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Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is an international program devised by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
CGC Testing Items
There is also a nominal fee that you will need to submit to the AKC in order to receive your actual certificate.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is an international program devised by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Benefits of CGC Certification
Training certification is beneficial in many ways:- Great to show a prospective landlord or condo association, letting them know your dog is well-mannered and at a low risk of causing issues that they may be concerned about
- Can lower your homeowners insurance - ask your provider
- Can be helpful if needing to book a hotel reservation that includes your dog
- Helps you assess how your dog is doing, and what areas need further improvement
- It's a great capstone to training you may have taken, giving you important goals to strive towards across a variety of important skills
- Prerequisite for therapy or service dog work
- It's fun to reach new heights and show off your dog's skills to the world!
The Test
The heart of the CGC program is the 10-step Canine Good Citizen test. At the beginning of the CGC test, handlers sign the Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge before taking their dogs through the 10 step test with an AKC-Approved CGC Evaluator.CGC Testing Items
- Test 1: Accepting a Friendly Stranger. The dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach and speak to the handler (the dog owner) in a natural, everyday situation.
- Test 2: Sit Politely for Petting. The dog will allow a friendly stranger to pet it while it is out with the handler.
- Test 3: Appearance and Grooming. The dog will permit someone to check its ears and front feet, as a groomer or veterinarian would do.
- Test 4: Out for a Walk (walking on a loose lead). Following the evaluator's instructions, the dog will walk on a loose lead (with the handler/owner).
- Test 5: Walking Through a Crowd. The dog will walk through a small crowd of pedestrians, passing in close proximity to at least three people.
- Test 6: Sit and Down on Command and Stay in Place. The dog must demonstrate sit AND down on command, then the owner chooses the position for leaving the dog in the stay.
- Test 7: Coming When Called. The dog will come when called by the handler (from 10 feet away on leash).
- Test 8: Reaction to Another Dog. The dog will behave politely around other dogs. Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands and exchange pleasantries.
- Test 9: Reaction to Distractions. The evaluator will select and present two distractions such as dropping a chair, etc.
- Test 10: Supervised Separation. This test demonstrates that your dog can be left with a trusted person. The evaluator will hold your dog's leash while you go out of sight for three minutes.
Testing Dates
No tests are scheduled at this time. Please let us know if you're interested.Price
The cost of the CGC test is $50. We need to receive payment in advance in order to reserve your place.There is also a nominal fee that you will need to submit to the AKC in order to receive your actual certificate.