canine good citizen test items

FRIENDLY STRANGER
Your dog must sit next to you while the evaluator approaches you. The evaluator will then shake your hand, introduce themself and have a short conversation with you. While this is happening your dog must stay neutral and not show aggression, shyness or fear.

SITTING POLITELY FOR PETTING
The evaluator will bend down or over your dog and will then begin to pet your dogs head and body, gradually making their way from head to tail. Your dog must not show any dislike, disdain, shyness or aggression. You are able to reassure your dog during this portion of the test. 

APPEARANCE AND GROOMING
This part of the test looks at if your dog is healthy and well taken care of. The evaluator will look to see if your dog is pleasing to the eye and clean. This test evaluates both the health and physical appearance of your dog, ensuring that your dog is appropriate for hospitals and restaurants. This test also evaluates your dogs neutrality to being groomed. 
During this portion of the test the evaluator will examine your dogs ears, paws and gums. The evaluator will then comb your dogs fur. 

WALKING ON A LOOSE LEASH
This test demonstrates that you are in control of your dog while walking them on a loose leash. 
The dog may be on either side of the handler. The dog’s position should leave no doubt that the dog is attentive to the handler and is responding to the handler’s movements and changes of direction. The dog need not be perfectly aligned with the handler and need not sit when the handler stops. The evaluator may use a pre-plotted course or may direct the handler/dog team by issuing instructions or commands. In either case, there should be a right turn, left turn, and an about turn with at least one stop in between and another at the end. The handler may talk to the dog along the way, praise the dog, or give commands in a normal tone of voice. The handler may sit the dog at the halts if desired.

WALKING THROUGH A CROWD
This portion of the test shows that your dog can walk through a crowd in a polite and controlled manner. 
The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three). The dog may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence of over-exuberance, shyness or resentment. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash.

SIT, DOWN AND STAY ON COMMAND
During this part to the AKC test you and your dog will demonstrate that your dog can stay in a sit and down position.
The dog must do sit AND down when cued by the handler, then the owner chooses the position for leaving the dog in the stay. Prior to this test, the dog’s leash is replaced with a line 20 feet long. The handler may take a reasonable amount of time and use more than one cue to get the dog to sit and then down. The evaluator must determine if the dog has responded to the handler’s cues. The handler may not force the dog into position but may touch the dog to offer gentle guidance. When instructed by the evaluator, the handler tells the dog to stay and walks forward the length of the line, turns, and returns to the dog at a natural pace. The dog must remain in the place in which it was left (it may change position) until the evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog. The dog may be released from the front or the side.

RECALL
This portion of the test shows that your dog will come to you when called. 
​With the dog still on the 20 ft. line from Test #6, the handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog. The handler may use encouragement to get the dog to come. Handlers may choose to tell dogs to “stay” or “wait” or they may simply walk away, giving no instructions to the dog.

REACTION TO ANOTHER DOG
This test shows that your dog is polite and under control in the presence of another dog(s). 
Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, pretend to shake hands (hands do not touch) and exchange pleasantries, and continue on for about 10 feet. The dogs should show no more than casual interest in each other. Neither dog should go to the other dog or its handler.

REACTION TO DISTRACTION
This test shows that your dog is confident when faced with a loud or unsettling distraction. 
​The evaluator will select and present two distractions. Examples of distractions include dropping a chair, rolling a crate dolly past the dog, having a jogger run in front of the dog, or dropping a crutch or cane. The dog may express natural interest and curiosity and/or may appear slightly startled but should not panic, try to run away, show aggressiveness, or bark. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise it throughout the exercise.

SUPERVISED SEPERATION
This test shows that your dog continues the behaviors tested previously, but in the presence of a stranger and not you. 
​Evaluators are encouraged to say something like, “Would you like me to watch your dog?” and then take hold of the dog’s leash. The owner will go out of sight for three minutes. The dog does not have to stay in position but should not continually bark, whine, or pace unnecessarily, or show anything stronger than mild agitation or nervousness. Evaluators may talk to the dog but should not engage in excessive talking, petting, or management attempts (e.g., “there, there, it’s alright”).