Canine Good Citizen Test Requirements (2024)

We feel very proud of our beloved paw friends when they turn from perky puppies with no manners into well-behaved dogs, who know how to deal with various situations. Of course, we are also proud of ourselves, in case we have been actively engaged in the training process and its success due to the time, patience, and energy invested.Training a dog yourselfis not an easy task, and often dog owners reach out to training programs (both online and in-person) or to professional trainers to help them in their venture.

TheAmerican Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees inthe US, that regulates events for purebred dogs such as the NationalDog Show, the AKC Championship, and the Westminster Kennel Club DogShow. The AKC offers various programs designed to train dogs of different ages. Today we will take a look at one of the most popularprograms that the AKC offers- the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Programand respectively the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test.

The AKC Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program focuses on responsible dog ownership for the owners and basic obedience and good manners for dogs, so that they learn to behave properly and be polite while being a part of society. The CGC Test includes different types of behaviors (10 steps) that canines should be able to exhibit in order to be welcomed by the general public.

How It Works

Ownerscan participate in a basic obedience training course or the CGC classto train their dogs in the behaviors that will be part of the CGC Test.Also, there is an option available for owners, who have thenecessary knowledge to train their dogs themselves. When the ownerdecides that their paw friend is well-prepared, they need to registerfor the CGC Test. The test will beadministeredby an Evaluator, accredited by the AKC.Thetest can take place in different environments including trainingclasses, pet super stores, or AKC dog shows. Also, appointments can bemadewith certain evaluators.Uponcompletion,the evaluator will provideownerswithdocumentation that they can forward totheAKCand request a certificate.

Breed and Age Requirements for Dogs

Both pure breeds and mixed breeds can join the Canine Good Citizen program. The AKC specifies that dogs in shelters/foster families can still sign up for the test through the program: CGC Ready Program.

Thereare also no limitations in regard to the age of the dogs who can takethe test. However, if you have a puppy, the AKC S.T.A.R. PuppyProgram may be more suitable for him/her.

The 10 Behaviors Included in the CGC Test

1.Accepting a Friendly Stranger

This test aims to verify that the dog can remain calm and well-behaved while a friendly stranger approaches handler and talks to them naturally. The evaluator will approach the handler, and friendly greet them, while ignoring the dog. The evaluator will not have interactions with the dog. The dog should be under control at all times during the test and he/she should not attempt to jump at the evaluator, pull on the leash or show any signs of aggression or shyness. If the handler has to intervene, i.e.pull the dog to stop him/her from jumping, they will fail this test.

2. Sitting Politely for Petting

During this test the dog should remain calm and polite at the handler’s side (whether the left or the right side) while the evaluator pets him/her. The evaluator will approach the handler and will ask if they can pet their dog. After that the evaluator will pet the dog on the head and the body. The dog should not show any signs of aggression, irritation or otherwise show that he/she is trying to avoid being petted, nor should he/she jump towards the evaluator enthusiastically. He/she needs to be calm and under control. During this test, the handler is allowed to talk to their dog.

3.Appearance and Grooming

This test should verify that the dog can remain calm during grooming or examination at the veterinarian's office. However, it also shows if the owner is responsible and he/she is taking proper care of the dog. The evaluator will check if the dog is clean, neat, and looks healthy.During the examination, the dog is notrequired to get into a certain position.Theevaluatorwillgently brush/comb the dog, check his/her ears and pick up each frontfoot.Thegrooming devices should be brought by the handler. During the test, the handler is allowed to talk to the dog andmotivatehim/her.

Handlersneed to keep in mind that they may be instructed by the evaluator tohold the dog’s head (during the ear examination), lift his/her foot(during the feet examination) or otherwise contribute to safelyconducting the examination. Dogs are allowed to show slightwriggling. However, it should be moderate and not interfere with theexamination, i.e. if the dog starts excessively pulling, the handlerwill fail the test.

4. Out For A Walk (Walking on a Loose Leash)

Asthe name of this test indicates, the dog should be able to calmlywalk on a leash and change his/her direction as needed. During thetest the dog may be on both the left and the right side of thehandler. The AKC clarifies that during obedience competitions the dogshould be on the left side.

Duringthis test, the evaluator can either instruct the handler on whatdirection they should go or use a preplanned route. If the evaluatorchooses the first option the handler should expect to hearinstructions like “left turn”, or “right turn”. Left turn,right turn, about turn, one stop in between, and one stop at the endare included in this test. The dog should be attentive to the handlerand aligned with them. The dog should not sit at the stops, nor shouldhe/she pull on the leash. If the dog sniffs excessively, which willcause him/her to not walk by the handler’s side, the handler willfail the test.

5.Walking Through A Crowd

Thedog should be able to calmly walk in public places and be undercontrol at all times. During this test the handler-dog team shouldmove around at least three people. The evaluator can be one of thesepeople. Children may also participate in the test (undersupervision), as well as dogs, who are well-mannered, on a leash anddo no try to make a contact with the dog who is doing the test.

Thedog should behave politely, not pull on the leash, nor be shy,irritated due to the presence of other people. The dog may show someinterest in the passersby, but he/she should quickly continue walkingalong the handler.

TheAKC specifies that for dogs who are supposed to work as therapyanimals, there should be at least one person in a wheelchair or usinga walker/can who participates in the test.

6.Sit and Down on Cue/Staying in Place

Priorto starting this test, the dog’s leash is switched to a 20-ft or a15-ft line is attached to the leash.

Duringthis test the dog should verify that he/she is able to fulfill thefollowing commands on cue: “sit”, “down”, “sit or down plusstay”. For the last command the handler is allowed to choose inwhat position the dog should take- “sit” or “down”. After thehandler has given the “stay” command, they need to walk untilthey reach the end of the line, mentioned above. After that thehandler should return to the dog, by walking at a normal pace. Thedog is required to stay in the place until the evaluator allows thehandler to release him/her. Position changing, i.e. from a “sit”to a “stand” position is allowed.

Thehandler is not allowed to force the dog to get into a specificposition, but they may gently touch him/her and motivate him/her.

7.Coming When Called

As the name implies the dog will be tested if he/she will come to the handler when called. The 20-ft line mentioned in the previous paragraph, should remain as a part of this test as well. The handler will need to walk away from the dog (10 feet), then turn around to face the dog and call him/her. The handler can either instruct the dog to stay or just walk 10 feet away. Also, they can encourage the dog to come and use their body language to motivate him/her.

Incase the dog starts following the handler, the evaluator is allowedto intervene and try to distract the dog, as this test does notevaluate dog’s ability to stay in a position. The handler isallowed to call the dog up to 2-3 times. The dog should come ontheir own when called, even if the handler uses encouragement,otherwise the test will be graded “fail”.

8.Reaction to Another Dog

During this test the handler and the dog doing the test meet another handler and their dog. Both teams stay at a distance- approximately 15 feet. The handlers should stop, pretend to shake their hands, lead a very short conversation and continue walking. The dog who is being tested is allowed to show only slight interest towards the second dog. He/she is not allowed to start pulling on the leash, trying to reach the second dog, or jump at him/her. The dog should not move forward towards the other handler-dog team nor should he/she turn around after both teams have continued walking and start following the other dog. In case the second dog is not reliable, i.e. he/she is trying to distract the tested dog, the test may be repeated with another dog.

9.Reaction to Distractions

Duringthis test the evaluator chooses 2 distractions to test the dog. Thedistractions can be visual and auditory and usually one distractionof each type is chosen. The distractions can be as follows:

-A person who uses a walker, a wheelchair or crutches. They should be 5 ft. away from the dog;

-Opening or closing a door (suddenly);

-Dropping an item such as a folded chair or a pan at a distance nocloser than 5 ft. away from the dog;

-A jogger who is running in front of the dog;

-A person who is pushing a cart/crate dolly at a distance no closerthan 5 ft. away from the dog;

-A person on a bike who is at a distance no closer than 10 ft. awayfrom the dog.

Itis important to note that all the distractions used during the testshould be commonly encountered in the daily life. The AKCspecifically distinguish between this test and the temperament test,where the distractions can be quickly umbrella opening near the dog,or gunshot.

Dogsare allowed to show some interest in the distractions and want toexplore. Also, they are allowed to bark once. The dog will fail ifhe/she starts barking, growling, pulling, or urinating/defecating outof fear. Handlers may encourage the dog by petting him/her and givingbasic obedience commands like “sit”.

10.Supervised Separation

Thepurpose of this test is to show that the dog will keep his/her goodmanners while left under the supervision of a reliable person. Theevaluator will hold the dog’s leash and the owner will walk out ofthe room. He/she will be absent for 3 minutes. Evaluators may talk tothe dog, but they may not pay extra attention or play with him/her.The dog is allowed to change his/her position. However, he/she is notallowed to howl, growl, bark, whine, start panting or otherwise showany signs of anxiety. If the dog shows that he/she is stressed dueto the absence of his/her owner, the test will be suspended.