Harry took his Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award today. It’s not quite like an Olympic event – the test is non-competitive – but it felt like it. The aim of the scheme is to produce happy, contented dogs, which are well behaved and under the control of the handler. The certificate is only awarded when the required standard has been reached.
Parts of the test include walking on the lead without distractions, walking through a door or gate correctly, taking a controlled walk among other people and dogs, and finally staying in one position on command without moving for one minute while we stood five paces away. This last discipline worried us. Some days Harry can be an incredible fidget and just can’t stay still for 5 seconds, other days he can stay immobile for ages.
It turned out to be one of his wriggle-free days – Harry managed it without any trouble and now has another rosette to add to his collection.
Congratulations go to Harry and the other 6 pups and dogs that passed today. Well done!