AKC Family Dog
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy
The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is an exciting program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is an incentive program for loving dog owners who have taken the time to take their puppies through a basic training class.
The Benefits of Training
Training classes teach you how to best communicate with your puppy. Organized training classes also provide an opportunity for your dog to socialize with other dogs. In classes aimed at earning the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy distinction, you’ll be able to get information on all of your puppy-raising questions including housetraining, chewing, and the most effective way to teach practical skills such as coming when called. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy training is a natural lead in to the AKC® Canine Good Citizen® Program.
How It Works
When you complete a basic training class with your puppy (up to 1 year old) your puppy is eligible to be enrolled in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program.
You’ll attend an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class for at least 6 weeks. Your instructor will administer the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test at the end of the course. Upon passing the test, you’ll get an application to send to AKC® for enrollment in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
All dogs can be good dogs, and all owners can be great owners: all it takes is a little bit of training, lots of love, and of course, plenty of praise along the way.
The Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program: a two-part course designed to help you and your dog be the best you can be–together. Since 1989, over 1 million dogs and their owners have participated in CGC, mastering ten basic skills that instill confidence and good manners in and out of your home.
Not only does CGC training create long-lasting trust between you and your pup, but also ensures you’ll be good neighbors and friends to everyone around you—and, if you’re interested in going beyond the basics, CGC also lays the foundation for other AKC sports and activities like obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events.
AKC Community Canine (CGCA)
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.
AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen (CGCU)
AKC Urban CGC is a title in the Canine Good Citizen family of awards and titles that also include AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen and AKC Community Canine.
AKC Urban CGC requires that the dog demonstrate CGC skills and beyond in a setting that includes traffic, crowds, noises, smells and other distractions that are present in a city or town. As with Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban CGC is a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Urban CGC title. This is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.
AKC Urban CGC is a public access test that demonstrates dogs are well-behaved and well-trained when in public settings. The Urban CGC test can be used by dog- friendly business (e.g., lodging, retail, transportation, public facilities) to recognize and accept dogs with good manners.
The Setting
All skills are tested on leash. AKC Urban CGC should be administered in a place where there are cars, streets to be crossed, noises, and distractions. This test is administered in the real world; it should not be simulated in a ring at a dog show.
When test items (such as riding on an elevator) are administered in public buildings, the buildings must be dog friendly or evaluators must have permission in advance from the business owners, managers, etc.
Trick Dog
Do you and your dog love to be the life of the party by showing off his arsenal of tricks? Then he might be perfectly primed to earn AKC Trick Dog titles!
There are five AKC Trick Titles you and your dog can earn:
AKC Novice Trick Dog (TKN):
Your dog performs 10 skills from the Novice list. If a dog has a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate or title on record at AKC, it can do 5 Novice tricks (CGC + 5) to earn the Novice title.
AKC Intermediate Trick Dog (TKI):
Your dog must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks.
AKC Advanced Trick Dog (TKA):
Your dog must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 10 tricks from the Advanced list.
AKC Trick Dog Performer(TKP):
In this title, handlers perform a short routine with at least 10 tricks with at least 3 tricks using props.
AKC Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE):
In the highest level of Trick Dog, the Elite Performers perform a routine that has a story/script. At least 5 props are used.
AKC Canine Good Citizen Ready Program
CGC-Ready is how the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program is implemented in settings where staff or volunteer trainers train dogs either (1) for their existing owners, or (2) or to prepare them for adoption.
The CGC-Ready program applies when CGC training is provided in settings and agencies such as:
Rescue organizations (including all of AKC’s breed rescue)
Shelters
Prison based dog training programs
Service dog trainers
Dog daycare
Boarding kennels with Board & Train programs
HOW IT WORKS
Dogs are trained by trainers (staff or volunteers).
In daycare or boarding settings, when dog is ready, owners take a lesson, then take the dog through the CGC test.
In adoption oriented settings, dogs can be advertised as, “If you adopt me, I am ready to take the CGC test with you.” You can display our sample kennel card. Adopters take dogs through the test at adoption.
Owners are given CGC paperwork to send to AKC. Agencies may choose to cover the cost of the certificate.
Therapy Dog
Therapy Dog is an AKC program which recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits. Therapy work involves volunteers who schedule visits to various facilities and locations such a nursing homes, classrooms, libraries, assisted living centers, hospices, funeral homes, schools, shelters even courtrooms.
Whether they’re working with a child who is learning to read, visiting a patient in a hospital or a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. A dog can provide a valuable sense of reassurance, joy, or calmness to people experiencing stressful, lonely or depressing situations or general times in their life.
Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specifically trained to perform a task or tasks to assist a person with a disability or impairment. A service dog must be with their person at all times and has special access privileges in public places.
Title Eligibility:
To earn an AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must:
Be certified/registered by an AKC recognized therapy dog organization.
Perform the required number of visits for the title for which you are applying.
10 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN) title.
50 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog (THD) title.
100 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA) title.
200 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX) title.
400 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD) title.
AKC FIT DOG
Participation in the AKC FIT DOG program will bring health benefits to both you and your dog.
If you walk with your dog on a regular basis, join the ranks of AKC FIT DOG and get your free (5-3/4 inches) FIT DOG logo car magnet.
The AKC FIT DOG magnet proudly declares to the world that you are committed to your dog’s health and fitness through regular exercise.
You can order your free magnet when you and your dog have met one of these fitness goals:
Walked at least 30 minutes 5 times per week for a total of at least 150 minutes per week for at least 3 months. For dogs and people in good shape.
Walked at least 15 minutes per session at least 10 times per week (e.g., two 15-min walks per day) for at least 3 months. For dogs or people who would benefit from a walk that is a shorter duration, e.g., senior dogs.
FIT DOG Clubs
AKC launched the AKC FIT DOG program where dog owners who walk a specified distance with their dogs can receive a free AKC FIT DOG car magnet. It has been a great success and now the program has expanded to recognize AKC FIT DOG Clubs! These are local groups which meet and accomplish certain fitness goals together with their dogs.
Groups that may be approved as AKC FIT DOG clubs include: AKC clubs, independent dog training schools, and other dog related clubs and organizations.
To promote health and fitness for dogs and their owners, AKC FIT DOG clubs will:
Conduct at least 4 group fitness walks per year, or
Conduct regularly scheduled canine fitness/conditioning classes.
In the fitness walks and classes, dogs and owners may participate at their own individual skill level.
AKC Temperament Test (ATT)
The AKC Temperament Test (ATT) was developed to bring focus and provide a meaningful evaluation to assess the temperament of our canine companions.
The ATT tests how a dog reacts to a variety of stimuli. Desirable traits are that the dog will be emotionally stable, inquisitive, cooperative, appropriately social for its breed, biddable and demonstrates the ability to recover from a startling situation in a reasonable amount of time.
Undesirable traits are fear, shyness, lack of cooperation and an inability to recover from unfamiliar or unexpected situations. Examples of undesirable behaviors include being afraid of friendly strangers or unfamiliar stimuli, obsessive barking, and aggression.
In the ATT, dogs are tested in 6 categories of stimuli that include:
Social
Auditory
Visual
Tactile
Proprioceptive (motion)
Unexpected stimulus