Testing Testing

This afternoon Marley warmed up for her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test by playing on the stairs. She would carry her toy up the stairs, drop it down the stairs, and then slide down after it. Repeat until tired or bored.

Our Tuesday night OccuPaws session was at the Janesville mall. We met outside and worked through the daily guide dog skills refresher - SIT, DOWN, STAY, COME, voice only. This should be done everyday to practice and warm up for the real work. As I mentioned last week we need to focus on these basics.

After warming up, we entered the mall. Seven dogs parading through the mall being led by a "blind" handler draws a lot of attention. After successfully navigating through the jewelry store maze, the dogs settled down and Marley began her CGC test. The test in the mall is more realistic for our dogs and with many more distractions. All the dogs behaved well and Marley successfully completed her test.

After we observed Reggie walking Chris into a few overhead signs, running her into a table, and trying to escape the building prematurely, we decided to call it a night. Of course he had to successfully lead us out of the building before he could quit and we could go home.

Congratulations to Marley and all who have assisted with Marley's training. She has passed her first milestone toward becoming an OccuPaws guide dog. It takes a pack to raise a guide dog.