Canine Good Citizen
The AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program
This is a program that was developed and launched in 1989 by the AKC. Since its arrival into the dog training world the AKC proudly boast the completion of more then 1 million dog/owner participants. The AKC believes that, given the opportunity, all dogs can be good dogs and with that in mind the AKC created a program to help pet owners achieve just that.
The CGC is a ten-skill training program that is open to all dogs, purebred and mixed breed, and focuses on teaching the basics of good manners, obedience, instilling the values of responsible ownership, and strengthening the bond between the owner and dog both at home and out in the community.
Trainers Raul & Colby Hernandez are both certified with the AKC to teach CGC as well as administer the CGC test. Participants can train with Raul & Colby to help prepare for the exam as well as take part in the CGC exam at the Twin Oaks Training Facility.
The purpose of the CGC program is promote responsible pet ownership. Throughout the course the owner/handler will learn how to communicate with one another, strengthen their bond and elevate their trust of one another in new situations. This program is not only designed to bring the human and canine team closer together but to make them better neighbors to those around them as well. Upon the completion on the Canine Good Citizen test the letters "CGC" will also be a title given to your dog.
There is no age limit on the participants for this program but we do ask that the dogs be at least 1 yr in age and that the handler for the exam is the actual owner of the dog. While this may not be a direct perquisite of AKC at Twin Oaks we feel it that having a someone else handle a dog for the CGC, whether its for a friend or client, goes against the intent for the actual exam.
Once the CGC is completed the AKC has developed many other ways the handler/canine team can advance and hone in on their skills. These programs include:
AKC Community Canine
AKC Urban CGC
AKC Therapy Dog
AKC Trick Dog
AKC Fit Dog
AKC Temperament Test
Can’t get enough of the AKC? You and your Canine can take part in many more activities such as Obedience, Rally, AKC Scent Work, Agility, Tracking and more. Visit the AKC to learn more about what they have to offer and when your ready to get started in training Twin Oaks will be there to guide you!
References:
AKC, What Is CGC : https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/what-is-canine-good-citizen/
AKC, After CGC: https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/after-cgc/