The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program was designed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) to increase responsible dog ownership and to provide an incentive for improving the general behavior of dogs in the home and public settings.
The CGC test is a 10 point practical exam. It is scored on a “Pass” or “Needs more training” scale, and dog and owner must pass all 10 items together to earn their title.
Any dog over 6 months of age may take the test. There are no breed or mixed breed exclusions.
Some of the required elements include: sitting politely while being pet by a friendly stranger, sit, down, stay, come, and walking on a loose leash through a crowd. The entire test can be viewed on the AKC web site.
In addition to the pride and satisfaction owners enjoy after their dog earns the CGC title, benefits can include reductions in home owner’s insurance rates. There are even some communities that require resident dogs to earn the title to increase the odds of having safe, well mannered dogs in their neighborhoods.
Once your dog passes the test, the AKC will issue you a certificate, and you can choose to order ID tags and patches with the CGC logo.

Sara is a certified evaluator for the AKC CGC program.

Private or group testing can be arranged

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