Kennel Club Good Citizen Puppy Foundation
The Puppy Foundation course means to provide a course of socialising puppies and to lay down groundwork for future education and training. On successful completion of the course puppies will be respond to their handlers and the handlers will have an awareness of the responsibilities of dog ownership.
The training should never seem like hard work and with the extra dimension of play exercises it really does make training fun and starts a life time bond with your puppy.
The excercises which all Good Citizen puppies are required to pass are listed below.
For further information and a more detailed description of the Award please click on the link for the Kennel Club website
Exercise 1 - Responsibility and Care The object of this exercise is to educate the owner on the basic principles of owning a puppy.
Exercise 2 - Cleanliness and Identification Each handler must carry with them some form of “poop scoop” and all puppies must wear a collar and Identification tag complying with the law.
Exercise 3 - Attentive Response to Name The puppy should know its name when spoken and at least pay brief attention. This assessment should be carried out on lead when the handler will call its name.
Exercise 4 - Play With The Puppy The object is to demonstrate that the puppy will play with its owner. When invited to do so the owner should commence to play with the puppy. Play should be under the owner’s control at all times.
Exercise 5 - Socialisation With a placid dog unknown to the puppy The puppy will be carefully introduced on a lead to a suitable non-aggressive adult dog unfamiliar to the puppy. This is an assessment to determine sociability with other dogs.
Exercise 6 - Handling and Inspection to Maintain Health Preparatory to grooming, a puppy should allow handling of its body and inspection by its owner.
Exercise 7 - Puppy Recall In an enclosed area handlers should in some way distance themselves from the puppy by at least two or three paces. They should recall, praise and secure the puppy. If necessary this assessment can be conducted away from the distractions of other dogs. It may involve any reasonable incentive to return and the owner may back away when the puppy starts to move. An assistant may hold the lead.
Exercise 8 - Basic Puppy Positions The owner should demonstrate that the puppy will stand, sit and go down. Any reasonable incentives and assistance may be used.
Exercise 9 - Walking in a Controlled Manner With the puppy on lead, and without distractions, the owner and puppy should walk for approximately 20 paces and include a turn.
Exercise 10 - Stay for Approximately Ten Seconds With the puppy on lead and in any position the handler will be invited to tell the puppy to stay for approximately 10 seconds.
Exercise 11 - Take Article Away from the Puppy Puppies must learn that they should give up articles when required.
Exercise 12 - Food Manners The handler should demonstrate that the puppy can take a treat without snatching and in a controlled manner.