We Did It
Yesterday, Moose and I faced our most challenging training goal to date, and tested for Canine Good Citizen certification, a set of ten standards of dog obedience required to be considered a well-behaved dog, as defined by the American Kennel Club.
The test required us to demonstrate our ability to perform ten skills with a strict pass/fail grading criteria and without the assistance of treats. He crushed the test and earned the esteemed award.
This was a surprisingly nerve racking experience for me. It wasn’t just about the past five weeks of practice with a small cohort of human and canine classmates, it was the culmination of forty-five weeks of training that Moose and I have completed as a team since he was just sixteen weeks old.
So much work led up to this moment. There were several setbacks along the way. And we were finally here to prove something I didn’t think was possible when we first began.
In addition to my own performance anxiety, I was on pins and needles as each dog in the class performed each of the ten exercises, as I had become invested in their success as well. The collective nervous energy of the group was high and I worried we were transferring our anxiety to the dogs. Happily, all three of the dogs passed the test despite the pressure and other distractions that arose during the test, including screaming children and barking dogs nearby.
This experience reminded me of the persistence and patience required to reach ambitious goals, as well as the importance of setting ambitious goals for myself. What seemed impossible at the beginning was just successfully completed after sticking with it and putting in the required time, energy and reps. Because of our success with a challenging goal, I have more confidence in facing the next challenge we decide to pursue.
I’m so proud of Moose. He didn’t sign up for those training classes - I did. But he stepped up to the challenge and worked hard for me. Moose has grown so much since we began, successfully progressing though each training class, moving from puppy to adulthood, and from an 11-pound squirt to a 66-pounder towering over his pack mates.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for Moose as we continue on his training journey. There are many different paths we can pursue and I’m confident Moose will be successful no matter which direction we take. ⭐️
