MADOC Programs

MADOC does not just offer classes and host dog trials in the area.  MADOC members are also involved with volunteering within the community.  MADOC members and their dogs regularly host Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog exams, members also make frequent visits to local nursing homes and schools with the Visiting Pet Program, and also perform programs to help raise awareness with the general public to show the benefits of dog training.

Canine Good Citizen Exam

MADOC conducts Canine Good Citizen (CGC) exams usually one or two weeks following the completion of the 9-week training classes. Classes are held approximately quarterly In the week or two following the end of the classes, we hold CGC exams on a Thursday evening. The upcoming CGC exam date and times are given as soon as they are set, and are announced on the home page. Graduates of our Beginner Class are invited to take the CGC exam but anyone can bring their dog to take the test. We require that you bring documentation that your dog is current on health inoculations and there is a nominal fee. This fee is usually $ 5.00.
The CGC program is a series of ten tests designed to demonstrate that the dog (registered or mixed breeds alike) can be a respected member of the community and remains in control under a variety of situations. Certificates are awarded.
We examine if the dog is able to do the following:
In general, dogs can pass this examination after completing the Beginner Class.
Watch the home page for dates and times of the test.  For fee and registration information, please call us at (334)269-1698.
 
We follow the guidelines of the American Kennel Club in performing CGC exams. You can read about the specific tests of the CGC exams and more about the CGC program in general on the American Kennel Club CGC Page.

 

The MADOC Visiting Pet Program:
Sharing Our Dogs' Love

Visiting Pets have a special mission

Pets have a special effect on humans. Our dogs want to give warmth, closeness, and a loving touch. As a service to our community, the Montgomery Alabama Dog Obedience Club has made many visits to nursing homes and retirement villages in the Montgomery area. The experience has been rewarding for all. We visit with residents for petting and reminiscing, either in an activity room or going from room to room. Our visits usually last about 45 minutes.

 
If you want more information about the Visiting Pet Program or you would like to arrange to take part in a visit, please click here for contact information: Contact Webmaster and club officers

We request that you let us know in advance if you would like to join us for a visit because some facilities have limited space and wish to have only a certain number of dogs visit. If you do pet visits on your own, please let us know about them so that we can report on them. There are no fixed requirements for participation, but your dog must be calm, gentle, friendly, and under good control at all times. TDI certified dogs, CGC certified dogs, or dogs that are simply well suited for the visits are welcome to join us. If you would like to participate regularly, we encourage you to get one of these certifications. For updates, come back to this page.

Regular Therapy Dog Visits Are Scheduled
At Hillside Nursing Home in Montgomery

Volunteers and their therapy dogs are welcome to participate in nursing home and assisted living unit visits! We currently have a regular visiting schedule with Hillside Nursing Home on Perry Hill Road. If you would like to participate, please send email to Jo Ann to express your interest.

Recent Visits:

Our recent visits to several facilities have been enthusiastically received. Thanks go to the wonderful volunteers and their dogs who have shared so much of themselves. Mary Stone, Bill Elberfeld, Jean Beckstrom, Cheryl Hudak, Ann Levine, Sandra Cartee, Lura Ward, Kathy Bowdoin, Judith Kuczmarski, and JoAnn Drummond are just some of the people who have made these visits so successful and gratifying.
In the fall of 2000 we decided to move away from nursing home visits that involved group performances of obedience skills and similar demonstrations. We decided to concentrate on individual visits with nursing home residents, going room to room, to emphasize the development of contact between residents and the dogs.

Some of the facilities we have visited are:

Covenant Village
Rosewood Terrace
Hillview Terrace Nursing Center
Tyson Health and Rehab. Center
Atria Halcyon
Southhaven Manor Nursing Home
The Cedars Assisted Living
Wesley Gardens

Registering Your Dog as A Therapy Dog

Therapy work is one of the most meaningful services your dog can perform. It can be rewarding and uplifting. Therapy Dogs International maintains an examination and registration program to recognize those dogs that have the ability to do this kind of work.
MADOC arranges for evaluators from Therapy Dogs International to come to Montgomery (usually during the summer months) to examine dogs. Details of these exams are published in The Recall, the club newsletter, as well as on the home page of this website.
What does the TDI exam involve?
Many people have asked what the Therapy Dog International (TDI) examination involves. A useful way to think about the Therapy Dog International (TDI) Evaluation is to consider it a specialized CGC (Canine Good Citizenship) exam. In the CGC exam, the dog is evaluated on one main issue: does the dog remain under good control of the handler under various conditions and distractions, and does the dog have good manners dealing with other dogs and unfamiliar humans? The CGC exam standards do not require obedience ring precision or off leash work. The main concern is to demonstrate that the dog stays in control, shows no fear or aggression, and allows others to handle it. Dogs who passed Beginner Obedience should have no problem with the CGC exam. Their main challenge will be to sit and stay while the handler walks away, to come when called, and to stay in control in the face of startling noises.
To be admitted to the TDI evaluation, a dog must be at least 1 year old, must have obtained CGC certification, and must show current rabies vaccination proof. The TDI exam builds on the CGC requirements. Dogs are placed into situations where they must walk closely by wheelchairs and crutches; they must welcome the petting of strangers; they must show not only that they are under control but that they are friendly, calm, and patient. Dogs that are nervous, jump, or react strongly to unusual clothing, noises, or movements, are unlikely to pass the TDI evaluation.
After passing the examination you can register your dog with the Therapy Dog International organization as a dog used for therapeutic purposes. It is a very important form of being a service dog. You receive an ID card and a collar tag identifying your dog as a therapy dog. With TDI, dogs can be recognized for their service by submitting confirmed visit reports. The organization has a newsletter dedicated to this activity.