American Kennel Club

What is the Canine Good Citizen Program?

AKC's Canine Good Citizen certification program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the CGC test receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club and they are automatically recorded in the AKC's Canine Good Citizen Archive.

The purpose of the CGC Program is to ensure that our favorite companion, the dog, can be a respected member of the community.

All dogs, including both purebred and mixed breed dogs are welcome to participate in the CGC program. Dogs must be old enough to have received necessary immunizations such as rabies vaccines, and there is no age limit on the test. A dog is never too old to be a good citizen.

Owners should be proud of the award and recognize that the CGC is gaining credibility and recognition in our communities. Participating in this program helps spread the word about the importance of responsible dog ownership.
 
 
 

What is the CGC Test?

To receive the CGC certificate, dogs must pass all ten items of the test.  Handlers may talk to their dogs throughout the test.
 

Test 1
Accepting A Friendly Stranger
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. The evaluator and handler shake hands and exchange pleasantries. The dog must show no sign of resentment or shyness.

Test 2
Sitting Politely For Petting
This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler. With the dog sitting at the handler's side, the evaluator pets the dog on the head and body only.  The dog must not show shyness or resentment.

Test 3
Appearance And Grooming
This test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit a stranger, such as a veterinarian, groomer, or friend of the owner, to do so. The evaluator inspects the dog, then combs or brushes lightly, examines the ears and each front foot.

Test 4
Out For A Walk (Walking on a loose lead)
This test demonstrates that the handler is in control of the dog. The dog may be on either side of the handler, whichever the handler prefers. There must be a left turn, a right turn, and about turn, with one stop in between and one at the end. The dog need not be perfectly aligned with the handler and need not sit when the handler stops.

Test 5
Walking Through A Crowd
This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic.  The dog and handler will walk close to several people. The dog may show some interest  without appearing overexuberant, shy or resentful.

Test 6
Sit and Down On Command (Staying in Place)
This test demonstrates that the dog has training, will respond to the handler's command to sit and down and will remain in place. The handler may take a reasonable amount of time and use more than one command to make the dog sit and then down. The handler tells the dog to stay and walks to the end of a 20-foot line and returns. The dog must remain in place, but may change positions.  Handler may choose to leave the dog in either a sit or a down.

Test 7
Coming When Called
This test demonstrates the dog will come when called by the handler. With dog on 20-foot line from Test 6, handler walks 10 feet from the dog, turns and faces the dog, and calls the dog.

Test 8
Reaction To Another Dog
This test demonstrates that the dog can behave politely around other dogs. Two  handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 10 yards, shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and continue on. The dogs should show no more than a casual interest in each other.

Test 9
Reactions to Distractions
This test demonstrates that the dog is confident at all times when faced with common distractions. The dog may express a casual interest and may appear slightly startled, but should not panic, show aggressiveness, or bark.

Test 10
Supervised Separation
This test demonstrates that a dog can be left alone with a trusted person and will maintain its good manners. Dog will be on a 6-foot leash; leash is held by an evaluator while handler is out of sight for three minutes.

 

My comments: The AKC CGC might seem like an unreasonable test for a Jindo given their reputation for not coming when called, not enjoying being handled by a stranger, and not liking the presence of another dog, but in my opinion, the AKC CGC has less to do with the individual dog's preferences and more to do with the control the owner has over the Jindo and the trust the Jindo has in its owner.    Never is the Jindo asked to do something that the owner does not agree to.  Never is the Jindo allowed "free-reign" to do what he or she wants.  Never is the Jindo off-leash. Each dog will react differently, but I've noticed among my own dogs that the most difficult test is Test 3.  This section basically has a stranger taking liberties with a Jindo's personal space - touching on head, holding of front paws, grooming, etc.   Some dogs require time to evaluate whether a stranger is friendly or not, and sometimes the timeframe of the test is not enough.  Practice, practice, and more practice help speeds up the Jindo's acceptance of an approved stranger handling him/her.   The tests involving loose-lead walking, staying in place, coming when called, recovering from distractions, and reacting to another dog are fairly easy for a Jindo who has gone through basic beginners classes.   Contrary to what I expected, Test 10 with the supervised separation is not a big problem with Jindos.  The key is for the dog to know that he/she is in a stay and that the approved stranger holding the dog's leash does not try to move away while the owner is out of sight.   Never should a Jindo try to attack the approved stranger for holding his/her leash and keeping him/her in place.  If that approved stranger tries to move the Jindo away from where the owner was last seen, I expect the dog to balk and to even attempt to chew off the leash, but I'm of the opinion that a good Jindo should not resort to attacking that person.

CGC Jindos/Jindo mixes
 

 

"Kiva" female, rescue owned by Nichole Royer earned September 1997 at 2 yrs of age

"Yuka Grrl" female, rescue owned by Amanda Putman/Peter Kotavy earned May 24, 2003 at 5 yrs of age

"Hwang Jae" male, KJCCA registered owned by Jhun Kim/Ann Kim earned Mar. 6, 2004 at 10 yrs of age

"Woody" male, rescue owned by Patricia Etherington earned Oct. 10, 2004

"Onyx" female, rescue owned by Michele H. earned Oct. 23, 2004

"Amber" female, rescue owned by Fawn

 
 
 
 
 

last updated 9/2/05