Canine Good Citizenship Prompts

1. Accepting a friendly stranger

   The dog must remain in a sit, or down, while the handler is approached by the test evaluator. He must not show any signs of shyness or resentment and he may not break from his sit/down. The evaluator should shake hands with the handler and exchange greetings and pleasantries.
    

2. Sitting politely for petting

   The handler must place the dog in a heel, sit, or down and the dog must remain there for the duration of the test. The evaluator will then pet the dog on his head and body and the dog must tolerate this affection without resentment or shyness.

    

3. Appearance and grooming

   The handler should present a grooming tool (brush or comb) that is regularly used in the general maintenance of the dog. The evaluator will use the tool to brush the dog's body. The evaluator must also handle the dogs ears and paws the dog must be complaint with this assessment. Dirty, unkempt, or otherwise ungroomed dogs should not pass.

    

4. Loose Leash Walking

   The dog may walk on either side of the handler, his position should indicate that the dog is paying close attention to the handler and is responsive to the handler’s movement, speed, and any changes of direction. This test should include a turn to the left and right, an about turn, and at least one stop in between. The test concludes with a halt and sit. Any pulling on the leash should end the test and fail the dog.
    

5. Walking through a crowd

   The dog and handler must walk around and pass pass through a crowd of people(at least three). The dog may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence of over-excitement, shyness or resentment. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash, these behaviors should fail the dog.
    

6. Sit, down, and stay in place

   The dog should be on a 20 foot line to begin this test. He must be able to sit and down when cued by the handler. The handler then chooses the position for leaving the dog in the stay (sit or down). When instructed by the evaluator, the handler cues the dog to stay and walks forward the length of the line, turns, and returns to the dog at a natural pace. The dog must remain in the place in which it was left (it may not change position) until the evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog.
    

7. Coming when called

   The dog should begin this test on a 20 foot line. Handlers may choose to tell dogs to “stay” or “wait” or they may simply walk away, giving no instructions to the dog. The handler will walk 10 feet from the dog, turn to face the dog, and call the dog. The handler may use encouragement to get the dog to come.

    

8. Reaction to another dog

   Two handlers and their dogs approach each other from a distance of about 20 feet, stop, shake hands, and exchange pleasantries, they then continue on for about 10 feet. The dogs should show no more than casual interest in each other. Neither dog should go to the other dog or its handler.
    

9. Reaction to distraction

   The evaluator will select and present two distractions. The dog may express natural interest and curiosity and/or may appear slightly startled but should not panic, try to run away, show aggressiveness, or bark. Examples of appropriate distractions 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.

    

10. Supervised separation

    The Evaluator will approach the handler and say something like, “Would you like me to watch your dog?” Then, they take hold of the dog’s leash while the owner goes out of sight for three minutes. The dog does not have to stay in position but should not bark, whine, pace, or show any distress stronger than mild agitation or nervousness. Evaluators may talk to the dog but should not engage in excessive talking, petting, or management attempts.