22 Days of Caleb: AKC Canine Good Citizen

After two obedience levels, months of training focusing exclusively on these ten tests, and almost one year to the day since he came to his forever home in San Jose, Caleb is officially a:


We were the fourth to take the test. The previous three did not pass, and I was trying not to let it get to me and subsequently get Caleb worked up. Thankfully, my plan to exhaust the corgi through eight hours of doggy daycare was successful and he was oblivious. We sailed through everything except the 'Greet a friendly dog' test. We were SOOOOOOO close. We walked towards the tester and her dog, Caleb sat, I shook her hand and we were just about to take off, when Caleb decided he needed a sniff. FAIL. The AKC likes to use the phrase 'Needs Improvement', but really, FAIL.

But that's ok, we get another shot if we only fail on one test, right? Well, sort of. Before the AKC clarified it, if you only missed one test, you could take that test one more time. Well, then they had to go and clarify it. As the very apologetic tester explained, now you can't just retest on the one you missed, you have to wait until everyone else has tested, then redo the entire test.

So we waited while the final two dogs and owners went through the test, they both failed, I freaked out some more, and it was our turn again. But this time, SUCCESS! We did a couple of the tests to warm up then moved right into the dog greet, since if he didn't pass this time, there wouldn't be much point in finishing the test. Caleb was a rock star. He sat, he ignored the other dog, and we were golden. I actually danced, much to the amusement of the tester and her assistant. We made it through the rest of the tests, and it was official: Caleb was the only dog to pass the CGC test.

I'm so proud, I could burst.