I got a flier re: Good citizen Testing for dogs to earn their Good Citizen certificates. I noticed one of the things a good dog citizen is supposed to do is; Sit politely for friendly strangers and allow them to pet the dog when the owner/handler is not present.
I am a nut or is this something I want my dog to have done to her, being petted by a stranger, and also the fact that my dog should let this happen when I am not around doesn't sound like a good behavior for my dogs to learn.

What do you think about this? Need input. Thanks. Sharon

Not a part of any CGC test I've seen and I was a tester.
The dog is held by a stranger while the handler is out of sight for 3 mins but no one pets the dog during this part of the test. The person holding the dog must remain as neutral as possible.
When the handler is with the dog the tester will pet the dog, brush the dog a bit and pick up the dog's foot.
AKC is one of the only dog organizations that is recognized in a court of law. For that reason I have CGC certificates on my Schutzhund trained dogs. For me it's a simple test that any sound dog should be able to pass but it's also a CYA for the dog that has bite training.
Same thing with the TT from the ATTS but that's steps ahead of the CGC.

I agree with what Bob says. Yes, as working dog people, we don't LIKE to leave our dog with a "stranger" and would likely never don that outside of this test, however, they don't do anything but hold the leash. The test is really not difficult and during that portion my dog sat there with his eyes glued on where I went. He gave the tester no attention but still sat politely which I think is the point.
CGC is worth having as a CYA.

Many people teach the separation part of the test as a stay. So essentially you are telling your dog to stay, but someone else happens to be holding the end of the leash.

 Quote: Bob Scott

Not a part of any CGC test I've seen and I was a tester.
The dog is held by a stranger while the handler is out of sight for 3 mins but no one pets the dog during this part of the test. The person holding the dog must remain as neutral as possible.

HeeHee. Koenig got a 'special' test when we did his CGC. He's got separation anxiety, and I knew this would be the hardest part of the test for us. The club was packing up at that time, as we were the last dog. People were coming and going out of the main door. Koenig began to get worried...Thankfully a good friends child (many of you know Aaron) ran to my dog and cuddled with him. Hugs, kisses, the whole deal. Koenig promptly settled down.

It was adorable. Was it cheating? I guess some may consider it cheating. But, live others have pointed out, it's not a 'test' that would happen in a real world situation. I'm not going to leave my dog with a stranger. Leave him in a down stay outside Papa Murphys? Sure. With a stranger holding the least? Nope.

 Quote: bob scott

Same thing with the TT from the ATTS but that's steps ahead of the CGC.

We are finishing the prep class and are due for testing in a couple of weeks. Some folks are obviously not going to pass and that's been interesting. I've equated the stranger handling as prep for AKC "stand for exam" in confo, as well as demonstrating veterinary examination compliance, etc.

Bob, my trainer has said that he values TT more highly and we are slated for that in August -do you agree? I believe that test uses uneven walking surfaces, "crazy/drunk" type people encounters, etc...

 Quote: Kelly Byrd

HeeHee. Koenig got a 'special' test when we did his CGC.

I don't know if I should confess this, but I felt Natasha got a special test when it came to #10, also. The CGC testing was taking place at a picnic put on by a local breed club, and the person holding her while I went out of sight for three minutes was sitting at a picnic table with a plate full of fried chicken! I got the impression that Tash wished I had stayed gone for a lot longer than three minutes.

Sharon, here are the requirements straight from AKC:

http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

I'm assuming it's #10 you're concerned about. It doesn't say the person holding the dog should specifically NOT pet him, but that they should not engage in excessive talking, petting, etc.

I agree that most of us would never dream of leaving our dog alone with a stranger, but unexpected things sometimes come up in real-world situations, and I'm sure they just want to know that the dog will not be unmanageable if a stranger absolutely must hold him.

My sister-in-law was once in a roll-over car accident. Her dog was with her. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured, but she was taken to the hospital to be checked out. One of the police officers on the scene held her dog while she was loaded into the ambulance and taken away. (Her father got there shortly to take the dog home.) That's just an example of one of those unforeseen things that can happen, and we want to be sure our dogs are safe.

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

I agree that most of us would never dream of leaving our dog alone with a stranger, but unexpected things sometimes come up in real-world situations, and I'm sure they just want to know that the dog will not be unmanageable if a stranger absolutely must hold him.

My sister-in-law was once in a roll-over car accident. Her dog was with her. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured, but she was taken to the hospital to be checked out. One of the police officers on the scene held her dog while she was loaded into the ambulance and taken away. (Her father got there shortly to take the dog home.) That's just an example of one of those unforeseen things that can happen, and we want to be sure our dogs are safe.

I agree. I even practice this for my PP dog who has had live bites while working. It is a VERY important skill for the reasons you mention and more.

 Quote: JessicaKromer

Here is a video that shows a GSD going through the test (and if you search ATTS in YouTube a bunch more will pop up)

Great!