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.
Test Requirements
- Dog sits or lays down and waits under control.
- Walks on a loose leash in a natural situation (not in a ring)—does not pull.
- Walks on a loose leash through a crowd.
- Dog walks past distraction dogs present; does not pull.
- Sit-stay in small group (3 other people with dogs).
- Dog allows person who is carrying something to approach and pet it.
- “Leave it.” Dog walks by food and follows owner instructions, “Leave it.”
- Down or sit stay-distance (owner’s choice).
- Recall (coming when called) with distractions present.
- Dog will enter/exit a doorway or passageway with owner and remain under control.
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.