Puppies have a short time window for optimal socialization, and that requires exposure to multiple different surfaces, people of all backgrounds, and various new situations. But what about the puppies who happen to be within that window now, during this time of necessary social distancing due to COVID-19? How can they be socialized so they […]

When the going gets tough, the tough get dogs. That was the lesson of 2020, when global lockdowns saw dog breeders' waitlists multiply and rescues empty as everyone rushed out for a furry companion. But new findings reveal a stunning 73 percent of people who became first-time dog owners during the COVID-19 crisis have considered […]

2020 was a year of pain, sadness, and frustration. For our sport, it has meant many months of doing without the weekly dog shows where we compete and socialize. We’re all familiar with the old saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” That phrase was never truer than in 2020, when fanciers found innovative […]

Our Beginnings On September 17, 1884, a group of twelve dedicated sportsmen, responding to a "meeting call" from Messrs. J. M. Taylor and Elliot Smith, met in the rooms of the Philadelphia Kennel Club in that city. Each member of the group was a representative or "delegate" from a dog club that had, in the […]

APPLY TO BE AN AKC APPROVED CGC EVALUATOR Dear Dog Trainer, Thank you for your interest in applying to be an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator. CGC Evaluators administer many exciting AKC Family Dog Programs including AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, AKC Community Canine, Urban CGC, AKC FIT DOG, AKC Trick Dog, and Virtual Home […]

After a long day of supporting those impacted by the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016, John Hunt, co-founder of Crisis Response Canines, and Gunther, his 3-year-old Rottweiler, traveled to a nearby Cross Memorial to pay their respects to those who lost their lives. That’s when they found a young man crying. “Gunther and I […]

Your local AKC dog club should be able to provide you with the information you need to find or join CGC training in your community. Some AKC obedience clubs offer “Canine Good Citizen” classes. Other clubs, while perhaps not having a class specifically named CGC, will cover all of the CGC skills in a basic […]

TO GET AN AKC CANINE PARTNERS NUMBER AT THE SAME TIME YOU APPLY FOR A TITLE, click here for the appplication. On January 1, 2013 Canine Good Citizen® became an official AKC title that can appear on the title records of dogs registered or listed with AKC. Dog owners who complete the CGC as a […]

Are you a canine instructor who works for other training companies? Do you think about working with dogs in a facility that you own and operate? When professional dog trainers imagined running a top-notch canine center, they made a big move.  The result? Two successful, state-of-the-art centers devoted to enriching dogs' relationships with their owners. Here's how […]

On a September day 135 years ago, long before the days of most dog sports, dog TV, and Instagram, a group of 12 dedicated sportsmen from dog clubs across the country met in Philadelphia, at the behest of Civil War veteran Major James M. Taylor. This meeting of the "club of clubs" would go down in history […]