Canine Good Citizen

Improve your dog’s leash manners, polite greetings and stay while preparing to earn the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title.

The Canine Good Citizen program consists of three consecutive classes: Canine Good Citizen 1 (CGC 1), Canine Good Citizen 2 (CGC 2) and Canine Good Citizen Advanced (Community Canine). Each class lasts 4 weeks. CGC 1 and CGC 2 prepare your dog to earn the CGC title. Canine Good Citizen Advanced prepares your dog to earn the CGCA title. Class exercises emphasize leash manners, polite greetings and good manners in public situations while reducing your dog’s reliance on the presence of treats. The CGC program is an excellent preparation for continued work in therapy and service dog roles.

To take Canine Good Citizen, it is assumed that the dog and handler have the equivalent of skills learned in Manners 1 and Manners 2 OR Puppy 1, Puppy 2 and Puppy3. We expect that the dog and handler have fluency (one or two cues maximum) in the presence of a novel dog and novel human in a new environment with the following skills:

1. Effective use and timing with a clicker

2. Sit with release

3. Down with release

4. Stay (10 feet)

5. Come (30 feet)

6. Leash walking (15 steps continuous with a loose leash)

7. Leave It (without "help" via leash pulling and/or body blocking by the handler)

8. Go to Mat (send from 6 feet away with an automatic down and stay there until released)

If you would like instructor permission to join Canine Good Citizen 1, please Email us or schedule an assessment to obtain instructor permission.

CANINE GOOD CITIZEN 1 (CGC 1)

INTRODUCE YOUR DOG TO THE 10 CGC TEST ITEMS WHILE IMPROVING THEIR LEASH MANNERS, GREETING BEHAVIOR AND STAY.

Canine Good Citizen 1 (CGC 1) class begins to prepare you and your dog to take the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen test. Each of the 10 test items in the CGC will be introduced. The test items are as follows:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger

2. Sitting politely for petting

3. Appearance and grooming

4. Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)

5. Walking through a crowd

6. Sit and down on cue and stay in place

7. Coming when called

8. Reaction to another dog

9. Reaction to distraction

10. Supervised separation

For more information, visit https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/

Location: Kinship Studio, at 320 SW Mount Si Blvd Suite 108 North Bend, WA 98045. The entrance and parking are behind the shopping center.

What to bring:

• Your dog! Preferably a little hungry, and having been given a potty break prior to class.

• Flat buckle collar, martingale collar, head halter, front-attaching harness (ex. Freedom or Balance harnesses) or body harness. Please no prong collars or slip/choke collars.

• 6 foot nylon or leather leash. Please no flexi/retractable leashes.

• 20 foot long line to practice Test item 7, Recall.

• Treat pouch. A fanny pack, climber’s chalk bag, or hardware apron will work well too!

• Treats! At least two cups (I know, it’s a lot!) of pea-sized delicious treats. Your treats need to outcompete the environment, so hot dogs, ham and cheese will all work well.

• A brush or comb to practice Test item 3, Appearance and Grooming.

• Optional

  • Mat for your dog to rest on between exercises.

  • Chew or stuffed kong for your dog to chew during downtimes.

CANINE GOOD CITIZEN 2

In CGC 2 class, dog/handler teams will polish their skills in each of the ten test items introduced in CGC 1, and reduce the dog’s reliance on treats. At the last week of class, each team will have the opportunity to take the test to earn the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title. Canine Good Citizen is a requirement of most animal assisted therapy programs, and a CGC title is required prior to earning the more advanced CGC titles: AKC Community Canine (CGCA) and AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen (CGCU).

Location: Kinship Studio, at 320 SW Mount Si Blvd Suite 108 North Bend, WA 98045. The entrance and parking are behind the shopping center.

Prerequisite: CGC 1 or Instructor permission. Click the button near the top of the page to schedule an assessment.

Canine good citizen advanced (community canine)

CGC Advanced prepares dogs for the AKC Community Canine (CGCA) test so that they may earn the CGCA title. The Community Canine test has 10 test items:

1. Dog stands, sits or lies down and waits under control while the owner:

• sits at the registration table and fills out paperwork, or,

• if the test is done in the community, dog waits while the owner sits and has a snack or visits with another person (e.g., at a park)

2. Walks on a loose leash in a natural situation (not in a ring) — does not pull.

• left turn

• right turn

• stop

• fast and slow pace

3. Walks on loose leash through a crowd:

• at a show or in class, this item is tested in a real crowd, not in a ring

• in the community, dog walks on sidewalk, through a crowd at a community fair, park, on a trail, through a busy hallway, etc.

4. Dog walks past distraction dogs present; does not pull.
This item may be tested along with #3 if there are dogs in the crowd, etc.

• at a show or class, dog walks by dogs waiting in the crowd–dogs 2 ft. apart

• in the community, dog walks by other dogs on a trail, sidewalk, in a hallway, etc.

5. Sit-stay in small group (two other people with dogs, total of 3 people, 3 dogs in group).

6. Dog allows person who is carrying something (backpack, computer bag, etc.) to approach and pet it.
“May I pet your dog?” (Item is placed on floor/ground before the person pets the dog)

7. “Leave it.” Dog walks by food and follows owner instructions, “Leave it.”
This can be food placed by the evaluator on the floor or ground in a food dish with a wire cover as in Rally.

8. Down or sit stay — distance (owner’s choice).
Dog is on 20–ft line, owner walks away with back to dog, picks up an item (e.g., backpack, training bag, clipboard, folder etc.) placed on the floor/chair/ground by the evaluator and returns to the dog.

9. Recall with distractions present (coming when called). Handler goes out 20–ft. **(off center) and calls dog.
Dog is on the 20–ft. line from #8 above.

10. Dog will sit or stand stay (owner’s choice) while owner enters/exits a doorway or narrow passageway. Owner calls dog through door when ready.

Prerequisite: CGC2, Previously earned CGC title, or Instructor permission. Click the button near the top of the page to schedule an assessment, or Email the instructor with your CGC title and training history.