Give GWPs A Chance
A few years ago, Ariel Wolf had hardly even heard of the听German Wirehaired Pointer. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native was born with a rare connective tissue disorder, resulting in issues with her joints, tendons, and ligaments. Wolf had benefitted from听service dogs in the past, and she was seeking a new dog to help her with mobility assistance and medical detection.
A friend suggested she consider the GWP, a sturdy Sporting Group breed described as 鈥渆ager, affectionate, and amusing.鈥� Wolf began and eventually met a breeder at a local dog show. Before long, Wesann鈥檚听N听Blueline鈥檚听Cherries听Jubilee (known as 鈥淛ubilee鈥�) arrived at her new home. Straightaway, she and Wolf began training in earnest for a life of service dog work and dog sports.
Four years later, the pair have earned titles in Obedience, Rally, hunt tests, dock diving, CAT, fast CAT, barn hunt, and Trick Dog. They鈥檝e also trained in tracking, Scent Work, Agility, and Flyball. Most recently, Wolf and Jubilee competed in the听AKC Obedience Classic听at the 2019 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, marking the highest level of competition they鈥檝e achieved to date in Obedience.
鈥淛ubilee helps me minimize damage caused by using my joints,鈥� says Wolf. 鈥淚 trained her to assist in balance, retrieval, clothing removal, and carrying things, just to name a few. She knows around 90 commands in total. She helps me so I can have more energy, less pain, and fewer injuries, so we can enjoy sports together.鈥�
Watching her in action today, it鈥檚 hard to believe Jubilee (CDX听BN听GN听RM听JH听FDC听CAA听DCAT听RATO听DM听CGCA听CGCU听TKP) was ever anything but a super service dog and sports star. However, like any other pup, the rambunctious Jubi required dedicated training to get to where she is today. Wolf understood the hard work it would take to train Jubi as both a service dog and a performance athlete. So, she wasted no time instilling a foundational set of behavioral training in her dog. Among the GWP鈥檚 first of her many titles? AKC Canine Good Citizen.
How CGC Helped Jubilee
鈥淭he CGC was an important stepping stone,鈥� says Wolf.听鈥�The core behaviors in the CGC test are all integral to having a safe service dog.听Outside of service work, leash manners, stay, recall, and supervised separation are all super important to a competitor. Over the past two years, we鈥檝e had real-life applications of every single CGC test item.鈥�
Established in 1989, the Canine Good Citizen is the AKC鈥檚 ten-skill training program, dedicated to teaching the basics of good manners and obedience. Beyond instilling essential skills that dogs need to navigate the world, the CGC is crucial to strengthening the dog-owner bond. For a strong service dog like Jubi, the CGC was an especially important training tool. It鈥檚 helped Wolf harness some of the pup鈥檚 energy while developing a reliable, rotating routine of service work and sports.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a very intense, powerful dog,鈥� admits Wolf. 鈥淔or sports like dock diving and barn hunt, I鈥檝e occasionally needed someone to help hold her because it wasn鈥檛 safe for me. I鈥檝e had to learn to ask for help so we can both safely enjoy ourselves.听[As a service dog,] she鈥檚 not always 鈥榦n duty,鈥� but she鈥檚 always 鈥榦n-call鈥� and ready to help if needed.鈥�
Highlighting Jubi鈥檚 incredible ability to 鈥渟witch gears鈥�, Wolf proudly recounts a moment during Obedience when the handler鈥檚 ankle gave out. Unprompted, Jubi stopped slightly forward of heel position, in a stand rather than a sit. She aligned herself perfectly, allowing Wolf to put her hand on her withers to balance herself. The pair promptly NQed, but Jubi had proven how well-trained and in-tune she is with Wolf.
Cherries On Top
For many owners, having a well-trained and well-behaved dog is a nice thing. For Wolf, it鈥檚 a necessity. At the end of a dog sport competition, plenty of pups get to go home to nap, snack, and relax. A service dog like Jubilee, meanwhile, must be ready to assist at all times. Wolf credits the CGC with helping to instill such strong foundational training in her dog. Nevertheless, she鈥檚 quick to point out the benefits of Canine Good Citizen-ship for all dogs, from service animals all the way through to couch potatoes.
鈥淩egardless of aspiration, I encourage dog owners to work toward earning a CGC,鈥� says Wolf. 鈥淚f nothing else, the training is fun, quality bonding time between owner and dog. A performance dog benefits greatly from the CGC skills, and no service dog should be without those skills. There is so much to be gained and essentially nothing to lose by training for and obtaining a CGC.鈥�
While Jubilee has already amassed an impressive array of AKC titles, Wolf has no plans on slowing down. Following the pair鈥檚 Obedience Classic showing in Orlando, Wolf hopes to continue to climb the ranks, with the ultimate goal to compete and place in the Utility class. Meanwhile, Jubi remains as reliable and resolute as ever, barely batting an eyelash during extreme turbulence on the pair鈥檚 flight back to North Carolina.
鈥淛ubilee has been a phenomenal learning experience,鈥� affirms Wolf. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine a happier, more willing dog to journey with me.鈥�
Be sure to if you鈥檙e interested in keeping up with this dynamic duo鈥檚 ongoing adventures.
Earning Your CGC
If Jubilee and Wolf have inspired you to take the听Canine Good Citizen听test, you can get started right away by finding a听CGC class and evaluator. The Canine Good Citizen program is open to听all听dogs. If you have a special CGC story to share, be sure to tag any photos posted with #ThisisAKC and #CGC听.
罢丑别听蜜桃视频 Canine Good Citizen听(CGC) program has been the gold standard of dog behavior since 1989. Thirty years later, more than 1 million dogs have passed their CGC test. In honor of over a million Canine Good Citizens, we鈥檝e launched a monthly 鈥淐GC & Me鈥� series, highlighting the amazing stories of 蜜桃视频 CGC dogs and their owners.听