Canine Good Citizen Testing
Would you Benefit from a Having a Deeper Relationship with your Dog?
Creating a Human-Animal Bond can mutually impact both you and your dog's health and well-being
Summary
emotional Support training to create a human-animal interaction with Both you and your dog
Perform the Canine Good Citizen Test: help you and your dog develop a lifelong bond
Develop a closer relationship together: learn the important impact on both you and your dog, especially at an emotional level
Education on caring for a dog: learn the benefits and how this occupation can assist with engagement in activities along with physical, emotional, and social skills
Understanding the different Assistant Animals: educate in helping you determine the best role for both you and your dog
Course Objectives
Perform Canine Good Citizen Test Items
- Deepen the bond between you and your dog and become more connected as a team
- Help meet some of your dog's most basic needs
- Learn the basics of dog training
Help the dog provide emotional support through deepening the relationship
and meet the needs of both the dog and their owner
- Provide awareness and opportunities to build an emotional relationship between a dog and its owner
- Create a human-animal interaction with a dog and their owner
Promote the importance of mental health and engagement in occupations
- Increase quality of life
- Help provide a sense of purpose
Educate the community on the different definitions and
certifications of assistant animals
- Service Dog
- Emotional Support
- Therapy Dog
Human-Animal Interaction (HAI)
- Unique natural bond
- Dogs are sensitive to our emotional state, social gestures, and can communicate using complex cues
- Benefits of deepening the relationship to meet the needs of both the dog and their owner
Mental Health
- The companion of an animal has the potential to affect a human’s physical and mental health
Occupations
- Owning a pet is an occupation that can be fulfilling and meaningful
- Improve quality of life and satisfaction
- Provides a sense of purpose and promotes more engagement in meaningful activities
Background
Program Outline
6 week Course
•Week 1:
Explain purpose of course and objectives
Differentiate between definitions and certifications of animal therapies
Importance of mental health and engagement in occupations
Canine Good Citizen Training Introduction
•Week 2-4:
Canine Good Citizen Training (CGC)
•Week 5-6:
Desired Goals
CGC Test/Graduation
Site Mentor: Lindsey Berg
Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed
(CPDT-KA) professional dog trainer and behavior consultant
American Kennel Club as a Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
evaluator
Active member of the Association of Professional Dog
Trainer (APDT)
Working and volunteering with dogs for over 20 years
Site Mentor
About Me
My name is Andrea Young and I am a graduate student at Western Michigan University obtaining a Doctorate Degree in Occupational Therapy. I am currently completing my Capstone Project through a Partnership with a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Together we will be implementing a program to help the dog provide emotional support through deepening the relationship to meet the needs of both the dog and their owner. I hope to also promote the importance of mental health and engagement in occupations.
Email: andrea.sowles@wmich.edu
Phone: 517-617-9872
Resources
