AKC Canine Good Citizen

NCTD requires that dogs have their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate before beginning NCTD training. The American Kennel Club (AKC) oversees the CGC program, which is designed to recognize dogs who have good manners at home and in the community, as well as responsible pet ownership. The AKC sends a CGC certificate to the owners of dogs who pass the 10-part CGC test.

The 10 sections of the test are:

• Accepting a friendly stranger
• Sitting politely for petting
• Appearance and grooming (the dog allows someone to check his/her ears and feet)
• Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
• Walking through a crowd
• Sit and down on command and staying in place
• Coming when called
• Reaction to another dog
• Reaction to distraction
• Supervised separation

You can learn more about the test and the entire CGC program by visiting the AKC website.

You and your dog must pass the CGC test before you can enroll in the NCTDTherapy Dog Training Class because it is a good basic test of obedience and temperament. Passing the CGC shows that you are ready for therapy dog training because you have proven that you and your dog have a good foundation of obedience work and your dog has a temperament likely to be appropriate for therapy work.

Some obedience schools offer the CGC test as part of their classes or may have a separate CGC class. Ask your trainer if they offer the course. If they don’t, perhaps they can recommend another class or evaluator in your area. If you believe your dog has the skills to pass the 10-step test, you may only need to find a qualified CGC evaluator to perform the test. We suggest using the search provided on the AKC website to locate an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator or an AKC Club near you that offers classes and evaluations.