Gitdog’s guide to being a good citizen with silver knobs on.

elsien

You know you’re going to pass. Of course you are.

But there’s nothing wrong making your owner sweat a bit– think of it as payback for all the times in training when your efforts have been insufficiently recognised and rewarded.

So on to the test.
1. Road walk - I would advise pillocking around for a few days before the test when out and about. This will ensure that the treat to effort ratio is upped and your owner will wheel out the extra tasty rarely seen big guns on the night.
2. Vehicle control – any assessor who doesn’t appreciate having their ears slurped from the back seat really has no business being around dogs.
3. Giving up the toy on command – dropping your own toy and nicking another dog’s apparently doesn’t count. However if you milk it a bit and your owner has to bend down to encourage you to drop the toy, it does afford an opportunity for the quicker thinking dog to pinch some treats from the bumbag now handily placed in front of the nose.
4. Rejoin handler – I was only looking at the hot terrier floozie at the side. It was not necessary for the class trainer to position herself ready to rugby tackle me just in case, oh ye of little faith.
5. Controlled greeting – tempting though it is to be your usual exuberant self, the bum on assessors foot, soppy wide grin and paw waving gently in the air is far more effective at eliciting the ah factor. And hence more treats.
6. Food manners – ok, the less said about this one the better. You just have to hope for a tolerant assessor who might give one more attempt than strictly allowed. But in my defence, they were Pringles.
7. Examination of the dog – lie on back. Present the belly. Keep presenting it however hard they try to shift you – very little that can’t be examined from the prone position if they try hard enough. And you might get a belly rub along the way.
8. Come away from distractions – nothing in the rules that says this can’t be done via a flying leap onto the head of your best doggie mate on the way past, as long as you keep going.
9. 2 minute stay - you’ve worked hard, two minutes is ridiculous. Hold out for at least the five minute kip – your owner can tug at you all they like, they’re not going to want to look out of control at this point so close to the end. So Velcro yourself to that floor till you’re ready.

And finally, once you’ve got your certificate they can’t retract it. You’ve been well behaved for the last hour and a bit – go for it and really let rip. It’s playtime!

lisa110rry

Well done git dog! Are you a collie or a cross, whichever you are lovely! Miss Leigh Terrier salutes you. She says being a 'good dog' has many rewards, though that sand pile at the cricket field is just too tempting. Why do they make our owners clean up (which we are content to do of course) but leave such tasty feline morsels for us to try to eat?

elsien

English bull terrier cross, with the cross most likely being staffie. Very lovely and very hard work.

lisa110rry

Do you not think there's collie in there? Git dog looks very much like a collie x staffie or bull of my acquaintance. She, Lucy, was a lovely dog owned by a friend. Unlike most bull breeds, she liked to swim. Visually like a collie except body shape like a staffie. Sadly passed now.

Pollycat

Elsien
you really, really must write a book about git-dog (who looks like butter wouldn't melt in the photo).

You remind me of Deric Longden who wrote books about cats (as well as his late wife 'Diana's Story' filmed as 'Wide-eyed and Legless' with Julie Walters & Jim Broadbent and 'Lost for Words' with Thora Hird and Pete Postlethwaite).

ETA:
Well done git-dog. :T

Fosterdog

Well done git dog (and elsien) your antics never fail to make me smile

StaffieTerrier

I love Gitdog and his guides. He has such a sweet and innocent face

meritaten

I adore Gitdog and his longsuffering owner (not sure that's the right term Elsien - I have a feeling that Gitdog shares felines beliefs in that we are 'Staff').
He looks a bit sheepish to me in the pic - sort of like..............'well, on my best day I COULD be entitled to this lovely certificate???????'

libra10

Well done Gitdog!


You're a star

UKTigerlily

Well done Gitdog and thank you Elsein, a great laugh as ever! I can imagine Gitdog thinking that he has no idea why you'd say such terrible things about a dog doing it's award, what a good thing he was an angel and model pupil! Tho I must confess, when I read the title I thought 'Git dog, GOOD citizen? Noooooo!' lol congrats to you both!