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AKC Canine Good Citizen

NCTD requires that dogs have their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate before beginning NCTD training. The CGC program is maintained by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. It stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. Dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.

The 10 sections of the test are:AKC Canine Good Citizen Logo
  • Accepting a friendly stranger
  • Sitting politely for petting
  • Appearance and grooming (allowing someone to check its 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.

Passing the CGC test is required prior to enrolling in the NCTD Therapy Dog Training Class because it is a basic test of obedience and temperament.  It shows that you are ready for therapy dog training because you have proven you and your dog have a good foundation of obedience work and your dog has a good personality/temperament.

Some obedience schools offer the CGC test as part of their classes or maybe even have a separate class for it. 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 already 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.

If you cannot find a CGC evaluator in your area but are confident that your dog can pass the test, please let us know.  In some cases, we may be able to schedule a CGC evaluation for you on one of our scheduled evaluation days.  These evaluations must be scheduled in advance.

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