Another small brag...

Benchmark-K9

Notable member
Cairo got his CGC today, also his deterrent dog title and working dog evaluation title, all with scores of Excellent. Going tomorrow for Cal 1 and 2, Hardest Hitting contest, and enteroing my pups in driviest puppy contest!
 
Congrats on the accomplishment -

Yes please explain what working dog evaluation you are referring to. I am sure it is not the AKC WAE - so the title would not be WAC as that is the test done by AKC and they don't have a driviest puppy contest. Benchmark when you post stuff like this you need to post what organization this test if from so it does not mislead anyone. The accomplishment is good but be completely upfront about exactly what it is you are referring to.

JQP doesn't understand the differences and is probably more familiar with the AKC terms and that is why it would be misleading.
 
Congrats Savannah. Glad to see you accomplishing some of your goals! :)
I agree with the above posts, please fill us in on which org you are working with. Every new venue out there is another chance to get out there and just DO IT with our dogs!
:congrats:
 
Sorry. TO clarify, the event was put on by the SACCI (Society in America for the Cane Corso Italiano), their working events are open to all breeds so I like to go and compete and have fun. Here's the requirements for the Working Dog Evaluation (WDE):
Part 1: Hierarchy

The owner gives a command for the dog to sit or stand. Then the owner gives a complete and extended examination of his mouth, teeth and lips. The owner will command the dog to down. Once the dog is down the owner will examine his ears and his inner thigh, as if checking for a tattoo.
At all times the dog must demonstrate submission to his/her owner. The dog must not offer any resistance or attempt to leave. Two commands by the owner to gain control will be acceptable.

Intention: To demonstrate controllability, bond between dog and owner as well as Rank Drive..
Part 2: Neutral Stranger


A stranger walks up to the handler and shakes hands and exchange pleasantries (e.g. you have a very nice dog). The stranger never interact with the dog.


Intention: To evaluate the dogs passive social ability.
Part 3: Response to Another Canine

Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet. They walk by each other with a distance about 3 feet between each other with the dogs on the inside. The handlers and their dogs then walk a distance about 15 feet and turn back around and meet each other with about 3 feet between each other and exchange pleasantries, and continue on.

Intention: To demonstrate if the dog can behave politely around another dog. (Dogs that have a great deal of dog aggression usually don't make good working dogs)

Part 4: Heeling Through a Group

The dog and handler walk around on leash between a group of people who will be speaking amongst themselves. The group should consist of at least 2 people, but no more then 4 people. All members of the crowd should be standing still; however, the evaluator should be moving around. There may be one dog in the crowd, but the dog should be on leash and well behaved. This should simulate a setting a dog and handler may see out in public.

Intention: To demonstrates if the dog can move around well-mannered and in control in a public place.
Part 5: Down Stay

The handler will down the dog and the dog must stay in place. Prior to the test, the dog's leash is removed and replace with a 20-ft. line or a 15-ft. line attached to the dog's leash. The handler may use up to two commands to get the dog to down and stay. The handler may not use any force to put the dog in the down. When instructed by the Evaluator, the handler tells the dog to stay and walks to the end of the line. Waits for one minute and returns to the dog either in front or side of the dog. At which time the Evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog. The dog must remain in place (it can change position, but not get up) until the Evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog.

Intention: To demonstrate how much training the dog has and to see how the dog responds to the handler.
Part 6: Sit Stay & Recall

With the dog still on the long line from Part 5, the handler will tell the dog to sit and stay and then walk about 15 to 20 feet the turn and face the dog. The dog must be in the sit stay for one minute. The Evaluator will tell the handle to recall his/her dog. The handler may use body language and encouragement when calling the dog. No treats or toys. The handler can us up to 3 commands. When the dog comes and the handler attaches the dog's own leash it is complete.

Intention: To demonstrate the Trainability and Attachment towards the Pack Leader.
Part 7: Hidden Noise

The handler and dog approaches a hidden assistant who rattles a metal bucket filled with rocks / a can filled with pennies / or a jug of rocks then sets it in the path of the handler and dog. The handler may encourage the dog to investigate the bucket only when asked to do so. The handler's focus must be on the bucket, not on the dog.

Intention: To evaluate the dog's reaction to auditory stimuli and investigative behavior.
Part 8: Gun Shots

The handler stops with dog on leash at a designated marker. It is extremely important that the handler play very actively with the canine while this test is carried out and that you continue to play after the first shot has been fired. We want to see that the dog continues playing, or immediately regains his activity. A starter pistol will be fired 2 times (shot-pause-shot) from a hidden place.

Intention: To evaluate the dog's recovery response to a sudden noise. Genetically "gun-shy" canines lack nervous steadiness.
Part 9: Visual Stimulus


The handler and dog approaches an assistant holding a closed umbrella parallel to the ground at a 90 degree angle to the approaching handler and dog. When the dog is five feet from the assistant the umbrella is opened. The handler may encourage the dog to investigate the umbrella only when asked to do so. The handler's focus must be on the umbrella, not on the dog.


Intention: To evaluate the dog's response to a unexpected visual stimulus.
Part 10: Wire Footing

Only the dog walks the entire length of at least 2 ft. by 6 ft. and no larger then a 10 ft. by 3 ft. unfold exercise pen or wire crate.

Intention: To evaluate the dog's response to uncommon footing.
Part 11: Plastic Footing


Both the handler and dog walk the entire length of a 10-15 foot by 3-6 foot plastic strip.


Intention: To evaluate the dog's response to uncommon footing.
Part 12: Threat

A stranger advances within 20 feet towards the stationary handler in a threatening manner. The stranger will stop for 3-5 seconds then stranger will advance within 10 feet of the dog in an aggressive manner and stop.

Intention: To evaluate the dog's Defensive Drive and Survival Drive
Part 13: Chase Response

The handler and dog will be at a stationary location on leash. An assistant will try to entice the dog to chase a prey item e.g. a flirt pole, tug, ball, frisbee, passing bicycle, running cat, etc. This is not a pass or fail evaluation.

Intention: To evaluate the canines Chase Response or Drive to Pursue and to Catch Prey.
Part 14: Play with canine

Often confused with pack drive, play is the desire to have PHYSICAL contact with a member of the pack structure.

Intention: To see if the canine has strong or high play drive. This is a very favorable attribute within the Working/Service Dog.
Part 15: Friendly stranger (Optional)

The handler and dog on leash approaches a very friendly stranger and the stranger pets the dog.

Intention: To evaluate the dog's active social skills.

This part is optional, but passing it is the only way to receive an Excellent. Because we believe the ideal dog is just not an alert, obedient, courageous protector, but a friendly, good natured reliable family member and companion.
 
Today, Cairo got his CAL 1 and CAL 2, took 4th place in Weight Pull (3rd was a pitbull, 2nd was a corso, 1st was a corso) I will add, it was Cairo's 1st time ever in a WP harness, and 1st time ever doing any kind of weight pull. I'm proud of him lol. The CAL judge was extremely impressed with Cairo. Anya got 2nd place driviest puppy (Danyels pup Levi, Anya's brother, took 1st place), and Halo was picked for 3rd but they gave it to a Corso because the evaluator was afraid of pissing off the Corso people at a Corso event lol.

Here is the CAL test description, for everyone's understanding.
CAL 1

In order to be awarded the CAL 1 title, the dogs must be subjected, with favorable outcome, to the following exercises:

Behavior towards friendly strangers
The dog must remain calm in front of friendly persons. On indication of the steward, the handler walks the dog with a
loosened leash and without giving orders. As friendly strangers walk by, the dog must remain calm; he should also remain
calm when the handler approaches or is approached by strangers in order to shake their hand, to ask information. The dog
however should not be touched. Care must be taken that during this exercise everything is handled as casual as possible.

Indifference to firearm noise
For each dog, a pistol is fired twice in rapid succession from a distance of approximately 20 meters. The exercise is
executed with the dog held to a loosened leash of approximately 2 meters of length.

Defense of the handler
A decoy, armed with a flexible stick is placed behind a blind (hiding place). The handler, with the dog on leash (the leash is
approximately 5 meters long) but held to a length of approximately 1 meter, proceeds ahead according to the instructions
given by the steward. A stake is placed at a distance of approximately 10 meters from where the decoy is hiding, and, as the
dog and handler reach the stake they stop. At the same time, upon orders given by the steward, the decoy exits from the
blind and threatens the handler and dog. The handler, remains still by the stake, but incites the dog to face the threat by
loosening the leash, therefore allowing the dog to approach the decoy/aggressor. The dog must react immediately and
energetically defend its handler. There should never be contact between the decoy and the dog. This exercise is interrupted
by the steward when the dog has demonstrated with its reaction readiness, its real defense attitude. The dog that shows
indifference, shyness or manifests fear should not be given a passing grade.

CAL 2: In order to be awarded Cal 2, the dogs must be subjected, with favorable outcome, to the following exercises:

Behavior towards friendly strangers (Same as Cal1)
.

Indifference to firearm (Same as Cal1).

Defense of the handler.
A decoy, armed with a flexible stick is placed behind a blind (hiding place). The handler, with the dog on leash (the leash is
approximately 5 meters long) but held to a length of approximately 1 meter, proceeds ahead according to the instructions
given by the steward. A stake is placed at a distance of approximately 10 meters from where the decoy is hiding, and, as the
dog and handler reach the stake they stop. At the same time, upon orders given by the steward, the decoy exits from the
blind and threatens the handler and dog. When confronted with this threat, the handler must immediately let the dog free
and urge it to attack. The dog must immediately and decidedly react biting the sleeve of the decoy and maintaining, possibly,
the hold until the end of the exercise. During this action the dog does not have to be hit in any way, but only threatened. The
dog that does not succeed in maintaining a constant hold of the sleeve for the entire duration of the exercise – unless due to
apparent shyness - must however uninterruptedly maintain a decidedly aggressive attitude toward the decoy. The test ends
on indication of the steward which, in estimating it, does not have to hold in account the length of the attack, and that it is not
needlessly prolonged, but above what is taken into consideration is the decision and reaction readiness of the dog when
confronted with the threat. The dog that shows fear, the total lack of aggressiveness and sleeve hold, indifference, are
always considered highly negative factors.
 
The pictures asked for!

1st we did Cairo's CGC. He was a bit flat, it was hot and he was bored lol, but he did everything perfectly.
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Then we did Deterrent Dog, sorry no pics, but he aced it too.
Then came the Working Dog Evaluation, which he also got perfect scores on!

Sunday we started with Driviest puppy, I brought Anya and Halo, Danyel brought Levi, and there were around 15-20 Corso pups from 3-6 months. The evaluator said, it was 1-Levi, 2-Anya, 3-Halo, but the working director for SACCI made him pick at least one Corso to get their award from their club so, Halo got bumped and a Corso got 3rd place.
Danyel's pup Levi
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My Anya
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Then came weight pull, and I decided to enter Cairo, just for fun. He had never done anything like it before but he did VERY well, pulling over 800 lbs and coming in 4th, beaten only by 3 dogs that were trained pullers, a pit bull, and 2 corsos.
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Then came Hardest Hitting contest. Judas missed (how embarassing THAT was lol), so on their scale of 0-5, he got a 2 for his re-bite.
Cairo got a 3. He came in fast bu the decoy was holding the sleeve low, because Cane Corsos don't jump lol, and Cairo came over it and bit too high o the sleeve to get proper scores.
Out of the 21 males entered, only 1 got a full score of 5/5. It was the evaluator's own dog, so he had someone else catch it, and that person rated the dog the best of all the males.
 
Very cool! Thanks for the pictures, and the descriptions! The little guys look so happy with their medals, and Cairo is suave!
 
800 lbs - Benchmark Dobermans are not built for weight pulling. They are not cano's I would be very concerned about ACL strain and damage then add expecially that he was not trained and conditioned for it.

Not going to happen with any of my guys. They are Dobermans not horses.
 
Weight pulling is a very low impact sport. Less likely to cause physical harm than sports involving jumping, or biting. 800 lbs is actually a small amount by weight pull standards but, I was proud of 'Ro for trying!
 
OMG - you need to talk to weight pullers and understand what is involved - they start with low weights to build muscles up and to learn how to swift weight to balance the load. 800 lbs is not low anything. Yes 800 lbs is small to a dog built for the sport and TRAINED and CONDITIONED to pull.

You don't take an unconditoned dog and put 800 lbs on a sleigh and have him just pull it. Proud - is it about pride or about keeping our dogs safe and sound????
 
I've never known of any working sport, that allows more than a fursaver be on the dog, so I don't know why they were using it in the cgc.
 
No it is not allowed. In the AKC CGG the dog is always working on a loose lead on flat collar or fursaver. It appears he is off lead and e collar. That does not demonstrate the dog is responsive to the handler. The dog has to demonstrate that it responds to voice commands. Does not have to heel at attention like competition but the does have to not pull on the lead or drag you around.

In any sancitioned approved event you can't work a dog on a pinch or e collar - Only Flat or fursaver no treats or corrections are allowed..

So are you saying that this was the AKC CGC???
 

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