[kevin_in_so_cal]

I'm an arm-chair dog trainer out of necessity: I have a Chow Chow. The part about earning the AKC title of Canine Good Citizen is really quite unbelieveable, and this may cause many people to rethink the "hows and whys" of this breed's behavior. For those of you that are interested, for a dog to earn the AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate, it must:

1. Accept a friendly stranger. The owner and evaluator shake hands and exchange pleasantries. The dog must not show and sign of shyness or resentment, and must not break it's position or try to go to the evaluator.

2. Sit politely for petting (From a friendly stranger. The dog must not show shyness or resentment.)

3. Demonstrate that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined, and will permit a stranger, such as a veterinarian , groomer, or friend of the owner, to do so. (This also demonstrates the owner's care, concern, and responsibility.)

4. Walk on a loose leash. This demonstrates that the owner is in control of the dog.

5. Walk through a crowd. This demostrates the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places.

6. Sit and down on command. This shows that the dog has training, will respond to the owner's commands to Sit and Down and will remain in the place commanded by the owner.

7. Come when called. (A distance of ten feet is used.)

8. Reaction to another dog. The dog must show it can behave politely around other dogs.

9. Reaction to distractions. The dog must demonstrate that it is confident at all times when faced with common distracting situations. Because some dogs are sensitive to sound and some to visual distractions, one of each is used.

10. Supervised separation. The dog must demonstrate that it can be left with another person and will maintain its training and good manners while the owner goes out of sight.

So who lied - the owner or the news?

[doc30]

I think the pitt bull owner with the CGC was a different person than the one whose dog attacked the kid. And pitt bulls are, by nature, very people friendly. You have to make a pitt bull into a monster, just like you would with any other dog breed. And most people probably could not identify a pit bull, either. And there are a lot of myths about pit bulls. First, they don't have locking jaws. Second, they don't have a strionger bite than other breeds of similar size. However, I do blame owners if they elect to have this poerful breed because when you own any poeerful breed, it is even more critical to make sure you have a well adjusted dog. No one cares if a jack russel or a chiuahua is psycho, but a big dog, that is a different story.

[kanawa]

So who lied - the owner or the news?

The person with the AKC CCC certificate is not the owner of the dog that bit.

[arizonarachel]

I don't think the dog who attacked was deemed a Good Citizen, I think they were talking to a woman in the neighborhood who owns a pit who's been certified a Good Citizen.