Canine Good Citizenship - What's the Big Deal?

What's the big bone about the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) Award, anyway? The CGC certification program, started by AKC in 1989, rewards 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. The CGC program is one of AKC's most rapidly growing programs. There are many exciting applications of this wonderful, entry level certification that go beyond the testing and certifying of dogs. Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as the first step in training their dogs. It lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. And besides, dogs with good manners are welcomed in many places and are a joy to live with! What's required of a dog to receive a CGC? The evaluation consists of ten objections - all items must be completed satisfactorily or the team fails. Test items include:

• Accepting a friendly stranger.
• Sitting politely for petting.
• Allowing basic grooming procedures.
• Walking on a loose lead.
• Walking through a crowd.
• Sitting and lying down on command and staying in place.
• Coming when called.
• Reacting appropriately to another dog.
• Reacting appropriately to distractions.
• Calmly enduring supervised separation from the owner.

Evaluators sometimes combine elements during the actual test.

If all ten objectives are met, the handler can apply for a certificate and special dog tag from the AKC stating that the dog has earned the CGC.

Dogs do not have to be registered with the AKC to earn a CGC, nor do they have to be registered with any canine registry or even be purebred, for that matter. The goal is to promote good citizenship for all dogs.

Interested in testing for a CGC? There are many certified evaluators in Arizona -- in fact, one of Friedo's favorite places, Bark Avenue Pet Supply is conducting a Canine Good Citizen Evaluation on June 19th. Follow this link to learn more. Check with your local kennel clubs and pet organizations, and AKC's own website, for more information.

Is Incognito Friedo a CGC? You betcha -- every canine's gotta have a little culture, you know.