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The purpose of the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Program is to ensure that our favorite companion, the dog, can be a respected member of the community; showing it has been trained to be well behaved in the home, in public places and in the presence of other dogs. |
The CGC Program welcomes both purebred and mixed breed dogs. The CGC test is noncompetitive and dogs are not required to perform with the same precision required in formal obedience. |
Dogs that pass all 10 items included in the CGC test, including pure breeds and mixed breeds, are listed in the CGC records at the American Kennel Club. Owners of dogs that pass all 10 items of the CGC test may order an official CGC certificate from the American Kennel Club. |
As a certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, Phoenix Valley Dog Training assumes reponsibility for conducting tests according to the American Kennel Club protocol. We will also ensure that each participant has an experience that is positive, educational and, most of all, fun. |
We would like to stress that when a dog is tested and passes the CGC test as a puppy, it is important for the owner to have the dog re-tested as an adult. This is because behavior and personality can change over time. Further, the responsible dog owner will have their dog re-tested on CGC skills periodically to demonstrate that training and good manners are maintained. |
Growling, biting and other signs of aggression from a dog are not acceptable during a CGC test. |
Any dog that growls or snaps at, bites, attacks or attempts to attack a person or another dog is not considered a good citizen and we are required to dismiss them from the test. If we observe any signs of aggression (biting, growling, attempting to attack, etc.), the test will not be continued. |
Also, if any of these behaviors are observed in the immediate testing area prior to or after testing, we are required to send a written report to the AKC CGC Department. If we witness a dog engaging in an aggressive incident after passing the test, we are required to notify the AKC when sending in the dog's Test Summary Form. |
Listed below are the steps required to complete the Canine Good Citizen Test. |
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. |
The test begins with the dog seated at the handler's side. The Phoenix Valley Dog Training CGC Evaluator will walk up to the dog and handler in a friendly manner, ignoring the dog. The evaluator and handler will shake hands and exchange pleasantries (ie. "Hello, it's good to see you again" as they shake hands). |
The evaluator will not interact with the dog during this test. |
- The dog must show no sign of resentment, aggression or shyness. - The dog may not jump on or rush to the evaluator to initiate contact. The dog may not lunge forward to greet the evaluator. - The dog should be under control throughout the exercise. If the handler must use excessive corrections (ie. trying to hold the dog to prevent jumping) the dog will not pass. |
This test demonstrates that a dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler. |
- The dog must show no sign of resentment, aggression or shyness. - As the evaluator begins to pet the dog, the dog may stand to receive the petting. - The dog is not allowed to struggle or pull away to avoid petting. - The dog may move slightly forward to receive petting, but should not lunge at the evaluator or rush or jump forward. - The dog should be under control throughout the exercise. |
The test begins with the dog seated at the handler's side. The evaluator will approach and ask, "May I pet your dog?". The evaluator will then pet the dog on the head and body. |
The handler may talk to their dog throughout this process. |
This test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit a stranger, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so. This test also demonstrates the owner's care, concern and sense of responsibility. |
- The dog is not required to maintain a specific position during the examination. - The handler may talk to the dog, praise and give encouragement throughout the exam. - If the dog requires restraining during the exam, they will not pass the test. - The dog should not pull away or struggle to avoid the brushing. |
The evaluator will inspect the dog to determine if it is clean and groomed. The dog must appear to be in healthy condition (ie. proper weight, clean, healthy and alert). The handler should supply the comb or brush that is commonly used on the dog. The evaluator will softly comb or brush the dog, lightly examine the ears and gently pick up each front foot. |
This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places. |
- The dog is allowed to show interest in the members of the crowd but should continue to walk with the handler without showing over-exuberance, shyness or resentment. - The dog may briefly sniff a member of the crowd but should move on promptly. - The dog may not jump on people in the crowd or attempt to go to them. - The dog should not be straining on the leash. - The dog should not be trying to hide behind the handler. |
The dog and the handler will walk and pass close to several (at least three) people. The crowd may include strangers, the evaluator, children and possibly other dogs. Some crowd members will be standing still and some will be moving about. |
If the test is being given to qualify a dog for therapy work, members of the crowd may be using health-care equipment (ie. a walker, a wheelchair, crutches, etc.). |
This test demonstrates that the dog has training and will respond to the handler's commands to sit and down and will remain in the place commanded by the handler. |
- There are no breed specific exceptions for sitting. - During the stay, the dog may stand, but is not allowed to leave the stay area. If the dog stands but does not leave the stay area, they will pass the test. If the dog begins to walk away or walk toward the handler, the dog will not pass. |
For the "sit" and "down" commands, the handler is allowed a reasonable amount of time. They may use more than one command to make the dog respond and they may touch the dog to offer gentle guidance. The handler may not use excessive force to put the dog in either position. The handler is not allowed to pull the dog's front legs out during a sit to get them to go into a down position. |
For the "stay" command, the dog may be in a sit or a down position. |
During the stay, the dog will be attached to a 20 foot lead (supplied by the evaluator). When instructed by the evaluator, the handler will put the dog into a sit or down and then give them the "stay" command. The handler will then be instructed to walk to the end of the 20 foot lead, turn, and immediately return to the dog at a normal pace. The dog may then be released from the stay. |
This test demonstrates that the dog will come when called by the handler. |
- The handler is allowed to bend down to call the dog, pat their leg and make encouraging sounds. - The handler may call the dog more than once (two or three attempts are acceptable) but if many, repeated prompts are required, the dog will not pass the test. - The handler is not allowed to "reel in" the dog using the lead. |
During this test, the dog will be attached to a 20 foot lead (supplied by the evaluator). The handler will walk 10 feet away from the dog, turn to them and then call the dog to them. The handler may use body language and encouragement to call the dog. |
The test is complete when the dog comes to the handler and the handler attaches the dog's original leash back onto him. |
If the dog attempts to follow the handler while the handler is walking away, the evaluator will help to distract the dog so that the handler can achieve the 10 foot distance. |
This test demonstrates that the dog can behave politely around other dogs. |
- The test dog may move slightly toward the other dog and handler and then stop, but they should ultimately stay back from the dog and handler. - As the handlers part, if the test dog turns around and begins pulling as if to follow the other dog / handler, the dog will not pass the test. - If the distraction dog causes a disruption, it is not counted against the test dog. |
Two handlers, and their dogs, will approach each other from a distance of about 15 feet. They will stop, shake hands, exchange pleasantries and then continue on past each other. |
This test demonstrates that the dog is confident at all times when faced with common distracting situations. |
- The dog is allowed to show a casual interest in the distracter. - The dog is allowed to appear slightly startled but should not panic or pull at the leash to get away. - The dog is allowed to walk forward slightly to investigate the distracter. - If the dog becomes so frightened that they urinate or deficate, they will not pass. - The dog is not allowed to growl or lunge at the distracter. |
The evaluator will select two common distracters, one visual and one sound. Some distracters could include: a jogger running by, a person walking with crutches, a person in a wheelchair, dropping a metal pan or folding chair behind the dog or slamming a door. |
- An isolated bark (one) is acceptable. A dog that continues to bark repeatedly at the distracter will not pass the test. - The handler may talk to the dog to give praise or encouragement throughout this test. Dogs may be given instructions by the handler (ie. "sit...good boy...look at me", etc.). |
This test demonstrates that the dog can be left in the presence of a trusted person and will maintain its training and good manners. |
- The dog does not have to stay in any particular position. - If the dog continually barks, whines or howls, they will not pass the test. - The dog should not pace unnecessarily or show signs of agitation. - If the dog pulls on its leash and tries to get away, it will not pass the test. |
The evaluator will hold the leash of the dog while the owner goes out of sight for 3 minutes. |
Training for the Canine Good Citizen test is fun, useful and will help you and your dog establish a closer bond. The American Kennel Club and Phoenix Valley Dog Training both urge all dog owners to participate in this program. It helps to assure that our beloved friends will be welcome and respected members of the community. |
Phoenix Valley Dog Training can perform the CGC Evaluation for you as a stand-alone service and we also include it as part of our program when you hire us to train your dog. |
At the conclusion of the test, if your dog passes, you will be given the original copy of the Test Registration. This is required to request a CGC certificate from the AKC. |
Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is not an official AKC title like Ch. or C.D.. It is meant to reward dogs for having good manners, which enhances the public acceptance of dogs. CGC may be used for pedigrees or advertising, but the AKC does not add CGC to the dog's official registration papers. "CGC" is an award, not a title. |
This test demonstrates that the handler is in control of the dog. The dog may be on either side of the handler, whichever the handler prefers. (Note: The left side position is required in all AKC obedience competitions and is the method taught during Phoenix Valley Dog Training lessons). |
- The dog's position should leave no doubt that the dog is attentive to the handler and is responsive to the handler's movements and changes in direction. |
The evaluator may use a preplanned course or may direct the handler by calling out instructions (ie. "turn right, turn left", etc.). Whichever method is used, the exercise will include a right turn, a left turn and an about turn. There will also be at least one stop during the walk and one stop at the end of the walk. |
The handler is allowed to talk to the dog throughout the walk to encourage it and give it praise. The handler may also give the dog a "sit" command during the stops, if desired, although this is not required for the dog to pass the test. |
- The dog's position need not be perfectly aligned with the handler and the dog is not required to perform a sit at the stops. |
- The dog should not be constantly straining at the leash so that the leash is pulled tight. The evaluator may instruct the handler to loosen (put more slack in) the leash. An occasional tight leash may be permitted. - Excessive sniffing of the ground, such that the dog will not walk along with the owner, will result in the dog not passing the test. - If the dog is totally inattentive to the handler (ie. does not change directions with the handler) it will not pass the test. |
"Thanks for the timely follow up. I was going to write last night to tell you that Dudley and I had two of the best walks yesterday. They were in fact the best walks I have ever had with a dog companion. Dudley was well mannered and focused the entire time. He responded well to "heel" and we worked on his "sit " when I stopped. We need more work on that!" |
Tim and Kate Chandler, Arizona |
Second Email: "Dudley and I just got back from a great walk. We met three women, mother, daughter, grandmother. We were heeling along, we stopped, Dudley sat, waited while they passed and went on. The mother commented on how well mannered Dudley was and the grandmother thanked us for stopping to let them pass. IT WAS FREAKIN GREAT!!!!!!!!" |
"...After researching on the Internet, I found Steve's web site. Perfect! Our little Sidney needed to learn how to behave and she needed to learn it in her own...uh, I mean OUR own house! Steve was full of information on the first visit and he got a pretty good idea that Sidney was a dog who had her mind made up that life was going to go HER way. He also completely understood the "nighttime crazies"! Today she is a much calmer, better behaved dog than she was when we called Steve. She still has her moments when she barks, but she quiets down very quickly and clearly understands the "enough" command. She's the dog we wanted when we adopted her. Steve was so helpful; always there via email or telephone to offer support, encouragement, and ideas to resolve the issue of the day. When he came to the house, he demonstrated first hand how to teach Sidney to be a well behaved dog. I am so glad I found the web site and made that call!" |
Kathy Peoria, Arizona |
"I just wanted to send you an update on how Audi is doing. She's fabulous and we're on our second foster dog. I think it's really helping her deal with distraction and still listen to us at the same time because I've noticed a HUGE improvement! We've been working with long distance recall and she's getting much better at coming to us when called but there is still more work to be had. Everyone comments on how she looks to us for 'permission' before she does something and they all think it's really cool. I'm like 'yeah, I know, she's my girl!' " |
Katie Ahwatukee, Arizona |
"Thanks for checking in and for the great re-cap you emailed us, it was very helpful! Things are going much better with Ranger. We have had many moments over the last two weeks when we have said “Steve is a genius!” We’ve definitely made some progress with the things we’ve talked about. We’ve been pretty good about all the techniques you taught us regarding pack structure. Regarding the first commands, I think that is going very well. He has basically mastered all of them. We have even gotten to the point where he will remain in a “Stay” with treats on his paws and not move till we say “break” (even if we are out of sight)!" |
Kirsten Paradise Valley, Arizona |
"I just wanted to write today to tell you how impressed we are with the results we've seen from the dogs. We're getting the barking under our control and Bailey's marking has stopped completely. It's honestly a joy to be around our dogs now. Your teachings were very informative and helpful and, just to let you know, we both thought you were very fun to work with. Your sense of humor added a level of enjoyment to the sessions that we weren't expecting. I told you this before but I'm still surprised at how much information you were able to pass along to us and how knowledgeable you are about the dogs' behavior. There were so many things that you were right on about. As you know, when we tried that other service and they had us getting down and barking at our dog, I didn't have a lot of confidence and I was really just embarrassed. Your methods taught us so much about leadership and pack structure - things that they never even discussed with us." |
Robert and Pam Glendale, Arizona |
"Once again thank you very much for the expert training and knowledge you have given to my husband and myself. I truly did not know what to do anymore with Leopold when, for no reason, he started marking in the house. Now that we understand the pack structure and have established ourselves as pack leaders Leopold has not had an accident in the house in 5 months. Thank you again!!" |
Cindy Goodyear, Arizona |
- The dog being tested should show no more than a casual interest in the other dog. If the dog attempts to go to or jump on the other dog, they will not pass. |
Home Dog Training |
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All of the photos on our site are provided by Melissa Johnson Pet Photography in Phoenix, Arizona. We'd like to say thank you to Melissa for allowing us to use her dog photos. She did a wonderful job capturing Steve's dog Tigger and we highly recommend her services! |