By Amber Jackson, Preston’s trainer
I am sure you all know by now that Preston is certified by the AKC as a Canine Good Citizen (CGC)! Congratulations to him and his pet parents for all their hard work and training with him. For all of his fans who don’t know what that means I though I would tell you about what a wonderful program CGC is. The program started back in 1989 and it is designed to reward not only dogs for having proper manners at home and in the community but also promote responsible pet ownership. There are 10 items the dog must pass in order to receive the CGC certificate from the American Kennel Club. This is a great start for all dogs!
The test is similar to the commands you learn in basic obedience courses. With proper training your dog could pass the following
- Accepting a friendly stranger
- Sit politely for petting
- Appearance and grooming
- Out for a walk
- Walking through a crowd
- Sit and down on command/staying in place
- Coming when called
- Reaction to another dog
- Reaction to distraction
- Supervised seperation
Here is a link to the website to learn more www.akc.org/events/cgc
This will go into greater detail about all the test requirements as well as help you find an evaluator in your area so that you can and your dog can be on your way to becoming a CGC dog and CGC pet owner!
My dog Kelly would have a little trouble with a calm reaction to other dogs. Preston looks so cute in his cap and gown!