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Ohio 4-H Youth Development

Ohio State University Extension

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PetPALS CGC #10

CGC Test Item #10. Supervised Separation

This test demonstrates that if you leave your dog with a trusted person it will maintain its training and good manners.

The evaluator will hold the leash of the dog while the handler goes out of sight for 3 minutes. The evaluator may interact with the dog by talking to or petting it, but not restrain the pet from trying to leave. When 3 minutes are up, the youth will come back for the dog.

During the test the dog should not continually bark, whine, or howl. It should not pace unnecessarily or show signs of agitation. Dogs should not show signs of extreme stress such as panting, breathing hard, etc. A dog should not pull on its leash to try to get away. Dogs should not show extreme nervousness, be fearful, or aggressive.

If the evaluator sits in a chair, the dog is not permitted to be or climb in the evaluator’s lap. Small dogs must remain on the floor or ground for the 3 minutes.

In this video clip the Lab shows interest in where his handler went, but does not try to leave and remains quiet until he returns.

In this video clip, the Miniature Dachshund remains standing on the floor, is interested in where her handler went, but then sniffs the area for a few seconds before wondering where her handler went. She keeps a tight leash but does not pull.