AKC Canine Good Citizen Program

The Canine Good Citizens (CGC) program is designed to test and reward the good manners that make a dog enjoyable for his family and neighbors in everyday situations.  Upon successful completion the dog is awarded a special tag and the owner receives a certificate.  All dogs are encouraged to participate, regardless of age or purity of breed status.  However, CGC testing held at shows may require that the dog be entered in the show.  Often there is no charge for CGC program for dogs already registered for a show.

Testing Areas

The test lasts less than half an hour and consists of the following items:
1. Accepting a friendly stranger.
2. Sitting politely for petting.
3. Allowing basic grooming procedures.
4. Walking on a loose lead.
5. Walking through a crowd.
6. Sitting and lying down on command and staying in place.
7. Coming when called.
8. Reacting appropriately to another dog.
9. Reacting appropriately to distractions.
10. Calmly enduring supervised separation from the owner.

More CGC resources