About this Meetup

The Southern NH K-9 Good Citizen Meetup is all about promoting well socialized dogs. Whether your dog is well behaved and needs a place to practice his good social skills or needs a social skills brush up...this is a great place to be.

As an obedience instructor, I teach the skills that dogs need in order to pass their CGC certification test. The test itself consists of 12 items or skills that your dog should be able to handle in order to pass. For a detailed list on these items, please go to AKC's website:
Items on the CGC test.







A problem many dog and handler teams face after passing CGC, is that they have no place to go to continue to practice their skills. As with anything, your dog's social and obedience skills will wane if left unpracticed. That is where this meetup comes in!

So, if you have a great dog, looking to meet new friends, we hope you'll join us for our next meetup!
Don't wait...join us today!

Does your dog need his CGC certificate to join? No, certification is not required, but it is certainly something to think about!



More about CGC, as taken from the AKC site:

The AKC's Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) began is 1989. It 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 may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club.

Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as the first step in training their dogs. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. As you work with your dog to teach the CGC skills, you'll discover the many benefits and joys of training your dog. Training will enhance the bond between you and your dog. Dogs who have a solid obedience education are a joy to live with-they respond well to household routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs, and they fully enjoy the company of the owner who took the time to provide training, intellectual stimulation, and a high quality life.

Many other countries (including England, Australia, Japan, Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and Finland) have developed CGC programs based on the AKC's">AKC's CGC Program. A CGC Neighborhood Model has been established, police and animal control agencies use CGC for dealing with dog problems in communities, some therapy dog groups use the CGC as a partial screening tool, and some 4-H groups around the country have been using the CGC as a beginning dog training program for children.

A number of specialty (one breed only) clubs give the CGC at their annual national dog show. Dog clubs have discovered that the CGC is an event that allows everyone to go home a winner. Veterinarians have recognized the benefits of well-trained dogs and there are some CGC programs in place in veterinary hospitals. State legislatures began recognizing the CGC program as a means of advocating responsible dog ownership and 17 states now have Canine Good Citizen resolutions.

In a little over one decade, the Canine Good Citizen Program has begun to have an extremely positive impact in many of our communities. This is a program that can help us assure that the dogs we love will always be welcomed and well-respected members of our communities.

After CGC: What's Next?

While this is a fabulous beginning, (AKC) strongly encourage(s) owners to continue training beyond CGC in order to develop some off-leash control, increase the dog's reliability, and to further enhance the bond that has been built during CGC training.