Good Citizen

Dog Training Scheme

Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme

The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme is the largest dog training scheme in the UK. It’s open to all dogs regardless of age or breed. The aim of the Scheme is to promote responsible dog ownership and in turn, enhance our relations with our canines, and to make the community aware of the benefits associated with owning dogs.

There are effectively 4 levels in the scheme and Perth Dog Training is authorised by the Kennel Club to train your dog or puppy at levels. Corinne is a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor (KCAI) in both Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme and Companion Dog .

There is no obligation for a dog owner to take part in the scheme or indeed to participate at all levels.

Each award is a natural progression and aims to build understanding and knowledge for both dog and owner. The awards are independently judged and training should take around 8 weeks.

At the end of each series of courses the Owner and their dog will undergo a test by a qualified KC assessor, (not by one of the trainers as Kennel Club rules don’t allow a trainer to examine or test a dog they train) who will assess both the owner and their dog to the standard laid down by the Kennel Club and if both the dog and handler meet the Kennel Club required standard they will be awarded the appropriate award they have trained for.

Elgibility

The Scheme is aimed at all dogs whether Kennel Club registered or not, there is no age limit. For the Bronze Test, dogs are not required to have completed the Puppy Foundation Assessment programme. Handlers must show that they have means of cleaning up after their dog and that it has proper identification.

Puppy

The puppy classes concentrate on teaching the very basics of training, with the onus being placed on teaching owners to manage and train their own dogs, rather than having someone else do it for them. This class encompasses the basics of socialisation and training with commands such as sit, stay, and the beginning of other skills, as well as of course teaching both the puppy and their owner how to work together, train and learn.

Bronze

Bronze level classes seek to build upon the skills learned in puppy classes or provide a basic introduction to training for older dogs that may have already learned the basics-and even if your dog has never received any training and is boisterous, unruly or badly behaved, the classes are appropriate to help them to improve.

However will also add some more challenges

Control of your dog at a gate or door- very important for safety and good manners.
Walking on the lead amongst other dogs.
Recall & instant response when required to return to the handler
Examination of the dog by owner
Grooming.
Stay exercises.
Identification

Silver

Good Citizens Dog Training-Silver
Once the Bronze level has been achieved you can go on to train for the Kennel Club Silver Good Citizen Award..

In this class you will learn:

Road walking – we ensure that your dog can be safely walked along the road beside you, not leading the way!
Food Manners – important in multi-dog household and especially where there are children.
Recall to Owner.
Dog to come away from distractions.
Control in a car – we aim to help ensure that your dog is a well behaved and safe traveller in the car.
Prepare for vet examination building on what has already been achieved in the Bronze course.
Play with your dog
Stay for two minutes

Gold

Good Citizens Dog Training-Gold
In order to reach the Gold standard, all dogs must have completed the Bronze and Silver levels first.
There is a big jump from the Silver Course to the Gold course and as you would expect , it builds on what has already been achieved. Training at this level is much more involved and classes will extend beyond an eight weed duration

You will learn

Road walking, including changes of pace. Distraction to be included such as pushchairs, bicycles, umbrellas etc..
Dog to walk off lead beside handler with left and right turns.
Down stay for 2 minutes with handler out of sight for just half a minute.
Relaxed Isolation – dog to be left for up to 5 minutes and must remain relaxed and comfortable to do so. This exercise is taught and carried out under close supervision to ensure the safety of all concerned.
Send the dog to bed – an exercise that is sending the dog away from the handler in a happy manner.
Emergency Stop the dog- it is essential that your dog can be stopped on command in the event of an emergency.
Food manners – building on the exercise covered in the Silver course.
Examination of the dog by a stranger – we train this very carefully to ensure that both dog and examiner are comfortable with this exercise.