The American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club - Citizen Canine

Table of Contents

Citizen Canine: Ten Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know is the definitive guide to the American Kennel Clubs Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program. This book provides how-to tips for teaching each of the ten skills, and all of the techniques suggested are based on sound behavioral principles. The Special Applications chapter presents exciting, never-before-seen information from unique CGC programs that are considered national models. Additional information on the background of the CGC Program, the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge, and what you can do with your dog before and after CGC makes this book relevant for every single person who owns a dog or cares about the well-being of the canines we love.

Mary R. Burch, PhD, is the Director of the American Kennel Clubs Canine Good Citizen and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Programs. Dr. Burch is an award-winning dog writer and author of ten books, including Volunteering with Your Pet, The Border Collie, and How Dogs Learn. Dr. Burch has trained dogs to the advanced levels of obedience, and she is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (the human end of the leash). She is a frequent consultant in radio, television, and print media.

Dennis B. Sprung is the President and CEO of the American Kennel Club. He has been responsible for many other AKC books and publications, including AKC Dog Care and Training. Involved in the sport of dogs for more than forty years, Mr. Sprung has been a dog owner, exhibitor, breeder, judge, AKC Delegate, and president of an all-breed club. Mr. Sprung has traveled to dog events worldwide, and he routinely interacts with internationally recognized experts on timely dog-related topics.

We would like to recognize the following AKC staff members who reviewed information related to their subject-matter expertise:

We would like to especially thank Demond Hunt and Sharon Wilson for the extraordinary work they do for the AKC Canine Good Citizen and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Programs.

With 73 million dogs in America living in 69 million households, mans best friend is more popular than ever. Currently, an astounding $43 billion are spent every year on canine toys, supplies, treats, and training books, attesting to the fact that dog owners love their dogs and want whats best for them. But despite a proliferation of written guides and a steady stream of information about dogs in the popular media, there are some problems with dog ownership in our country. Why?

More and more people have taken on the responsibility of dog ownership, but, lacking time and understanding about their dogs needs, not all dog owners are raising well-behaved canine companions. Problems ranging from nuisance barking to attacks against children have many communities responding with restrictive laws and deep concern. No Dogs Allowed signs abound in privately owned businesses and residential areas. People with poorly trained dogs, those they come in contact with, and the dogs themselves are suffering.

The American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program is the answer to the pressing question of how to ensure that all dogs are well-behaved, welcome members of any community. Not just another training guide, this is the first and only book to provide a prescriptive approach and a detailed curriculum based on sound behavioral principles for obtaining the Canine Good Citizen award from the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC, the nations leading authority on dogs in our country for more than 125 years, developed the Canine Good Citizen Program as the gold standard of training for every dog in America, regardless of age or breed. Whether you decide to earn the CGC certificate or not, this book will provide you with the foundation you need to be a responsible dog owner, and it will show you how to teach your dog the skills he needs to be a well-mannered pet.

Never before has there been such a critical need for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program or for a simple-to-use, informative book that prepares dogs to earn the Canine Good Citizen award.

In the 1950s, families across America sat in front of their black-and-white televisions to watch Lassie, the nations image of the ideal dog. This wonderful, beautiful Collie would instantly come when called, jump through a window on command, and instinctively find the little boy who was lost. Viewers were impressed with the concept of a well-trained dog, and during these Leave It to Beaver years dogs came to be thought of as family members.

However, by the 1980s, problems caused by irresponsible dog owners had dramatically changed and damaged the reputation of mans best friend. As a result of the graphic media coverage of several maulings and deaths caused by dogs, 1980s America found itself in the midst of what the popular press described as pit bull hysteria. The coverage of pit bull attacks lent an unnecessary stigma to all larger, muscular dogs. Many emotionally charged articles and television spots neglected to mention that these horrible incidents were not the dogs fault and that any bad feelings should be targeted at the dogs owners. In the 1980s, an increasing number of state and local governments passed legislation that placed restrictions on dog ownership. Since the year 2000, these restrictions have continued to increase in a growing number of municipalities. For example, in some places, there are limits on the number of dogs per household as well as all-out bans on dogs in certain housing and recreational areas. Specific breeds have been outlawed from entire cities or counties, and, as a result, families have been forced to find other homes for their pets, sometimes being given only days to do so.

Long aware of the need to protect the rights of people who love their dogs, the AKC implemented the CGC Program in 1989 with the goal of promoting responsible dog ownership and recognizing dogs for good behavior both at home and in the community. Several versions of the evaluation were field-tested with hundreds of dogs before the CGC Program was implemented at the national level. In its current format, the CGC award shows a commitment to responsible dog ownership, and passing the ten-item CGC Test means that a dog is under basic instructional control, can respond to simple commands while on leash, and, most important, is reliable in the presence of people and other animals.