AKC Urban CGC Test: HOW TO PASS!

Let us show you how to pass the CGC Urban Test!
The AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen Test is much different than the original CGC Test but there are some similar test sections of course. Overall, the Urban CGC test is meant to evaluate your dog’s ability to listen in a real life situation with distractions.
If your dog has not passed the CGC test yet, please watch this video first! • How to Pass The AKC Ca...
You may also want to consider watching this video on the CGC Advanced Test. This is also called the CGC Community Canine Test. • CGC Advanced (Communit...
The first test item is to make sure your dog has control around doorways. The main goal here is making sure they are not pulling or bolting through the doors.
The next three test items involve walking in a heavily populated area. One of the items is to make sure they can walk in a busy crowd. The next item is making sure your dog can cross streets calmly. Another item tests your dog’s ability to listen around city distractions.
City environments are typically covered in food and other litter, so one of the test items is making sure your dog can ignore food, and other things on the ground.
Meeting strangers is also on this test to make sure your dog is under control on leash and that they are friendly with strangers.
Another big focus of this test is to make sure your dog is comfortable in new environments, especially with different surfaces. When working in a public building you have to ensure they can handle walking on tile, carpet and a variety of surfaces.
The next test item focuses on your dog calmly going up and down stairs or elevators.
The next test item is just a verbal test confirming that your dog is potty trained in order to make sure they are not having bowel movements in public. This is a simple yes or no question.
The final test item is making sure that they are comfortable when being transported. We typically recommend using a car for this test. Your dog should have rules going in and coming out of the car as well as not barking while inside the car.
Overall, this CGC Urban Test is very easy to pass with a good training plan. If you have any questions or need help achieving these goals, please reach out!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Test 1: Doorways
02:26 Test 2: Walking Through A Crowd
03:47 Test 3: City Distractions
06:05 Test 4: Crossing A Street
06:49 Test 5: Ignore Food
07:50 Test 6: Stranger Pets Dog
08:52 Test 7: Public Building
11:24 Test 8: Stairs, Steps, or Elevators
12:24 Test 9: Potty Trained
12:38 Test 10: Transportation
14:43 Closing Thoughts

[@susans7091]

I was so disappointed to see how incredibly easy this test was. There obviously needs to be an advanced CGCU.

[@SuburbanK9DogTraining]

Agreed! Not sure if you have seen the CGCA test or not. Unfortunately it is 90% the same as this one. We have a video on it if you are interested.

[@susans7091]

@@SuburbanK9DogTraining I trained my Service Dog and did all of the tests before he was 8 months old. A crowd for me was not 3 people, but a scene like in a busy airport. Public transportation was a busy bus, etc. This was way too simple.

[@SuburbanK9DogTraining]

Agreed completely. When we perform the test we are not allowed to make it any harder than the AKC originally wrote it. That being said, we wish it was harder and held dogs to a higher standard.

[@1packatak]

I wish AKC would stop the “allow stranger to pet dog” on all of its tests!! I don’t want some random stranger interacting with my dogs. Most people have no clue how to properly interact with her. And those that have service dogs do NOT want strangers approaching.

[@susans7091]

@@1packatak Actually it is most important. I had hundreds of people come up and try to pet my Service Dog, with or without asking. It is incredibly important for both the handler and the dog to be able to deal with this!

[@LimitlessJayson]

how old is this dog?

[@SuburbanK9DogTraining]

I believe she is around 4 years old.