Pups Path AKC Canine Good Citizen Class (Level 1)
6 Sessions
What is Canine Good Citizen (CGC)?
At the AKC, we believe that all dogs can be good dogs, and all owners can be great owners, all it takes is a little bit of training, lots of love, and of course, plenty of praise along the way.
That’s why we created the Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program: an expert-made training program designed to help you and your dog be the best you can be–together.
Canine Good Citizen is a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners.
Canine Good Citizen Test Included At The End Of The Course
1. Accepting a friendly stranger
Evaluator approaches and pretends to shake hands with handler (hands 6- 12” apart). Evaluator does not touch dog.
2. Sitting politely for petting
Evaluator pets dog; dog must show no shyness or resentment.
3. Appearance and grooming
Evaluator inspects dog, combs or brushes lightly, examines ears and each front foot.
4. Out for a walk
Handler takes dog for a short walk including right turn, left turn, about turn and stop.
5. Walking through a crowd
Dog and handler walk close to several people; dog may show causal interest but not jump up.
6. Sit and down on cue/Staying in place
Handler shows that dog can do both sit and down, then chooses a position, leaves dog and goes to the end of a 20 ft. line, and returns immediately.
7. Coming when called
With dog still on 20 ft. line from Test 6, handler walks out 10 ft. and calls the dog.
8. Reaction to another dog
Two handlers and dogs approach, pretend to shake hands (hands 6-12” apart), exchange pleasantries, then move on.
9. Reaction to distractions
Distractions are presented; dog may not panic or show aggression.
10. Supervised separation
Handler goes out of sight for 3-min. Dog is held on a 6-ft. leash by anWho Can Participate in CGC?
CGC is open to all dogs–purebred and mixed breed. There are no age minimums or limits for participating in the Canine Good Citizen program, because yes, you can always teach an old dog new tricks!
With that being said, we also know that training a puppy can be very different than training an adult dog. Check out our specialized training program for puppies, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, which teaches the basics to get your puppy off to a good start and is an excellent first in-person training class.
