Does your dog have what it takes to be “Farm Dog Certified”?
AKC’s newest event doesn’t require any herding or working knowledge, but instead tests a dog’s aptitude to be a working farm dog. In the test, dogs are presented with livestock and other sights, sounds, and scents common on a farm. The dog has to be confident and trust the handler, following instructions at all times.
Dogs must wait politely (tethered or tied), while the handler feeds the livestock. To pass the evaluation the dog must greet the judge politely, walk around the farm including through a gate and over unusual surfaces, walk past livestock and wait while the handler feeds the animals, stand politely while the handler inspects the dog and cleans off hay and debris, and several other items