The Puppycom Canine
Good Citizen Progam -
What is it?
Welcome to the Puppycom's Canine Good
Citizen® (CGC) Program. CGC is a
certification program that 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
10-step CGC test may receive a
certificate from the Puppycom
Many dog owners choose Canine Good
Citizen training as the first step in
training their dogs. The Canine Good
Citizen Program lays the foundation for
other Puppycom activities such as
obedience, agility and others. As you
work with your dog to teach the CGC
skills, you'll discover the many
benefits and joys of training your dog.
Training will enhance the bond between
you and your dog. Dogs who have a solid
obedience education are a joy to live
with-they respond well to household
routines, have good manners in the
presence of people and other dogs, and
they fully enjoy the company of the
owner who took the time to provide
training, intellectual stimulation, and
a high quality life.
CGC
Program is particular important in
Malaysian Society where we learn to live
in harmony with various different races.
We do hope that by implementing CGC
Program, it will change the way public,
look at dog and will make our K9 very
much welcome in our society.
CGC Program is part of the Training
Program which we include for free for
those joining Puppy Class and Basic Dog
Obedience Training.
CGC
Training/Testing -
CGC Test Items
Items on the Canine Good Citizen Test
include:
Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
This test demonstrates that the dog will
allow a friendly stranger to approach it
and speak to the handler in a natural,
everyday situation. The evaluator walks
up to the dog and handler and greets the
handler in a friendly manner, ignoring
the dog. The evaluator and handler shake
hands and exchange pleasantries. The dog
must show no sign of resentment or
shyness, and must not break position or
try to go to the evaluator.
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,
to begin the exercise, the evaluator
pets the dog on the head and body. The
handler may talk to his or her dog
throughout the exercise. The dog may
stand in place as it is petted. The dog
must not show shyness or resentment.
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
This practical test demonstrates that
the dog will welcome being groomed and
examined and will permit someone, such
as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of
the owner, to do so. It also
demonstrates the owner's care, concern
and sense of responsibility. The
evaluator inspects the dog to determine
if it is clean and groomed. The dog must
appear to be in healthy condition (i.e.,
proper weight, clean, healthy and
alert). The handler should supply the
comb or brush commonly used on the dog.
The evaluator then softly combs or
brushes the dog, and in a natural
manner, lightly examines the ears and
gently picks up each front foot. It is
not necessary for the dog to hold a
specific position during the
examination, and the handler may talk to
the dog, praise it and give
encouragement throughout.
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. The dog's
position should leave no doubt that the
dog is attentive to the handler and is
responding to the handler's movements
and changes of direction. The dog need
not be perfectly aligned with the
handler and need not sit when the
handler stops. The evaluator may use a
pre-plotted course or may direct the
handler/dog team by issuing instructions
or commands. In either case, there
should be a right turn, left turn, and
an about turn with at least one stop in
between and another at the end. The
handler may talk to the dog along the
way, praise the dog, or give commands in
a normal tone of voice. The handler may
sit the dog at the halts if desired.
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
This test demonstrates that the dog can
move about politely in pedestrian
traffic and is under control in public
places. The dog and handler walk around
and pass close to several people (at
least three). The dog may show some
interest in the strangers but should
continue to walk with the handler,
without evidence of over-exuberance,
shyness or resentment. The handler may
talk to the dog and encourage or praise
the dog throughout the test. The dog
should not jump on people in the crowd
or strain on the leash.
Test 6: Sit and down on command and
Staying in place
This test demonstrates that the dog has
training, will respond to the handler's
commands to sit and down and will remain
in the place commanded by the handler
(sit or down position, whichever the
handler prefers). The dog must do sit
AND down on command, then the owner
chooses the position for leaving the dog
in the stay. Prior to this test, the
dog's leash is replaced with a line 20
feet long. The handler may take a
reasonable amount of time and use more
than one command to get the dog to sit
and then down. The evaluator must
determine if the dog has responded to
the handler's commands. The handler may
not force the dog into position but may
touch the dog to offer gentle guidance.
When instructed by the evaluator, the
handler tells the dog to stay and walks
forward the length of the line, turns
and returns to the dog at a natural
pace. The dog must remain in the place
in which it was left (it may change
position) until the evaluator instructs
the handler to release the dog. The dog
may be released from the front or the
side.
Test 7: Coming when called
This test demonstrates that the dog will
come when called by the handler. The
handler will walk 10 feet from the dog,
turn to face the dog, and call the dog.
The handler may use encouragement to get
the dog to come. Handlers may choose to
tell dogs to "stay" or "wait" or they
may simply walk away, giving no
instructions to 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 20 feet,
stop, shake hands and exchange
pleasantries, and continue on for about
10 feet. The dogs should show no more
than casual interest in each other.
Neither dog should go to the other dog
or its handler.
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
This test demonstrates that the dog is
confident at all times when faced with
common distracting situations. The
evaluator will select and present two
distractions. Examples of distractions
include dropping a chair, rolling a
crate dolly past the dog, having a
jogger run in front of the dog, or
dropping a crutch or cane. The dog may
express natural interest and curiosity
and/or may appear slightly startled but
should not panic, try to run away, show
aggressiveness, or bark. The handler may
talk to the dog and encourage or praise
it throughout the exercise.
Test 10: Supervised separation
This test demonstrates that a dog can be
left with a trusted person, if
necessary, and will maintain training
and good manners. Evaluators are
encouraged to say something like, "Would
you like me to watch your dog?" and then
take hold of the dog's leash. The owner
will go out of sight for three minutes.
The dog does not have to stay in
position but should not continually
bark, whine, or pace unnecessarily, or
show anything stronger than mild
agitation or nervousness. Evaluators may
talk to the dog but should not engage in
excessive talking, petting, or
management attempts (e.g, "there, there,
it's alright").
Equipment
All tests must be performed on leash.
Dogs should wear well-fitting buckle or
slip collars made of leather, fabric, or
chain. Special training collars such as
pinch collars, head halters, etc. are
not permitted in the CGC test. We
recognize that special training collars
may be very useful tools for beginning
dog trainers, however, we feel that dogs
are ready to take the CGC test at the
point at which they are transitioned to
regular collars.
The evaluator supplies a 20-foot lead
for the test. The owner/handler should
bring the dog's brush or comb to the
test.
Encouragement
Owners/handlers may use praise and
encouragement throughout the test. The
owner may pet the dog between exercises.
Food and treats are not permitted during
testing, nor is the use of toys, squeaky
toys, etc. to get the dog to do
something. We recognize that food and
toys may provide valuable reinforcement
or encouragement during the training
process but these items should not be
used during the test.
Failures - Dismissals
Any dog that eliminates during testing
must be marked failed. The only
exception to this rule is that
elimination is allowable in test Item
10, but only when test Item 10 is held
outdoors.
Any dog that growls, snaps, bites,
attacks, or attempts to attack a person
or another dog is not a good citizen and
must be dismissed from the test.
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