It's official - Big Momma is CGC certified now!

...."and like a phoenix, she arose from the ashes..."

For those that either volunteer with TLC or follow our blog and rescue happenings, I am very happy (and proud) to report that Big Momma (AKA Lemoncello) has passed another major milestone in her life... She (and I) just passed the AKC CGC certification (Canine Good Citizen)... 

I started working with Momma shortly before her puppies were weaned and getting ready to be adopted... 

I thought she 'had what it takes' but I was not so sure I still 'had what it takes'... It has been a LONG time since I've had a rescue dog certified... 

And because of the hours I spend at the rescue shop, there are not a lot of hours left in a day past sleeping to provide for training... 

Twice I scheduled the testing to then push back because I believed we could not pass... And I wanted to pass the FIRST time (my own personal pride and vanity showing here)... Last week I got it in my head that I needed to stop thinking and worrying --- and JUST DO IT!

She was scheduled for 11AM yesterday at the back of the rescue shop... I'd been working a lot with Momma around the mall - dealing with delivery trucks, lots of the general public walking around, kids, distractions, etc.  I'd started the beginning of March and although I did not put in as much time as I wanted, I felt pretty confident we'd reach the point of trying for the certification... 

There is no gray with me - everything is either black or white... You passed or you failed... I either love you with everything I got, or I don't... There is no halfway measures with me, and Momma has been the main sources of comfort and devotion for the past few months... She's so gosh darned 'huggable' and each new command I taught her has turned me into a stage mom or overly proud furparent!  "Let me show you Momma's new trick" and more times than not, she'd not do it on command... What a goober she's been!  (smile)... 

So although it was scheduled and I was pretty sure what was coming, about 10AM I started to REALLY get nervous about all of this... Things I had planned on refreshing or getting done became impossible to achieve as other folks' schedules changed... I asked Shallan, a long time volunteer at the rescue shop, to come outside and do a 50' free recall with Momma... Momma did fine with just a tiny bit of hesitation so my heart dropped to my ankles... UT OH... Maybe I should reschedule again?  No, Linda... stick with the plan... 

By the time we started certifying Momma, I was a bundle of nerves inside... Why?  I do not know - not something I see in myself very frequently... And I had told no one that I'd been planning this for weeks in case I failed Momma or she failed me... 

She passed - "with no hesitation" according to the instructor, Alan... I was a bit too heavy handed and tight with the lead... A few weeks ago Momma had gotten into the habit of wanting to be ahead of me on the walk and I'd been working hard on having her at my knee in a tight heel command...

Because of my own physical health issues recently between the neck brace and right wrist brace, I wasn't in as tight of command of her as I like to be... And I think I over compensated for that with Momma during the testing...   She's still a puppy at 18 months and now at 70 pounds, she can be 570 pounds when she decides it is play time!  LOL... 

But I am SO proud of her... It is one thing off of my bucket list that I have wanted for a long, long time... And the more you want something or the more you talk about it, it seems that you are less likely to get it (or at least I have found in my life)... 

Now onto bigger and better things!

CONGRATULATIONS, MOMMA!

For more details on this, see the resources below:

• Alan Heiger - AKC CGC testor & dog trainer - EMAIL
• American Kennel Club - CGC program
• What is Canine Good Citizen - from WikiPedia
• Therapy Dog Training Organizations