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 an urban setting.
As with Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban CGC has 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.
Test Requirements
- Exit/enter doorway with no pulling in dog-friendly buildings.
- Walk through a crowd on a busy urban sidewalk.
- People come toward the dog from 1-ft. away
- Appropriate reaction to city distractions. This includes movement, noises, and walking on a variety of surfaces (e.g., horns, traffic noise, bikes, surfaces such as concrete, grass).
- Crossing street: Stop at corner, stand or sit to wait and cross with no pulling (on leash, with owner). Crosses street under control.
- Ignore food on sidewalk. (Dropped food, or cups, bags, cans, in which food was wrapped).
- Person walks up and pets the dog. May be carrying an item such as a small dog in a bag, a computer bag, etc.
- Public Building (that is dog friendly). Walks under control in building (slick surface, carpeted floor). Down stay (3 min) in lobby or outdoor area, or waits while owner has a meal or snack.
- Stairs, steps, or elevator under control (choose one).
- Steps (at least 3 – up and down)
- Elevator (Enters under control, exits, rides under control)
- Housetrained for apartment, condo, city living. Owner may verify this item. Evaluator may also observe in public buildings, or have observed in training classes.
- Transportation. Owner’s choice depending on transportation needs.
- Car. Enters/exits, remains under control during the ride. (Crate? Seatbelt?)
- Subway. Small dog in bag for ride. (large dogs are not always permitted; know and abide by the Transit Policies in your area).
- Dog friendly (enters/exits or allows to be put in/taken out) under control.
All skills in the test 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. The goal of AKC Urban CGC is to test the dog’s skills in an urban (city) setting. The “urban” setting does not have to be large metropolitan city. As long as the dog can be tested around traffic, sidewalks, and the other test items, every dog can earn the Urban CGC title.