About AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy
- AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is an incentive program designed for loving dog owners who have taken the time to take a basic training class with their puppies.
- All dogs are welcome to participate, including purebreds and mixed breeds.
- 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 in your AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy training classes.
- AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is a natural lead in to the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program.
Read more about the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program!
About the Canine Good Citizen Program
- Every dog can participate in this program. Purebreds and mixed breeds are welcome. More than 500,000 dogs have received the CGC certificate.
- CGC is becoming the standard of behavior for dogs in our communities. The country’s largest insurance companies will insure dogs not otherwise insurable if they have the AKC CGC certificate.
- 40 states have CGC legislative resolutions.
- Many apartments and condos now require dogs to pass the CGC test.
- There are CGC programs in shelters, and many veterinarians recommend the CGC program.
Read more about the Canine Good Citizen Program!
Both the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen Programs are sponsored by
The Hartford.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
Is there a program in Eugene, Oregon? I would love to enroll my Bernese pup in this type of class. thanks for helping.
is there one near Peoria, Il
This is a little late and I apologize, but Debby if you go to AKC’s CGC page and look up CGC Evaluators in your area, you can e-mail one of them and see if they offer the STAR Puppy class. You may also look up AKC Obedience or Kennel Clubs in your area and see if they offer it as well.
Where do I send my pictures of my puppy stars/CGC and owners to put on your web?
As an evaluator for the CGC test, I really appreciate the support from the AKC with suggested class outlines. I do have a small issue with the outline that is posted. It suggests that the last week of class is used to administer the Canine Good Citizen Test. I feel this does not represent a true indication of how the dog will behave in “the community” when it is tested in the same location, with the same people and other dogs it has been around for the last several weeks/classes, not to mention the same evaluator that has been working with the dog and handler. I could see where this would be appropriate with the test in another location with a different person evaluating the test with a small group of helpers who have not been initially introduced to the dogs.
In addition to being an approved AKC, CGC Evaluator, I also act as a certified TD Evaluator for Therapy Dogs United, Inc. Part of our requirements to take the TD Eval. is that the dog must have passed its CGC (at 1 yr. of age to be valid for TD). If the CGC was taken somewhere else other than with us, we ask for proof. It seemed odd that a good number of dogs coming to us that had passed their CGC Test with another person did not appear to have the skills needed to have actually passed the test. I found out today that many of those dogs and handlers took the test on the last day of their CGC Class for Graduation. Aha, now it became clear to me why the dogs seemed so unprepared to walk on a loose leash at our TD Test Site with multiple distractions or complete a sit stay, ect.
So, if it is happening here, where else are trainers pumping out successfull CGC Tests with dogs and handlers who cannot perform the skills actually walking down a busy street, or through a park, festival, outdoor cafe, etc. Does anyone else see a flaw with such a set up? Or are my standards just too high?
AKC now allows a CGC to be a title on your dogs official registration. In reading the post by Tammy I as a breeder, trainer and owner of goldens am curious to know if the last day testing will change to have a dog offsite for final test? Thank you
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/title.cfm
To Alaska Retrievers,
The last day testing is just a suggestion in a sample outline. Trainers who teach CGC skills have the option of performing the test (if they are an approved evaluator) at their discretion. As for myself, I never test my own students at our training site. I perform CGC Tests for Therapy Dogs United, Inc. and we offer the CGC once a month. I direct my students to that location to test as they feel ready. I DO offer a simulated run through of the test as a “graduation” portion of the CGC skills learned. The students who cannot pass at the location where the dogs have become comfortable obviously have a little more work to do and they appreciate knowing just what skills they need to devote more time to. The others who do pass the “fake” test then feel confident enough to try the real thing where it is offered.
Tammy
Wow, that was fast. Thank you. I did understand your suggestion, was curious if it would be applied. I’m not a CGC trainer, though would be a great added part of my training here. I’m remote to much training as it is we drive 3 hours one way for “good show training” .. I appreciate your heart and the goal to better our communities! Look forward to see if things change for the final test (for evaluators).