CANINE GOOD CITIZEN AND COMMUNITY CANINE

AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC)

The AKC's Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program, started in 1989, 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. Both purebred and mixed breed dogs are eligible for the certificate. See http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/training/canine-good-citizen/about/ for more information.

AKC Community Canine® (CGCA)

Dog that have obtained their CGC certificate can then go on to obtain the AKC Community Canine certification. CGCA is the advanced level of AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program.

As with CGC, AKC Community Canine has a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Community Canine title. This is a title that appears on the dog's title record at AKC.

All skills on the test are tested on leash. The AKC Community Canine (CGCA) test may be done in a class, at shows, in pet stores or in the community. When the test is administered in community settings such as at a business or special event, evaluators must have the necessary approval of the business owners, etc.

While Canine Good Citizen tests are simulations of real world skills, (e.g., dog/handler walks through a "crowd" of evaluators in a ring), the goal of AKC Community Canine is to test the dog's skills in a natural setting. For example, rather than the dog being tested in a ring, in AKC Community Canine, the "walks through a crowd" test item will involve the dog walking through a real crowd at a dog show, on a busy sidewalk, in a therapy dog setting, or at a training club.

CGC and CGCA At Port Chester Obedience Training Club

PCOTC offers the CGC tests six times per year as the last class of our Good Citizen. Please note that a formal training class is not required in order to take the test; however, some handlers find the preparation helpful in readying a dog for the tests.

The CGC test asks the dog to

Accept a friendly stranger.
Sit politely for petting.
Welcome being groomed and examined by a stranger.
Walk on a loose leash.
Walk through a crowd.
Sit and down on command, and stay in place.
Come when called.
Behave politely around other dogs.
Remain confident when faced with common distracting situations.
Maintain its training and good manners when left with a trusted person for a supervised separation.

Note: In our online registration system, CGC/CGCA classes are included with Family Manners.