Very upset - my dog accused of biting an elderly man

[TsPoet]

I've seen CGC mentioned a couple of times in this thread. I am a CGC instructor for our local club. One of the things we work with with ALL of the dogs is not jumping up. I'm always amused by this - yes it's important, but geez I would love a dog that was friendly enough to jump up!
I would take the most common advice on here, try and relax, give you pup a hug, be nice polite and reasonable, protect your dog.
I would also sign up for a CGC class. You may find you enjoy it and it does hold weight - both that you are willing to do it after the fact and if anything ever happens again. Honestly, it's a silly little piece of paper and a way for AKC to make money, but it does look good, and you and your dog do learn things.
Many of the handlers in my current CGC class are planning on starting obedience classes - why, because they and their dogs are loving the time together.

As for the kneeing idea - some instructors still do it, some don't. I will do it with owners I know are gentle, it's a gentle reminder, not a punishment. I would not have a stranger do it because I wouldn't know how they would do it - not a punishment! Getting people to ignore you dog works the best - when your dog jumps up on someone and they pet it, the dog has just been taught to jump up. Many dogs figure out in a hurry that it doesn't get them anywhere and stop.

BTW - the CGC exam consists of 10 tasks. You can take the exam without taking a class, we charge $10 to take the exam, but recommend the class just for the experience. this is an abbreviated version of the 10 tasks:
1. The dog will be expected to sit and stand calmly while you stop and speak to a stranger.
2. The dog must demonstrate it can remain calm while being walked in a crowd.
3. The dog should be able to allow a stranger to walk it on leash while the owner is not present.
4. The dog will need to walk with the owner on a loose leash. Be prepared to also demonstrate the dog’s ability to turn left, right and coming to a stop.
5. The dog must sit while a stranger pets it.
6. The dog should demonstrate focus when confronted with common, unexpected events such as loud noises or a passing person walking nearby.
7. The dog must allow a stranger to groom it with a brush and examine its feet and ears.
8. The dog will be required to meet another dog without overreacting and should show only a casual interest.
9. The dog must be able to stay on command while the owner walks away.
10. The dog must come on command.