The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that is designed to teach responsible dog ownership to owners and certify dogs that have the training and behaviors needed to be reliable, well-behaved members of their families and communities.

The first three items of the Canine Good Citizen Test are accepting a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, and appearance and grooming. When we conduct the CGC Test at the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club, we normally group these three items, which we call “meet and greet items,” into station 1. They are all done with one evaluator in one place.

Since we want to provide for you the exact rules and regulations of the test, we will use copy directly from the Evaluator Guide of AKC Canine Good Citizen Program. It is a noncopyrighted document, but what we use from this guide will be set in quotes to credit the American Kennel Club.

Item 1: Accepting a friendly stranger

“This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach it and speak to the handler in a natural, everyday situation. The Evaluator walks up to the dog and handler and greets the handler in a friendly manner, ignoring the dog. The test begins with the dog seated at the handler’s side. The Evaluator and handler shake hands and exchange pleasantries (e.g., “Hello, it’s good to see you again,” as they shake hands). In this test, the Evaluator does not interact with the dog.

• “The dog must show no sign of resentment, aggression or shyness. • “The dog may not jump on or rush to the Evaluator to initiate contact. The dog may not lunge forward to greet the Evaluator. • “The dog should be under control throughout the exercise. If the handler must use excessive corrections (e.g., trying to hold the dog to prevent jumping) to control the dog, the dog should not pass the exercise.”

Dogs who often don’t pass this test are overly exuberant dogs and puppies. They are all too willing to accept a stranger but have yet developed the control to sit quietly when people approach. In an earlier column we discussed the technique of stepping on the leash and other exercises to train our dogs to sit quietly. Remember: the No. 1 complaint of people who don’t have dogs about people who have dogs let them jump up. Teach your dog to control his behavior. Of course, shy dogs will need more practice getting used to being approached by strangers.

Item 2: Sitting politely for petting “This test demonstrates that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to touch it while it is out with its handler. With the dog sitting at the handler’s side, (either side is permissible) to begin the test, the Evaluator approaches and asks, “May I pet your dog?” The Evaluator then pets the dog on the head and body. The handler may talk to his or her dog throughout the exercise. After petting the dog, the Evaluator may circle the dog, or simply back away to begin the next test.

• “The dog must show no signs of shyness or resentment. • “As the Evaluator begins to pet the dog, the dog may stand to receive petting. • “The dog may not struggle and pull away to avoid petting. • “The dog may move slightly forward to receive petting, but should not lunge at the Evaluator or rush or jump forward. • “The dog may appear to be happy about the contact with the Evaluator and may have some body movements. • “The dog should appear to be under control throughout the exercise.”

Again, “under control” is the key issue here, and overly happy dogs often don’t pass this item because when the stranger begins to touch them, they get too excited. Work on control with your dog, and also work on conditioning your dog to accept all types of petting and handling. Your vet will thank you, and you will acclimate your dog to being petting in places where they might shy away, such as on top of the head.

If your dog backs away or hides behind you, then you’ll need more practice to get them used to being approached and touched by strangers.

Item 3: Appearance and grooming

“This practical test demonstrates that the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit a stranger, such as a veterinarian, groomer, or friend of the owner, to do so. This test also demonstrates the owner’s care, concern and sense of responsibility.

The Evaluator inspects the dog to determine if it is clean and groomed. The dog must appear to be in healthy condition (i.e., proper weight, clean, healthy and alert). The handler should supply the comb or brush commonly used on the dog. The Evaluator softly combs or brushes the dog and, in a natural manner, lightly examines the ears and gently picks up each front foot.

• “It is not necessary for the dog to hold a specific position during the examination, and the handler may talk to the dog, praise it and give encouragement throughout. • “The Evaluator may give the handler specific instructions for handling the dog in a manner that ensures safety. For example, when the feet are to be handled, the Evaluator may request that the handler lift each leg. The Evaluator may request that the handler steady the dog’s head for checking the ears. • “Another technique the Evaluator may use is to hold the dog’s head away with one hand and use the other hand to lift the foot. • “While the handler may be asked to steady the dog’s head, lift a leg, etc., any dog requiring restraining so it can be examined should not pass the test. The key question for this test is, “Could a veterinarian or groomer easily examine the dog?” • “Some dogs will wiggle or squirm when they are excited. Some squirming is acceptable, however, this should not be so excessive that the dog cannot be brushed. • “The dog should not struggle (pull away with intensity) to avoid the brushing.”

There is a twofold goal for this test item. First, by going over the dog we can tell if you are being a responsible dog owner by keeping the dog groomed and properly fed. Second, if your dog can handle this exercise, then she can be presented to a vet or groomer without incident.

We’ll continue our discussion of the Canine Good Citizen Test next week.

Bruce and Tracy Willoughby have taught dog training at the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club for several years. They can be reached at bew@umich.edu.