Click & Treat...

I've been introduced to a new thing...'Clicker Training'...and (finally!) some agility exercises.

The bosses bought home a tyre on a stand that I can jump through...and also leave 4 posts in the ground for me to 'weave' through.

I'm great with TYRE..they say it and I run over and jump through. Fun.
WEAVE is a bit harder...I do it as long as the Boss is right there with me, but I won't just run off and do it by myself yet...it's a bit confusing...

Also, we go to train with another boss that I don't know...and she has a bunch of tunnels and jumps in a field that we play with.

My Boss said the clicker is part of the training...but I don't see how. All he does is push the button and make a click/clack noise...then give me a yummy treat...5 or 6 times in a row, twice a day.

If this is agility training, I've found my lifes work !!!

The correspondence continued...

You are on to it.. we now have a good number of Councils recognising the program with a 50% rebate on the annual fees and one even paying the club running the programs the NZKC $15 fee for the program.

regards

Brian Priest

Chief Executive Officer

Director / Secretary

New Zealand Kennel Club

Sent: Wednesday, 19 December 2007 4:02 p.m.
To: 'Brian Priest'
Subject: RE: Some thoughts on Canine Good Citizen

Thanks for that Brian...

let's encourage the local authorities to support CGC with 'Good Citizens Only' areas (Rather than 'No Dogs') .. along with a reduction in registration fees for successful dogs ...that would encourage participation, be partially self funding...and gain momentum one hopes....

---

From: Brian Priest
Sent: Wednesday, 19 December 2007 3:17 p.m.
To: 'Amigos Cafe'
Cc: 'Mike Bradley'
Subject: RE: Some thoughts on Canine Good Citizen

Hi Warren And Jake

Congratulations on your progress and yes we are looking at sponsors for the total CGC program which will enable us to consider your suggestion of suitable baubles to signify the achievements of the wearers.

While I agree that many will be agreeable to a small cost, regrettably it is not cost effective to produce them on individual demand thus there is an initial outlay in design and production.

A worthy sponsor would allow us the freedom to advance many of these initiatives

regards

Brian Priest

Chief Executive Officer

Director / Secretary

New Zealand Kennel Club

A letter sent by the Boss...

To the NZKC...

Hello.

My dog 'Jake' & I are currently at the Silver standard of CGC, with a Gold assessment hopefully in Feb/March.

It seems to me that while a certificate is a nice thing to have, it will invitably end up in a folder with all the dogs other bits and pieces of paper…and not promote the CGC scheme to a wider audience at all…What would be much nicer is a medallion for the dogs collar…perhaps a bronze/silver/gold…retaining the certificate only for the basic CGC level….(mind you, I find the 4th (lower) distinction a bit confusing to explain to people anyway…, and wonder about it's purpose. Perhaps a slightly lower standard for the bronze and correspondingly higher for silver would be a better approach?)

Obviously the NZKC are keen to minimise the costs to the end user…but I think a survey would show we will pay for such a nice bauble…particularly if it was an optional purchase…

...and something else…a certificate in the drawer at home is a poor reminder of my responsibilities when walking the dog, unlike a nice shiny trinket that catches the eye of everyone we encounter.

Just my 2 barks worth.

Merry Christmas to you all…

Warren & Jake
Lake Hawea
Wanaka.