Taking the Canine Good Citizenship Test

The American Kennel Club (AKC) developed the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) test in 1989 to encourage dog owners to train basic obedience and to give them a way to show their dogs behaved politely.  The test consists of ten tasks.  The dog must pass all parts of the test to earn the CGC title.  The ten tasks are as follows:

This test is now used by several organizations to evaluate potential therapy dogs, service dogs, and other types of dogs.  It can be used to show a potential landlord that your dog is a good citizen and will not cause trouble.

While the American Kennel Club puts the test on, it is open to mixed breed dogs as well as purebred dogs.  To find a certified evaluator and a local test, you can check the AKC website.  Many obedience trainers offer a canine good citizenship test as a graduation exercise for their classes.  Many show clubs offer them when they have their obedience and conformation trials as well.  You can find one close to you without too much difficulty.  If your dog is purebred and you pass this test, you can add the title CGC to the end of your dog’s name.

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