AKC's Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program

The American Kennel Club (AKC) offers a certification open to all dogs, both pure bred and mixed breeds. The purpose of the CGC program is to ensure that our favorite companion, the dog, can be a respected member of the community because it has been trained to be well behaved in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. Keep in mind that the CGC test is noncompetitive and dogs are not required to perform with the same precision required in formal obedience. Dogs that pass all 10 items of the CGC test, will be listed in the CGC records at the AKC. Owners of dogs that pass all 10 items may order an official CGC certificate from the American Kennel Club. This is a 5 week class and the test will be given on the last day of class.

Therapy Dog International does have their own testing procedures and policies, however, TDI uses the AKC Canine Good Citizen test as a key component of its therapy dog assessment. TDI can be reached at www.tdi-dog.org. If you are interested in the TDI program, I have passed their test with Annie and can give you details as to the expectations.

AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification requirements:

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation

This is a five week class, with one-hour sessions one day a week for the duration. Class sizes are limited to a maximum of eight dogs, and the fee is $105 for each five week class.

All classes are hosted by Tender Touch Veterinary Hospital, or Jennz Petz Grooming. Updated vaccination records are required.

See our schedule of upcoming classes, and contact me to register for this rewarding certification program!