Whats the difference between the Puppy Class and the Canine Good Citizen classes?
The CGC class focuses on the objectives of the Canine Good Citizen test. It is designed for the adolescent dog who has started to have “selective hearing”…meaning the dog comes when it wants to come, sits when it wants to sit. This is a normal developmental characteristic of adolescence — essentially, the dog is now in his “teens”. This is why the minimum age for the CGC class is 6 months. Most dogs don’t reach adolescence until 6 months, although it varies with breed and by individual. The Puppy Class is designed for the dog between 3 months and 6 months. Generally puppies in this stage are still very obedient because they are very dependent on their owners — just like small children are. During this stage of development, it is critical that puppies have socialization with other dogs so that they learn to communicate in “dog language” with other dogs. By the same token, it is important that owners bond with puppies and that puppies learn basic obedience during this time.
