​Margman Puma brought back a SG1 rating over the last weekend. Not only did she win her class, she also cleared her HD/ED (Hips and Elbows) the weekend before. 

Meet our Hallie von Mining x Nemo vom Schloss Rugland girls. They are going on 6 months old. They have found their new homes and we wish their owner all the best with them in the future.

Esteemed K9 German Shepherd's is proud to introduce our 5 month old European import "Puma"
This 5 month old black, long coated daughter of Margman Yes is amazing in every way and we look forward to her future here at Esteemed K9's.

Esteemed K9's is excited to announce the soon arrival of Hellie von Mining to the States! This young lady is beautiful and has bloodlines to match her looks! She is sired by  VA10 Germany BSZS 2015, VA3 Austria BSZS2015 Memphis vom Solebrunnen BH, AD, IPO 3 and a daughter of V Oprah von Aurelius IPO2.  

Over the last 2 months we have been busy. That being said, Irok, Cinder, Landy and Aero all passed their AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certification with flying colors! Our two youngest pups, Zorn and Hellie, need to wait until they are 1 year old to take their CGC test, and we are counting down the days until they turn  turn one.  Now it is on to training and preparing  Irok, Landy and Aero for their BH (Begleithund - Obedience Dog) test.  ​

Some may ask,"Why should I  CGC test my dog.. and my answer would be, "Why not have your dog CGC certified? So, here are the requirements for passing the test:

1.  Dog must accepting a friendly stranger  - this means the evaluator must approach, shake your hand, but does not touch your dog.
2. Dog must sit quietly while being petted. - meaning: as the evaluator pets your dog, it must not show shyness or resentment, as well as jump all over the person trying to pet it.
3. Appearance and Grooming - evaluator inspects your dog, combs or brushes it lightly,  examines it's ears and both FRONT paws.
4. Out for a walk - you can take your dog for a short walk, including right, left, about turn, then stop.  This must not be a "heal" position, but shows that your dog is alert to you and your body language.
5. Walking through a crowd - you and your dog walk close to several people. Your dog may show "casual" interest, but no jumping up is allowed.
6. Sit and down on command/staying in place - you show your dog will do a sit and down on command then you must decide which position you want to leave your dog in, and walk to the end of a 20 ft line and return immediately. - usually you are asked to go towards the direction opposite the direction your dog is facing.
7. Coming when called - With your dog still on it's 20 ft line from Test 6, you must walk 10 ft away and call your dog to you.
8. Reaction to another dog - You and another person with a dog approach, shake hands, say a few words to each other then continue walking in the direction you were headed before you met.
9. Reaction to distractions - Different distractions are presented near your dog. Your dog must not show any panic or aggression.
10. Supervised Separation - You go out of sight for 3 minutes. Your dog is held on a 6 ft leash by the evaluator until you return. Dog must not show signs of anxiety. 

It seems simple enough, right? Yet, quite a few dogs have problems with these tasks. It is something that each dog should know. How to behave in public settings, how to accept strangers on command, and acting alertly, but quietly towards other dogs. There is a time and place and as a handler, you must be able to let your dog know when the time and place is. If I were being approached by a stranger that I was afraid of, I would expect my dog to react in a negative way towards that stranger.. yet, when I act friendly towards someone, I would expect my dog to do the same. Simple? Not always. So, how do I get my dogs ready for a CGC test? We work from day one to socialize them to different situations, meeting strangers, and above all, give them positive reinforcement when they do something right. What happens in the first 8 weeks of your puppy or dogs life does make a difference. Puppies that have not been given the positive guidance at young ages can show timidness, aggression as well fear when put into situations when they are older.  

So I CGC test my dog.. he/she passed.. now what? Easy, why not work towards a BH title? Stay tuned!