CGC, now a title? - Page 1

October 15, 2012
 
Dear AKC Canine Good Citizen Graduates,

We are extremely pleased to tell you that beginning in January 2013, as the result of frequent, ongoing requests from proud CGC dog owners, Canine Good Citizen^® will become an official AKC title!

This means that CGC can be listed on your dog's record and you may use the suffix, "CGC" after the dog's name.

Key points related to CGC becoming a title are:

1. You will be able to choose to get the CGC certificate only ($8.00) or have CGC as an official title (the processing fee for the title is $20 and includes a certificate with your most recent AKC titles listed).
2. If your evaluator gave you an older test form that does not show the title option, there is a downloadable ADDENDUM that you can attach to your test form to request the title.
3. We will grandfather dogs who have already earned the CGC award (back to January 2001) if their owners wish to apply for the title. To have a CGC award "grandfathered" as a title, use the form, APPLICATION TO ADD CGC TO YOUR DOG'S TITLE RECORD: The Grandfathering Form. Many of you many want to add the title to formally recognize your CGC dogs who are now deceased — we are honored to offer this choice to memorialize your beloved dogs.
4. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy remains as it has been; it is not a title.
5. How soon can I apply for the title? We will not start entering titles until January 2, 2013. For dogs tested between now and January, you (as the dog's owner) have 3 options:
   1. Submit the CGC Test/Registration Form now for the CGC Title option ($20: Certificate and CGC will be added to the dog's title record), understanding that your check will be cashed now but the CGC Test/Registration form will not be processed until January 2, 2013, or,
   2. Submit the CGC Test/Registration form before January 2, 2013 choosing the $8: Certificate only option, and have the CGC Test/Registration form processed now for the Certificate Only. A Grandfathering Application (for CGC as a title) can be submitted at a later date. This option means that the dog owner will pay $8 now for the Certificate Only, and $20 when the choice is made later to apply for the official title. A new certificate will be sent when the CGC title is added to the dog's record.
   3. Take the CGC test before January 2, 2013 and hold the paperwork until January if the owner is choosing the title option. This means that the owner will only pay the $20 title processing fee.

CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who successfully trained your dogs to the Canine Good Citizen test. We're proud of you!

See more information on the CGC Title.

Oh for heaven's sakes. A TITLE, now? Are we in the USA so desperately short of breeders who prize and breed for sound, reliable temperament, that we now consider it to be such an outstanding achievement for a dog to be able to move through the community without endangering anyone or itself?!?!?!?  What's next?  Will the AKC begin to award a title for dogs which are able to be housebroken, too?

What a sad state of affairs.

A "house broken " title, can't believe the AKC/GSDCA has let that one slip by. It would be yet  another great achievement jn the stewardship of the National breed club in America. Hopefully they won't forget the idea came from PDB.

Come on, we all know why the AKC is doing it.

"You will be able to choose to get the CGC certificate only ($8.00) or have CGC as an official title (the processing fee for the title is $20 and includes a certificate with your most recent AKC titles listed)."

As usual, it's all about money.

Rik  -  Excellent comment......still laughing at the thought of it.

Rik, in this instance, I happily concede to you the honor of going down in the history of purebred dogs in the US as the creator of the AKC 'house broken' title!

Oooops, may youngster just failed this one thanks to the down poors outside

I agree that the AKC is doing it for the money, but its not a horrible step.  Finding and figuring out how to participate in AKC trials without any help, isn't as straight foward a process as it should be.  The CGC is usualy the first step for a majority of people who later go to compete with thier dogs, who have had no prior exposure to dog sports.  Many reputable dog clubs offer group classes and testing, so like I said, not a horrible step in concept. 

I do have some issues with how they have gone about this though.  The CGC should have always been directly tied to the dogs registraion number, I don't know why it never was.  It really shouldn't be called a title however, nor does it have to be an actual title to be tied to the dogs registry.  I would be more comfortable if they continued to call it a certificate, that just happens to be tied to the dogs AKC number.  The AKC just introduced the Beginner Novice title (BN), whats the point of this title when they intended on making the CGC a title all along?  Second why issue the title with only one evaluation?  The dog should have to pass the CGC under three differenc evaluators at different times, just as would be done with a real AKC title (that now must be done under 2 different judges, when it used to be 3).  Last, the AKC accepts the Temperment Test (TT) for Dobermans, but won't take the GSDCA Temperment certificate (TC).  I think they missed an opportunity here to make the CGC, combined with some kind a Temperment Test and the S.T.A.R. test, into a good defacto starter test/trial/certification that can be offered anywhere in the country, under any circumstances, to any kind of dog owner.

Well, to me again once more I feel slapped. AKC could make lotsa more money by just recognicing the IPO titles or any other working title/ breed specific title. I would happily pay $20 for that. Maybe I should knock on their door; head quarter is just 45min away....LOL

I agree with Elkoor, there should be a straight foward process to get titles from other organizations recognized. However I believe the AKC does have some way to add non-AKC titles through thier Perfomance Dog arm, but the process isn't well documents.