Cedar, would fail the the supervised separation test. She LOVED to play with children with basketballs – it was her favorite thing in all the world. So, we’re at the park for the test and, of course, over on the basketball court was a group of young kids playing with a basketball. It’s all over now, I thought. I put her in a down-stay on the grass, dropped the leash and walked away to hide from sight behind some bushes. A minute so later, I heard the testers laughing. When the time was up, I came out of hiding to find, to my astonishment, that Cedar was exactly where I’d left her. What had they been laughing at? Cedar has laid down and rolled all the way over twice, wrapping the leash around herself. Apparently, she looked back at the leash as if surprised to see it around her, and carefully rolled back over, twice, to remove it. She’d ignored the kids and basketball completely. She passed. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/18 "2015-11-17T07:39:36Z")
Thanks for the kind words, all! **kayaker** , I don’t think basenjis are very good at sniffing. We play “hide the treat” sometimes and it takes AGES for them to find it. I had beagles as a girl, so maybe I’m just judging them harshly. We did some lure coursing with them (this is not one of ours, but just to give yous guys a mental image: [Dogs NSW Lure Coursing - 27 Sep 2015 - Entry 5, Basenji - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ5Q_6e7994)) but the local(ish) org that ran it only had a tiny unfenced field, and the dogs’ recall wasn’t where I wanted it to be, at that time. Also, they’re nine now! Sprinting is hard on old ladies. Was good fun, though! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/19 "2015-11-17T13:58:28Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If you are looking for other dog training things to do, one of our dogs will be starting [Nose Work](https://www.nacsw.net) soon (scent identification, tracking, etc). Is there a new industry growing of for doggie enrichment or something? I’m imagining things like doggie choirs and dance troupes. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congrats-to-my-dogs/737594/20 "2015-11-17T14:16:30Z")
NoseWork is actually pretty cool. We started off with our GSD Kali finding my gf in the house. She’d hide somewhere simple while I sat with the dog. Then she would shout, “find me” and I would release the dog and encourage with, “find her!!” My gf would treat the dog when she was found. This evolved into encouraging scent recognition. GF would hide outside, a few hundred yards away, behind a tree. I would make Kali smell GF’s hoodie and say, “find her, find her!” Then I’d let the dog outside. She would track the scent and find her. Using our cell phones like walkie-talkies we have played “find me” in the woods, with Kali tracking over considerable distances. Next step is doing this “for real” with a trainer who knows what they’re doing.