AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test: A 10-Item Breakdown

What the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test Actually Is

The AKC Canine Good Citizen test is a 10-item, pass-or-fail evaluation that the American Kennel Club launched in 1989 to recognize dogs (and their handlers) who have basic good manners in everyday public settings. It is not an obedience competition, and there is no qualifying score — your dog either passes each item or does not, and a single failed item means the dog does not earn the title that day.

Despite being introduced more than three decades ago, the AKC Canine Good Citizen test remains the most recognized “good public dog” benchmark in North America. Hospitals, libraries, schools, apartment buildings, and many therapy-dog registries either require or strongly recommend it. Critically, the CGC is the required prerequisite for the AKC Therapy Dog title — without CGC, a dog cannot apply to most major therapy-dog organizations affiliated with the AKC framework.

The test is open to dogs of any age, any breed, and any background. Mixed-breed dogs are fully eligible through the AKC Canine Partners program — a free registration that lets non-purebred dogs earn AKC titles. Shelter and rescue dogs are explicitly welcome, which is one reason the program has become a favorite milestone for adopter families.

The 10 Test Items, One by One

The 10 items are administered in sequence, usually within 20 to 30 minutes, by a CGC-approved evaluator. Each item is scored pass or fail. Treats and toys are not permitted during the test itself, though praise is allowed.

1. Accepting a friendly stranger. The evaluator approaches you, greets you, and shakes your hand. Your dog must remain composed — no jumping, no lunging, no barking, no aggressive display. The dog does not need to be social, just neutral.

2. Sitting politely for petting. The evaluator pets the dog on the head and body. The dog should accept the contact calmly, without shyness, fear, or resentment.

3. Appearance and grooming. The evaluator brushes the dog briefly and lightly examines the ears and front feet (mimicking a basic vet exam). This item rewards owners who have practiced cooperative handling.

4. Out for a walk (loose-leash walking). You and your dog walk a short course with at least one right turn, one left turn, one about-turn, and a stop. The leash should not be tight. Your dog does not have to be in formal heel — just attentive and not pulling.

5. Walking through a crowd. You walk through a group of at least three people. The dog should pay attention to you, not jump on the strangers, and not show aggression.

6. Sit, down, and stay. On cue, the dog must sit, then down (or vice versa), then stay in position while you walk 20 feet away and return. You can give the cue more than once and use a hand signal.

7. Coming when called. With the dog left in a sit or stand, you walk 10 feet away, turn, and call the dog. The dog must come.

8. Reaction to another dog. Two handlers and two dogs approach, stop, exchange a brief greeting, and continue. The dogs should show only casual interest. This is the most-failed item for under-prepared dogs.

9. Reaction to distraction. The evaluator introduces two common distractions — for example, dropping a chair or rolling a wheeled cart. The dog may startle but should recover quickly and not panic, lunge, or bark continuously.

10. Supervised separation. You hand the leash to the evaluator and leave the dog’s sight for three minutes. The dog should not whine continuously, bark, pace, pull, or show signs of severe distress.

Pass-Fail Mechanics and What Evaluators Watch For

There is no points-based qualifying score. The evaluator marks each item P (pass) or NA (needs more training). If all 10 items pass, your dog earns the CGC title. If even one item fails, you receive feedback and can retake the test on a different day; many evaluators allow re-tests after a short rest, but the official AKC structure permits unlimited retakes across separate test sessions.

Common reasons a dog fails: jumping on the friendly stranger, pulling hard on the leash through the crowd, lunging at the neutral dog, or vocalizing nonstop during the three-minute separation. Dogs who growl, snap, bite, or show outright aggression are dismissed immediately and cannot retest until additional training has been documented.

Owners also sign the AKC Responsible Dog Owner Pledge as part of the certification. The pledge covers commitments such as health care, daily exercise, training, cleanup, and never letting the dog infringe on the rights of others. It is not just a formality — it is the ethical framing the AKC pairs with the testing standard.

How to Train for Each Item — and Where to Start

Most pet dogs who already know basic obedience can pass the CGC with four to eight weeks of structured prep, assuming foundation cues are reliable. The single biggest predictor of success is generalization: can the dog do these behaviors with strangers present, with another dog nearby, and in a building they have never visited before?

Build the foundation behaviors deliberately. Start with rock-solid sit training, then layer in down and a clear stay with distance and duration. Once those are reliable at home, add the most failed-item driver: loose-leash walking. Without loose-leash skills, items 4 and 5 are nearly impossible to pass.

For greeting items, train an alternative behavior — a sit, a touch to your hand, or a focus cue — that prevents jumping. Practice the greeting-without-jumping protocol with friends, neighbors, and eventually strangers in low-distraction environments before testing.

The Force-Free Default and Why Method Matters

Positive reinforcement is the default recommended approach for CGC preparation. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) Position Statement on Humane Dog Training and AVSAB’s Position Statement on the Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals both state that aversive methods carry higher rates of fear, aggression, and learned helplessness compared to reward-based methods. CCPDT-credentialed trainers (CPDT-KA, CPDT-KSA), IAABC-credentialed consultants (CDBC), and KPA-CTP graduates all sign force-free or LIMA-aligned codes of practice.

The LIMA hierarchy (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive, formalized by Susan Friedman and adopted by IAABC) places management and positive reinforcement of differential alternatives first; aversives are reserved for documented last-resort cases under qualified-professional supervision. For a public-manners test like CGC, force-free methods are not just ethically preferred — they tend to produce a calmer dog under evaluator pressure, which is exactly what passes.

If you are weighing trainer options, look for credentialed force-free professionals or LIMA-pledged practitioners. Owners ultimately choose their methods, and we recommend the credentialed-positive-first path because it has the strongest evidence base for producing the relaxed, confident dog the CGC test rewards.

Preparing for the Distraction and Separation Items

Items 8, 9, and 10 trip up the most pet dogs. Reaction to another dog (item 8) demands neutrality — not friendliness, not fear, not reactivity. If your dog struggles around other dogs, treat the prep as a reactivity project, not a CGC drill. Start at distance, reward calm noticing, and build closer approaches over weeks, not days.

For the distraction item (9), expose your dog to a wide range of sudden sounds and movements in pleasant, controlled settings — dropped books, a passing skateboard, a rolling cart at the pet-supply store. Reward recovery, not stillness. A dog who startles and looks at you for reassurance passes; a dog who startles and shuts down or escalates does not.

The supervised-separation item (10) is the one most owners underestimate. Three minutes feels short, but for a dog who has never been handed off to a stranger in a new environment, it can feel like abandonment. Practice with friends, in shelters, at the vet, and at training class drop-offs. Build the duration in seconds, then minutes, with calm reunions every time.

Generalization, Proofing, and Real-World Testing

The single most important concept in CGC prep — and in advanced obedience generally — is generalization. Behaviors trained in your kitchen often fall apart in a parking lot. Dogs are poor generalizers; the cue must be re-taught in each new context. Plan to practice in at least 5 to 8 different environments before test day: at home, on a quiet street, in a parking lot, at a friend’s house, at a pet-supply store, at the entrance of a park, at the test location if possible.

Pair generalization with deliberate distraction proofing. Build duration first, then distance, then distraction — and never combine all three on the same repetition. If you raise distance, ease the distraction. If you raise duration, ease the distance. This is the classic 3D model from Pat Miller and Karen Pryor, and it applies just as cleanly to CGC prep as to competition obedience.

You can deepen this approach with our recall mastery and distraction proofing guide, which covers the long-line, environmental, and motivational layers that make the come-when-called item (7) reliable under test pressure.

Mixed-Breed Eligibility and the Canine Partners Program

One of the CGC program’s strongest features is its inclusivity. The AKC Canine Partners program allows mixed-breed and rescue dogs to register and earn CGC, CGCA, CGCU, AKC Trick Dog, AKC Scent Work, Rally, FastCAT, and more — without a pedigree. Registration is free; you submit basic information and receive an AKC number that allows your dog to enter testing.

This matters for the rescue and adopter community. A shelter dog of unknown lineage can earn the same titles, attend the same trials, and qualify for the same therapy-dog roles as a purebred. The CGC is often the first AKC title a rescue dog earns, and for many adopters it becomes the gateway to broader sport and service-dog pathways.

After CGC: Where the Title Leads

CGC is rarely the end of the road. Most owners who pass move on to the CGCA Community Canine and CGCU Urban tests, which add off-leash control and city-environment realism. Others pursue therapy work. Therapy Dogs International, Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and the AKC’s own Therapy Dog title all accept (and most require) the CGC as the foundational credential. For appropriate-temperament dogs, therapy registration unlocks hospital visits, library reading programs, and school visits.

If you adopted a calm, social adult dog, CGC may be in reach within a few weeks. If you are working with a younger or more reactive dog, the path is longer but absolutely possible — and the prep itself produces a better-mannered dog regardless of whether you ever sit for the test. For a sense of which breeds and temperaments tend to thrive in therapy and public-manners roles, see our overview of the best therapy dog breeds.

What CGC Does Not Test (and Why That Matters)

The CGC is a public-manners benchmark, not a behavior screening. It does not test for resource guarding inside the home, separation anxiety beyond three minutes, predatory drive, or fence reactivity. A dog can pass CGC and still have meaningful behavior challenges in private. Owners should not interpret the title as a clean bill of behavioral health — only as a verified standard for basic public good manners.

The CGC also does not test off-leash control, complex obedience, or sport precision. Those skills belong to other AKC programs (Rally, Obedience, CGCA). Keep CGC framed honestly: it is a meaningful, accessible milestone, and a fine foundation for whatever comes next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the CGC test cost?

Testing fees vary by evaluator and location, typically ranging from a low fee at club-hosted events to a higher one with private evaluators (current as of 2024-2025; varies by region and provider). The AKC also charges a small administrative fee to issue the certificate. Many local kennel clubs and force-free training schools offer CGC testing as part of their class series.

Is the CGC test the same as becoming a therapy dog?

No. CGC is a prerequisite for most therapy-dog registries but is not, by itself, therapy certification. Therapy registration requires additional temperament testing, vet sign-off, and registration with an organization like Pet Partners, Therapy Dogs International, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, or the AKC Therapy Dog program.

Can a reactive dog pass the CGC?

Sometimes, with significant prep. The reactivity must be successfully managed and conditioned before testing, especially for items 8 (reaction to another dog) and 9 (reaction to distraction). Many dogs labeled “reactive” early in adoption pass CGC after 6 to 12 months of credentialed force-free work. Some do not, and that is also fine — the goal is the dog’s quality of life, not the title.

Do I need to use a specific collar or harness?

You can use a flat buckle collar, martingale, body harness, or head halter. Prong collars, choke chains, and electronic collars are not permitted during the test. The AKC’s official equipment guidelines reflect the credentialed-force-free consensus.

How young can a dog take the CGC test?

Puppies can take it once they have completed their AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program or once they are old enough to demonstrate the items reliably (often 6 to 12 months for ready, well-socialized dogs). Most evaluators recommend waiting until a dog can hold a stay and walk on a loose leash without heavy management — typically late adolescence onward.