The AKC Family Dog is a comprehensive good manners program for all dogs, whether purebred or mixed breed. While participating in enjoyable activities that are fun for both dogs and people, dogs become well-socialized and develop a lifelong bond with their owners.
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Within the AKC Family Dog organizational umbrella are programs that teach family members how to best communicate with their dogs. The CGC programs (AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, and AKC Community Canine and Urban CGC) begin with teaching basic skills such as sit, down, and come and they build on these skills as dogs move from one activity to the next. The result is a dog that any owner can be proud to take into the community.
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Mandi is an approved CGC evaluator and can test your dog for a majority of the programs listed below.
AKC Star Puppy
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is an exciting program designed to get dog owners and their puppies off to a good start. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy is an excellent first in-person training class for puppies. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy provides a good lead-in to earning the Canine Good Citizen title.
AKC Urban CGC
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. As with Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban CGC is a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Urban CGC title.
AKC ATT Program
The ATT tests how a dog reacts to a variety of stimuli. Desirable traits are that the dog will be emotionally stable, inquisitive, cooperative, appropriately social for its breed, biddable and demonstrates the ability to recover from a startling situation in a reasonable amount of time.
AKC Canine Good Citizen
All dogs can be"good dogs". The CGC test evaluates the mastery of ten basic skills that instill confidence and good manners in and out of your home. CGC also lays the foundation for other AKC sports and activities like obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events.
AKC Trick Dog
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 titles are official AKC titles listed on the dog’s title record.
Virtual Home Manners
Virtual Home Manners (VHM) is the answer when you want to train your dog at home. When you get a puppy or new adult dog, Virtual Home Manners can get you started on practical skills before you attend a training class. This is offered in both adult and puppy formats and appears as a title on your dogs record.
AKC Community Canine
AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. As with CGC, AKC Community Canine has a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Community Canine title. This is a title that appears on the dog’s title record at AKC.
AKC Therapy Dog
Therapy Dog is an AKC program which recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits. 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.
AKC Fit Dog
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.