Canine Good Neighbour Program

The Canadian Kennel Club Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) program identifies and rewards responsible and caring owners and their canine partners. The purpose of the CGN test is to ensure that one of our most favoured companions, the dog, is accepted as a valued member of the community.

Canine Good Neighbours can be counted on to present good manners at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. CGN training is fun, rewarding, useful, and can enable owners to achieve a better relationship with their dogs.

The objectives of the CKC Canine Good Neighbour program are three-fold:

1. To increase awareness and appreciation of dogs as valued, contributing members of society.

2. To assist in teaching and promoting responsible dog ownership.

3. To certify that dogs conduct themselves in a manner which is reliable and trustworthy in situations encountered in everyday living, be it around people, at home, in public, or in the presence of other dogs.

The program embraces both purebred and mixed-breed dogs and has been created to assist canine owners in combatting anti-dog sentiment which often targets dogs as a whole. Additionally, the program enhances community awareness of responsible pet ownership and the benefits associated with dog ownership.

The test is not a competition calling for precision performance by the handler and dog. Rather, it assesses the handler and dog’s relationship together with the handler’s ability to control the dog. Dogs are evaluated on their ability to perform basic exercises as well as their ability to demonstrate good manners in everyday situations.

The Canadian Kennel Club encourages all dog owners to participate in this program, thereby ensuring that our beloved canines are welcomed and respected members of our communities.

CGN Tests are sponsored by local dog clubs, private dog training schools, pet therapy societies, community colleges, service organizations, pet supply stores, and some veterinary clinics and will be conducted inside or outside in everyday, busy locations such as shopping malls, hotels, community centres or parks.

The test is non-competitive. Dogs are not required to have formal obedience training in order to participate in or successfully complete this test, however many clubs and training schools offer preparation courses for the test. Dogs must be at least 12 months old to participate in the test.

The test consists of 12 steps, and each requires a “Pass” evaluation in order for your dog to receive a Canine Good Neighbour certification.

1. Accepting A Friendly Stranger

2. Politely Accepts Petting

3. Appearance and Grooming

4. Out For A Walk

5. Walking Through A Crowd

6. Sit/Down On Command and Stay In Place

7. Come When Called

8. Praise/Interaction

9. Reaction To A Passing Dog

10. Reaction To Distractions

11. Supervised Isolation

12. Walking Through A Door/Gate

The 12 aptitudes trained for and tested in the CGN program promote good manners. Socializing your dog as well as teaching them proper behaviours at home and out in the community will support your dog in their role as a valued member of their community as well helps them I. Their role as ambassador of the breed .

Teaching your dog how to behave in public begins at home. Basic good manners should always be practiced at home and you will find this will influence their behaviour in the community.

At Syquefine we strive to embed good behaviours in our dogs not only through genetics but also through socialization and training from birth .

More to follow on that and what we do!

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