Good Citizen Gracie July 2010
Sweet Home Oregon is also the home of Connie DeBusschere of Majestic View Ranch. Connie breeds and raises English Shepherds and July 3, 2010 invited English Shepherds and their human companions to join in a wonderful celebration/ get together. It was a real treat for us since we just realized last month that Gracie is an English Shepherd. When you rescue a dog, you almost never know what the mix is, and we didn’t really care. Gracie has found a permanent home with us and we are delighted to be a part of her family.
With great dogs come great responsibilities. Gracie has taught us to engage her in intelletual stimulation, developing new games, enrolling in agility classes and attending to her awareness of all things great and small. With all of her training we took advantage of the opportunity last weekend to certify Gracie as a Good Citizen. As I checked off our commitments to Gracie I thought how easy it was for anyone to be a part of the growing interest in Good Citizen certification. Here’s how Gracie checks out:
For Gracie’s part, she had to comply with a standard of behavior which included sit, stay, come, walking on a leash, submitting to a brief examination of her ears and paws, accepting a short brushing from the tester, and leaving me for 3 minutes. The last part was easier than expected. Gracie was happy to walk with someone else to explore more mole holes beyond our immediate vicinity. I have to admit that Gracie returned from her walk away from me with so much exuberance that I asked the trainer to let her go. (her poor shoulder!)
For our part, the list was standard and a top priority for me. Understanding Gracie’s health and wellness, the subtleties of her well-being, her cues and sensitivities to her environment, her emotions and her energy level are all a part of taking care of Gracie. She does the same for me. Right Gracie?
Is your dog a Good Citizen? Take the time to learn more. The training forms a good foundation for a better relationship with your dog.
