Training classes teach you how to best communicate with your puppy. Organized training classes also provide an opportunity for your dog to socialize with other dogs. In classes aimed at earning the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy distinction, 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. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy training is a natural lead in to the AKC® Canine Good Citizen® Program.

Started in 1989, CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test receive a frame-able certificate from the American Kennel Club. The CGC is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.

While Canine Good Citizen tests are simulations of real world skills, the goal of AKC Community Canine is to test the dog’s skills in a natural setting. For example, rather than the dog being tested in a ring, in AKC Community Canine, the “walks through a crowd” test item will involve the dog walking through a real crowd at a dog show, on a busy sidewalk, in a therapy dog setting, or at a training club. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGCA test receive a frame-able certificate from the American Kennel Club. The CGCA is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.

AKC Urban CGC requires that the dog demonstrate CGC skills and beyond in a setting that includes traffic, crowds, noises, smells and other distractions that are present in a city or town. AKC Urban CGC is a public access test that demonstrates dogs are well-behaved and well-trained when in public settings. The Urban CGC test can be used by dog-friendly business (e.g., lodging, retail, transportation, public facilities) to recognize and accept dogs with good manners. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGCU test receive a frame-able certificate from the American Kennel Club. The CGCU is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.

**Passing the Urban CGC test or Canine Good Citizen test does NOT make a dog a service dog or emotional support dog. A key distinction of service or emotional support dogs is that the owner/handler has a disability. It is unethical to misrepresent a pet dog as a service or emotional support animal.

Do you and your dog love to be the life of the party by showing off his arsenal of tricks? Then he might be perfectly primed to earn AKC Trick Dog titles! From the 1920’s and 1940’s when trick dogs such as Rin Tin Tin and Lassie won peoples’ hearts, trick dog training has become one of the most exciting new areas in dog training today. AKC Trick Dog title earners receive a frame-able certificate and their titles are listed on the dog’s title record at AKC.

Therapy work involves volunteers who schedule visits to various facilities and locations such a nursing homes, classrooms, libraries, assisted living centers, hospices, funeral homes, schools, shelters even courtrooms. Whether they’re working with a child who is learning to read, visiting a patient in a hospital or a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. A dog can provide a valuable sense of reassurance, joy, or calmness to people experiencing stressful, lonely or depressing situations or general times in their life. Therapy Dog is an AKC program which recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits. AKC Therapy Dog title earners receive a frame-able certificate and their titles are listed on the dog’s title record at AKC.

** Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specifically trained to perform a task or tasks to assist a person with a disability or impairment. A service dog must be with their person at all times and has special access privileges in public places. It is unethical to misrepresent a pet dog as a service or emotional support animal.

Now more than ever, fitness is important for both dogs and people. The most commonly recommended exercise to improve fitness is walking. Walking is considered a safe activity that improves muscular strength, circulation, memory, weight loss, increases energy, helps with sleep, and reduces stress. The American Heart Association recommends walking a minimum of 150 minutes per week. Participation in the AKC FIT DOG program will bring health benefits to both you and your dog. The AKC FIT DOG magnet proudly declares to the world that you are committed to your dog’s health and fitness through regular exercise. You can order your magnet when you and your dog have met one of these fitness goals:

1. Walked at least 30 minutes 5 times per week for a total of at least 150 minutes per week for at least 3 months. (For dogs and people in good shape.)

2. Walked at least 15 minutes per session at least 10 times per week (e.g., two 15-min walks per day) for at least 3 months. (For dogs or people who would benefit from a walk that is a shorter duration, e.g., senior dogs.)