AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Testing

The American Kennel Club's (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program recognizes dogs that demonstrate good manners and responsible behavior.

We are approved CGC evaluators and can test and evaluate your dogs ability to complete the necessary tests to receive results that can be submitted to AKC for an official certificate in recognition of your dog’s outstanding behavior. We offer testing for $100 per test.

If you purchase 3 weeks of a Board and Train, Day Train, or the Hybrid Package, we offer one AKC test for free at the end of the program.

Our Puppy Program is 6 weeks long and also includes an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Test.

The Tests that must be passed to be recognized by AKC for Canine good citizenship:

(any of our training programs will set you up for success to pass)

  • Your dog will allow a friendly stranger to come up to you and your dog in an everyday situation and talk without disrupting the interaction.

  • Your dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach and pet it when out with you in a public setting. Your dog will stay is a seated position for the interaction.

  • Your dog will welcome being groomed or examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend, to do so. For the test, this could include things such as touching your dogs paws, looking at their ears, etc.

  • You and your dog will take a short walk to show that your dog is in control while walking on a leash without pulling or getting distracted.

  • You and your dog will walk around and pass close to several people to demonstrate that your dog can move through pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places.

  • The dog will respond to the handler’s commands to 1) sit, 2) down and will 3) remain in the place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler prefers).

  • Your dog will come to you when called. you will then walk 10 feet from your dog, turn to face your dog, and call them toward you again.

  • To demonstrate that your dog can behave politely around other dogs, you will approach another person with a dog. Both you will walk toward each other from about 20 feet away, stop, shake hands and exchange a brief conversation, and continue to walk past each other for another 10 feet.

  • To demonstrate your dog is confident when faced with distracting situations, the evaluator will create two distractions such as dropping a chair, riding a bike past the dog, rolling something past the dog, etc.

  • This test demonstrates that your dog can be left with a trusted person, and will maintain training and good manners. You will put your dog in a command and the trusted person will ask to watch your dog and take the leash. You will go out of sight for three minutes and return to your dog in the same command without them breaking the command.

  • You’ll need to bring a brush or comb to the test. In the CGC test, dogs must wear a buckle collar or slip collar.