The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program is a training program for owners and dogs. Upon completion of the training for the CGC, the owner and dog undergo testing conducted by a CGC evaluator approved by the AKC. All Dogs Are Good Dogs is an AKC-approved evaluator in the Boston area.

Canine Good Citizen

The CGC Training Program is a test that evaluates 10 skills designed to teach dogs good manners while teaching their guardians the foundation of responsible dog ownership. At the end of the program, successful participants receive an AKC Canine Good Citizenship certificate.

You can test your dog for the CGC at any age, as there is no specific age limit for the test. Dogs can enter the program as puppies and move through the levels as they reach specific milestones. However, your dog should be trained and prepared at the time of testing.

Here are a few other considerations to keep in mind prior to contacting All Dogs Are Good Dogs for a testing appointment:

Your dog should:
  • 1. Be old enough to have completed all necessary immunizations and boosters.
  • 2. Have the necessary training to successfully perform the required skills in the test.
You should:
  • 1. Consider enrolling in CGC classes or basic obedience classes.
  • 2. Review the 10 test items to ensure your dog can perform all required skills.
  • 3. Practice the skills at home or with a trainer until you feel confident in your dog’s abilities.

At All Dogs Are Good Dogs, we ask for your dogs to be trained and ready to test when they come for a certification. Not quite ready? Consider our training programs to get you both test prepped!

Testing and Certification FAQ

The CGC program is open to purebred dogs as well as mixed breed dogs of all ages as long as they are old enough to have received their rabies vaccine and other necessary vaccinations.

The 10 skills of CGC are:

  1. Accepting a friendly stranger
  2. Sitting politely for petting
  3. Walking through a crowd
  4. Coming when called
  5. Reacting calmly and politely to another dog
  6. Supervised separation without a negative reaction
  7. Laying down or sitting on command, and staying in place
  8. Walking on a loose leash
  9. Calm or no reaction to distraction
  10. Dog welcomes being brushed and groomed, including allowing ears and paws to be handled.

There are two fees associated with obtaining the CGC title:

  1. Testing Fee: The testing fee is $175 in Revere, MA, and $225 when testing in a public location outside of Revere, MA. This includes all paperwork and filing fees.
  2. AKC Processing Fee: After passing the test, there is an optional fee paid directly to the AKC for processing:
    • $25 for the CGC as a Title option. This includes the CGC certificate, the ability to use the “CGC” suffix after the dog’s name, and adding CGC to the dog’s official AKC title record.
    • $15 for the CGC certificate only, without adding it to the dog’s title record.

If you and your dog need training before you test, please reach out to All Dogs Are Good Dogs by filling out the form on our site, or texting or calling us. We’d love to help you get ready to pass, or to run through a practice test with you to identify areas that need work prior to testing! Get in touch with us!

As part of our puppy training, we also test for the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certification. The puppy and the guardian must have been enrolled in at least six training classes with us to be eligible.

Please see our Training Page for more details on getting your puppy to S.T.A.R. status.

Is Your Dog Ready to Test?

If your dog has received their CGC training, and you are looking for an AKC-approved CGC evaluator in the Greater Boston area, reach out to All Dogs are Good Dogs to set up a test time.