AKC CANINE GOOD CITIZEN (CGC) PROGRAM

The CGC Program is a two-part program that is designed to teach responsible dog ownership to owners and certify dogs that have the training and behaviors needed to be reliable, well-behaved members of their families and communities. Dogs who have a solid obedience education are a joy to live with; they respond well to household routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs and they fully enjoy the company of the owner who took the time to provide training, intellectual stimulation and a high quality life.

In addition, CGC training and testing can be the first step toward therapy dog certification. Several of the country’s largest therapy dog organizations use the CGC Test as a key component of therapy dog assessment.

The Canine Good Citizen Test consists of the following ten items:
       Item 1: Accepting a Friendly Stranger
       Item 2: Sitting Politely for Petting
       Item 3: Appearance and Grooming
       Item 4: Out for a Walk
       Item 5: Walking Through a Crowd
       Item 6: Sit & Down on Command / Staying in Place
       Item 7: Coming When Called
       Item 8: Reaction to Another Dog
       Item 9: Reactions to Distractions
       Item 10: Supervised Separation

All dogs that pass the 10-step CGC Test may order and receive a certificate directly from the American Kennel Club for a $5.00 recording fee.

AKC Canine Good Citizen Test …… $20.00

The Canine Good Citizen Test must be administered by an approved CGC Evaluator, conducting the test according to specific AKC protocol. Trained assistants will used to simulate a crowd (Item 5), provide appropriate distractions (Item 9), and hold the dog’s leash (Item 10). An experienced dog, and handler, will serve as the distraction dog when evaluating Reaction to Another Dog (Item 8).

Additional information available here: