Ronja - CGC TDI

Two weeks after Mom and Dad brought me home from the shelter, Mom told Dad that I was such a good girl and already knew my obedience so well, she wanted to try and bond a little more and then sign me up for a big test so that I could work as a therapy dog like my big sister Abby does.

Mom emailed the lady who tested her and Abby for their TDI (Therapy Dogs International) title, and the lady told her there was a test coming up at the end of April. So Mom and I worked hard on our obedience and meeting lots of different people to be ready for the test.

On the test date, April 21, Dad came home early from work and him, Mom, and I drove to Langley Air Force Base. Trips there are very special for me because there are big, fenced in baseball fields, and I have a special toy I only get to use in completely fenced-in places: a big soccer ball! I love to push it around with my nose, and I'm learning to "dribble" it back to Mom or Dad that way when they call me. It's really very much fun.

Mom and Dad let me play with the soccer ball for a good while, and then Mom brought the bite sleeve to work on some of my bite work and bark-and-hold work because this works my head as well as my body. After a little while of that, Mom felt I'd gotten enough exercise and we drove to a place I've never been before, called Merrimac Dog Training Club. It's a big warehouse with rubber-mat flooring and several obedience rings. It was very cool. There were lots of other dogs, too.

Mom made me wait while she filled in some paperwork, and then she took me into one of the rings and worked on some basic obedience with me. She used my red Kong (my favorite!) to keep my focus and I did really well. Other people were warming up in other rings. A lady with a Poodle came and worked in the same ring as us.

Then the evaluator lady came in and had everyone come into the largest ring and sit down. She explained the test and how it was going to go, what people were allowed to do (like praise and talk to their pups) and what people were not allowed to do (like give treats) while they were being tested. I thought that part was rather boring and flopped down on the ground, asleep.

Then we did the test. It was a lot of fun.

We got to walk around past other dogs. Mom and I met a bunch of different people, too. We met a man with a dog. We met a lady in a wheelchair. We met a lady with a walker. And we met a lady with a cane and one with crutches, too. All of the people we met petted me, and that was a lot of fun.

I also got to go into another room with a nice lady and hang out with her for a few minutes. I stuck my head into her lap so she wouldn't forget to pet me. She liked that a lot. She told Mom that I was very sweet with her and that I definitely passed the "supervised separation" with flying colors. I didn't know what the supervised separation was, but it was nice being snuggled for a few minutes.

I also had to sit, down, and stay while Mom walked away from me and back, and then I had to stay until Mom called me to her. That was very easy.

Some of the dogs didn't pass the test because they were just way too excited to be there. A yellow Lab, who was sitting next to me, just got all bouncy and licky when the evaluator lady came to brush him and examine him. She had to excuse him from the test because of how he behaved. And one of the Poodles just didn't listen at all. She didn't pass, either.

I passed, though, and earned both my CGC and my TDI.

Everyone thought it was really amazing I passed because Mom had only had me for just over a month. They were very surprised at how bonded I am to my Mom.

After the test was over, Dad went outside and got the bite sleeve and I got to show off some of my bite work. That was just what I needed, too, as a reward for all that hard work I did!