AKC CANINE GOOD CITIZEN PRoGRAM
WE BELIEVE EVERY ESA SHOULD BE
A CANINE GOOD CITIZEN
Unlike like service dogs and guide dogs, emotional support animals (ESAs) do not require training to qualify as an assistance animal.
However, unfortunately, today many people own ESAs who aren’t familiar with basic good behavior. Emotional support dogs can sometimes receive a bad rep for their poor behavior, which this is mostly because some ESA owners choose not to teach their dog manners.
To combat such negativity towards an emotional support dog, owners should take the responsibility to provide additional training. By participating in the AKC Canine Good Citizen program, you can set your emotional support dog up for success.
prerequisite
Consultation/Evaluation from the Trainer
or Completion of the Beginner Dog Obedience Curriculum
AKC TRICK DOG TITLES
ADVANCED TRAINING- AKC Community Canine (CGCA)
ADVANCED TRAINING- AKC URBAN CANINE (CGCU)
WE BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR DOG
INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED TRAINING
Are you looking to have your dog's obedience training taken to the next level?
AKC Canine Good Citizen Prep
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Training
Therapy Dog Prep
Service Dog Prep
Competition Dog Prep
AKC CANINE GOOD CITIZEN (CGC)
ABOUT CGC TITLE
The Canine Good Citizen Program teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners. The 10-step CGC test is a non-competitive test for all dogs, including purebreds and mixed breeds. It is a prerequisite for many therapy dog groups and some homeowner’s insurance companies encourage CGC testing. There are also an increasing number of apartments and condos that require resident dogs to pass the CGC test.
Before taking the Canine Good Citizen test, owners will sign the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge. We believe that responsible dog ownership is a key part of the CGC concept and by signing the pledge, owners agree to take care of their dog’s health needs, safety, exercise, training and quality of life. Owners also agree to show responsibility by doing things such as cleaning up after their /dog-owners/responsible-dog-ownership/dogs in public places and never letting dogs infringe on the rights of others.
Items on the Canine Good Citizen Test include:
Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation
Equipment
All tests must be performed on leash. For collars, dogs should wear well-fitting buckle or slip collars made of leather, fabric, or chain. Special training collars such as pinch collars, head halters, and electronic collars are not permitted in the CGC test. Body harnesses may be used in the CGC test.
Encouragement
Owners/handlers may use praise and encouragement throughout the test. The owner may pet the dog between exercises. Food and treats are not permitted during testing, nor is the use of toys, squeaky toys, etc. to get the dog to do something. We recognize that food and toys may provide valuable reinforcement or encouragement during the training process but these items should not be used during the test.
Failures — Dismissals
Any dog that eliminates during testing must be marked failed. The only exception to this rule is that elimination is allowable in test Item 10, but only when test Item 10 is held outdoors.
Any dog that growls, snaps, bites, attacks, or attempts to attack a person or another dog is not a good citizen and must be dismissed from the test.