There's a surprising amount of pressure when you have a service dog at your side, especially when it comes to any type of training. I can fairly state that it is widely assumed that service dogs are inherently good (they are) and intuitively well behaved (they aren't.)
There's no question that Charlie is a special dog. I attribute that to intelligent breeding and excellent early socialization by all the folks at North Star. Plus, I'd be ignoring the obvious fact that he is a golden retriever, a breed known for its docile and friendly demeanor. However, that doesn't mean that they are born with good manners. That's what training classes are for.
In order for Charlie to become fully certified as a public access service animal he needs to pass a test known as the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test. It's generally administered by a dog training professional and is comprised of ten separate mini-tests which range from commands like "sit" and "stay" to traveling through a crowd without showing anything more than passing interest in anyone other than the handler. It really doesn't sound terribly problematic, especially when you've had the advantage of expert training and a well bred dog.
We failed.
Going into the test Charlie sailed through the first 6 parts, confidently sitting, staying, and even being separated from me for 5 minutes without so much as a whimper. Then came our nemesis: the stranger with a leashed dog. He couldn't help himself. Friendliness is in his blood! He just wanted to make sure that other person's dog was having a great day so he basically leaped across the room, pulling me behind him, as he made his way to the unsuspecting lab at the end of the other leash. ugh.
I don't blame Chuck for this failure. After all, he's still a big puppy - in fact, he was the youngest one in our class. Furthermore, the only way he's going to get over his need to greet other dogs is to have opportunities to practice restraint, which he needs me to do. I have to shamefully admit my failure in that department. We've had great training and we've got a well bred dog but without the significant time commitment from the handler (me), how could I ever expect him to pass?
So, now we're re-grouping and getting back to work on the hard things. We can re-take the test any time and once we pass (which we eventually will - I'm quite certain of that) then we will be just a few short hours away from earning our full service credentials which means unfettered public access for Charlie. It may take a bit longer than we thought but we're going to enjoy the journey and remain resolute in our commitment.
