Your dog can be a good citizen with these 10 steps

The American Kennel Club (AKC) recently announced the millionth dog received the Canine Good Citizen Certificate.

I can't believe it's been several years since my dog, Kasey, earned his certificate. Kasey joined an ever growing group of dogs who are recognized as a dog with good manners at home and in the community.

Kasey and I enrolled in a Canine Good Citizen course, where we learned the 10 Canine Good Citizen skills needed by well-mannered dogs. The last day of the course, we took and passed the Canine Good Citizen test.

The AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program is open to both mixed breed and purebred dogs. It is a certification program that was started in 1989, and stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step Canine Good Citizen test may receive a certificate from the AKC.

The AKC notes some dogs who are entered in Canine Good Citizen tests will have completed Canine Good Citizen classes or basic obedience classes. Owners who have trained their dogs themselves may also have their dogs tested. There are clubs and training programs in almost every city that can provide training to owners and dogs who need to learn a few more skills before taking the test.

The following are the 10 skills needed to pass the test and are from the AKC website, www.akc.org. All of the exercises are done on a leash.

• Accepting a friendly stranger. The dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation.

• Sitting politely for petting. The dog will allow a friendly stranger to pet it while it is out with its handler.

• Appearance and grooming. The dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so.

• Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead). The handler/dog team will take a short "walk" to show that the dog is in control while walking on a leash.

• Walking through a crowd. The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three) to demonstrate that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places.

• Sit and down on command and staying in place. The dog will respond to the handler's commands to sit, go down and remain in the place commanded by the handler (sit or down position, whichever the handler prefers).

• Coming when called. The dog will come when called by the handler. The handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog.

• Reaction to another dog. To demonstrate that the dog can behave politely around other dogs, two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands, exchange pleasantries, and continue on for about 10 feet.

• Reaction to distraction. To demonstrate the dog is confident when faced with common distracting situations, the evaluator will select and present two distractions. Examples of distraction 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.

• Supervised separation. This test demonstrates that a dog can be left with a trusted person, if necessary, and will maintain training and good manners. 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.

Equipment needed for the Canine Good Citizen test are your dog's brush or comb. In the Canine Good Citizen test, dogs must wear a buckle or slip collar.

The AKC notes the Canine Good Citizen may be the first step in training your dog, laying the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking and performance events. Training with your dog to learn the Canine Good Citizen skills is a good way to enhance the bond between the two of you.

In addition to testing and certifying dogs, there are other applications of the Canine Good Citizen Program. Police and animal control agencies use Canine Good Citizen for dealing with dog problems in communities, and some therapy dog groups use the Canine Good Citizen as a partial screening tool.

Other countries, including England, Australia, Japan, Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and Finland, have developed Canine Good Citizen programs based on the AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program.

Here at home, Kasey and I continue to practice the skills we learned in class. It really does strengthen our bond.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization with all funds directly assisting its animals. Its mission is to provide immediate safety and care to stray and abandoned cats and dogs. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.