Good Citizens—officially!

   There were many events at Dogtoberfest, including trials for amateur pups in agility, obedience, a speed test, and the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. Although I've done my best to train my dogs in basic obedience, we've never done it in a structured way, but I wondered if they could pass. I talked to the women at D.O.G. Obedience club who administered the test to see what was required. I expressed some doubt (see all 10 parts of the test here), but one woman looked at the dogs & smiled & said,

   "Oh, I've got a feeling about them! You should try it." 

   I figured what the heck. So I paid the fee & sat on the sidelines with my 2 armbands to wait our turns. Even if they failed, the money was going to a great cause, and we'd know what to work on for next time. A woman with a large, white Golden Retriever (oxymoron, anyone?) sat next to me & chatted. It was their first try too, so we watched the action in the ring to prepare.

   When the previous dog passed his test with flying colors, Taylor was up. A woman held onto Aki for me as we entered the ring, & I said a silent prayer that Aki didn't try to boss around any dogs that happened to walk by, which could disqualify her. A Shiba's bark can sound very aggressive to non-Shiba people, and is often misinterpreted. And I wasn't certain how she would do with a total stranger. Fortunately my fears were unfounded: she was totally at ease!

   The woman who led us through the test was friendly & very encouraging. In one part, she has to greet the dog & pet them & play with their feet & brush them to see how they react. Taylor flopped over so she could scratch his belly. (Whore!)

   We went through the exercises with no trouble—even the one where I hide behind a tent for 3 minutes while a stranger holds the dog. The anticipation is tough! And we had to walk through a gauntlet: one person banging loudly on a clipboard, while another noisily walks by on crutches, to make sure the dogs aren't spooked and can ignore distractions. They made it look like a piece of cake. I was very proud.

When we got home, I gave them the other treat from Mary Ann.

And just in case you were wondering, it's confirmed: 

Taylor is neutered, and Aki is "sprayed."