What is it?               

Welcome to the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program. Started in 1989, CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.

What does the CGC Test consist of?
The Canine Good Citizen Test has ten parts. Each part of test consists of regular, everyday occurrences. A normal, well-behaved dog should have no difficulty passing.

Part One: Allowing a friendly stranger to approach.
Part Two: Sitting calmly and politely to be pet.
Part Three: Allowing handling for grooming and physical examination.
Part Four: Heeling politely on a loose lead.
Part Five: Walking calmly through crowded areas.
Part Six: Sit on command, and down on command.
Part Seven: Coming when called.
Part Eight: Greeting another well-behaved dog without aggression or excitement.
Part Nine: Handling distractions and distracting environments.
Part Ten: Behaving well when in the care of another and the owner or trusted handler is out of sight.

Owners are permitted to use praise and encouragement during testing, but toys and treats are not allowed. Also prohibited are special training collars, such as electronic collars and devices, prong collars and head halters. Standard buckle collars, and slip collars are permitted, and the dog’s personal brush is recommended to have on hand.

Grounds for Dismissal and Failure of the Test:
Aggressive behaviour, such as growling or snapping is prohibited and the dog that demonstrates these behaviours will fail. Marking territory or otherwise eliminating is prohibited. Excessive anxiety, barking, whining or other displays of nervousness will also fail the dog.

Welcome to the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm Program!

The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm is an exciting new program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy^sm Program is an incentive program for loving dog owners who have taken the time to take their puppies through a basic training class.

Your instructor will administer the AKC S.T.A.R.Puppy test at the end of the course. Upon passing the test, you’ll get an application to send to AKC® for enrollment in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program.

OWNER BEHAVIORS:

1. Maintains puppy’s health (vaccines, exams, appears healthy)
2. Owner receives Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge
3. Owner describes adequate daily play and exercise plan
4. Owner and puppy attend at least 6 classes by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator
5. Owner brings bags to classes for cleaning up after puppy
6. Owner has obtained some form of ID for puppy-collar tag, etc.

PUPPY BEHAVIORS:

7. Free of aggression toward people
8. Free of aggression toward other puppies in class
9. Tolerates collar or body harness of owner’s choice
10. Owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size)
11. Puppy allows owner to take away a treat or toy

PRE-CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® TEST BEHAVIORS:

12. Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner
13. Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet)
14. Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line
15. Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people 5-ft away
16. Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure
17. Down on command-Owner may use a food lure
18. Comes to owner from 5-ft when name is called
19. Reaction to Distractions-distractions are presented 15-ft away
20. Stay quietly on leash with another person

Please visit http://www.akc.org to learn more about CGC and other AKC events!

Please visit our site here to learn what I offer as a CGC evaluator.