Advanced CGC; The “CGCA” Title
What is AKC Community Canine?
AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program.
As with CGC, AKC Community Canine has a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Community Canine title. This is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.
The Setting
All skills on the test are tested on leash. The AKC Community Canine (CGCA) test may be done in a class, at shows, in pet stores or in the community. When the test is administered in community settings such as at a business or special event, evaluators must have the necessary approval of the business owners, etc.
While Canine Good Citizen tests are simulations of real world skills, (e.g., dog/handler walks through a “crowd” of evaluators in a ring), the goal of AKC Community Canine is to test the dog’s skills in a natural setting. For example, rather than the dog being tested in a ring, in AKC Community Canine, the “walks through a crowd” test item will involve the dog walking through a real crowd at a dog show, on a busy sidewalk, in a therapy dog setting, or at a training club.
Requirements
To earn the AKC Community Canine title, dogs must meet the following two requirements:
- The CGC test and the AKC Community Canine test may be taken on the same day. However, when taken on the same day, both forms should be sent to AKC in one envelope so the CGC can be entered first.
- Must have an AKC number of one of 3 types (AKC registration number, PAL number, or AKC Canine Partners number). All dogs, including mixed breeds, can get an AKC number. The reason for the AKC number requirement is that this is how we create titles at AKC; we attach the titles to the dog’s number. For more information on getting an AKC number, see: http://images.akc.org/cgc/number.pdf
The Canine Good Citizen Program is sponsored by Geico