You may have a good dog, a well behaved dog, and a trained dog…but do you have a Canine Good Citizen dog??
How do you know? Well your pup needs a certificate to prove it! And to get that certificate, he or she must complete a test (with you of course!) with 10 steps that judges a dog’s basic manners in a variety of situations. The steps include basic recall, heel, sitting nicely to be petted, walking past another dog, and lastly, a 3 minute down-stay while you leave the room!
So why would I suggest that you take this test as opposed to simply accepting your dog as a good citizen without a certificate? Well first, the bragging rights! The certificate looks just great hanging on the wall!
But more importantly, taking a CGC class which ends with a test forces you to work hard with your pup to earn that certificate! With our busy schedules and hectic lifestyles, it’s hard to find any spare time to work on training your pup. But when you have a test that the two of you will be taking together, you’re more apt to find that extra time. And the results will leave you with a well trained dog that has learned to work with you, be well mannered in public, and will provide an avenue if you want to get further involved in programs with your pup! Once Elsa earned her CGC certificate, we were ready to compete successfully in Rally-Obedience together!
For more information on AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program, you can check out the AKC website: AKC CGC or shoot me a message and I can help you get started!