Canine Good Citizen

My first experience with the CGC program was in 1992. I can't be sure but I think it was at the Dalmatian Club of America Show. The dog in question was CH Brookside's Four by Four affectionately known as "Dodger". In 1992 the title while supported by the American Kennel Club was not an official title, so while Dodger earned his title without the need for classes he was never allowed to use the CGC at the end of his name.
The nice thing about the CGC now is it gives the dog owner the opportunity to train their dogs to be good citizens. A CGC title is also required if you are ever interested in going further and getting a Therapy title on your dog. Regardless of titles training your dog is fun but lets face it without the knowledge that on Thursday night you dog may embarrass you in front of other people,training fall somewhere behind taking out the trash or raking the lawn. The CGC class combines temperament and some basic obedience and on my opinion provides your dog with a good balance of training. There are many people who dive into all the obedience classes offered but not my cup of tea. So let's talk about what a dog needs to do for their CGC title. Sit, Stay, walk on a loose lead, be approached by a strange dog and a stranger, not react to loud noise, be touched by a stranger and be left with a stranger without showing agitation.so you can see a blend of temperament and basic obedience. The course is 5 weeks long with the fifth week the actual test. Not a huge investment of time but time well spent.