Loyal Canines Fitness & Training
AKC Evaluations
Loyal Canines Rated #1 Fitness & Training Facility for Your Dog
AKC CANINE GOOD CITIZEN Program
According to the American Kennel Club, the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program is the “gold standard for dog behavior” that “recognizes responsible owners and well-mannered dogs.” To earn the AKC CGC title, dogs must pass the 10 step CGC test administered by an official AKC CGC evaluator. All dogs, including both purebred and mixed breed dogs are welcome to participate in the program as long as they are old enough to have received necessary immunizations such as rabies vaccines. Owners will also sign a Responsible Dog Owners Pledge.
The test requires your dog to meet the following 10 criteria:
- Accepting a Friendly Stranger
- Sitting Politely for Petting
- Appearance and Grooming
- Out for a Walk (on a loose lead)
- Walking through a Crowd
- Sit and Down on Command and Staying in Place
- Coming When Called
- Reaction to Another Dog
- Reaction to Distraction
- Supervised Separation
Your dog must pass each element of the test in order to earn the CGC title. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that your dog is trained in a solid foundation of basic obedience and is adequately socialized around people and other dogs to withstand distractions and separation from you to pass the test.
Loyal Canines Academy offers the training necessary for you and your dog to earn the CGC title. Through our Canine Camp program, we will teach your dog all of the skills necessary, including loose-leash walking, sit-stay, down-stay, focused-heeling, tolerating grooming, and more to pass the GCG test with flying colors. Then, our dog trainers will coach you on how to be a stellar handler, walking you through each element of the test so you can help your dog earn the CGC title, proving he or she is a well-mannered superstar! After passing the CGC test, you can easily segue continue onto advanced off-leash obedience, agility, tracking, or protection training with your dog.
Therapy and Emotional Support Dog Coaching – A slew of studies have been published recently to confirm what any of us with dogs already know – they are fantastic for the health and mental and emotional well-being of all humans! There are three official categories of dogs that assist humans in an official capacity:
- Service Dogs are animals that are professionally trained to perform a specific task for an individual with a disability that the person cannot perform on his or her own. Guide dogs for the blind are considered service dogs. Service dogs are allowed in all public locations per the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Emotional Support Dogs are animals that accompany individuals in order to help those individuals function more fully in public places. Some places accommodate these dogs while others may not. Depending on the specific condition and proof thereof, Emotional Support animals are not generally protected under the ADA.
- Therapy Dogs are animals that are trained by their handlers to volunteer in places like hospitals, schools, libraries, youth, senior and veterans, facilities, community centers, and even prisons, to enhance the experiences of the people there and create opportunities for learning and enrichment. Therapy dogs accompany their handlers when given permission by these locations and are not protected to accompany them elsewhere by the ADA.
There is no official industry, federal or state guidelines in place for the training of these animals. However, a solid foundation of basic obedience and manners, as well as ability to be appropriately social with people and other animals is essential if you would like your dog to accompany you regularly in public places.
We can provide your dog the necessary training through our Canine Camp program to develop these behaviors, and encourage you to consider pursuing the AKC CGC title to prove his or her stellar obedience skills if you desire an Emotional Support Dog or Therapy Dog. We’ll coach you on how to become a confident handler both indoors and outdoors in crowded public settings, and most importantly, always ensure your dog keeps you as its primary focus, no matter what the surrounding distractions are.