CERTIFICATIONS
C
CERTIFICATIONS
Our training Schools include AKC family dog Program preparation classes & testing!
AKC Family Dog is a comprehensive good manners program for all dogs. While participating in enjoyable activities that are fun for both dogs and people, dogs become well-socialized and develop a lifelong bond with their owners. Within the AKC Family Dog organizational umbrella are programs that teach family members how to best communicate with their dogs. The result is a dog that any owner can be proud to take into the community.
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Our Training Schools create long-lasting trust between you and your pup. As we work with you on a weekly basis to teach you what your pup is learning, you will also learn skills necessary to keep the training up at home. Our programs include weekly in-person classes with an AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator. You will enjoy the benefits of the training-work that we do for you, but also with you. Canine High School includes both pet parents and pups every step of the way throughout our School Programs.
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Whether or not you wish to pursue an AKC Certification, we include preparation for you and your pup to be able to do so. Each of our Schools has a specific curriculum that includes preparation training with an AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator and we offer the examination for each certification and title to every student at no cost. We help to ensure that you’ll be good neighbors and friends to everyone around you—and, if you’re interested in going beyond the basics, AKC STAR Puppy & AKC CGC also lay the foundation for other certifications, titles, socialization activities and clubs.
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k9HS Training Schools programs:
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k9hs puppy | Elementary School
AKC Certification Preparation
Puppy Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC STAR Puppy Certification.
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k9hs dog | Middle School
AKC Certification Preparation
Dog Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification.
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k9hs Socialization | High School
AKC Certification Preparation
Advanced Placement Dog Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Community Canine Program (advanced CGC) and AKC Urban CGC.
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k9hs FIT DOG Club | School Club
AKC Official Club & Fitness Classes
Graduate School Club to manage and maintain Training, Social Skills and Certification Behaviors. Exclusively for k9HS School Program graduates.
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k9hs - Agility | Athletics School
AKC Certification Preparation
Dog Agility Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Trick Dog Program Titles.
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k9hs Online | Virtual School
AKC Certification Preparation
Puppy & Dog Online Training School Program to prepare for the AKC VHM Certification.
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k9hs puppy | Elementary School
AKC Certification Preparation
Puppy Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC STAR Puppy Certification.
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Our School Programs are designed to create a strong canine training foundation for our student puppies and dogs. Each program is designed with individual and attainable training goals and corresponding AKC Certification preparation that set puppies and dogs off to a great start in life. In 12 to 24 weeks, puppies and young dogs will have all the foundational skills to be well adjusted adult dogs and to continue on their way to obtain more certifications and titles.
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AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Certification
An incentive program for loving dog parents who have taken the time to take their puppies through our basic training class and school curriculum. This is the first step in preparation to move on to the Canine Good Citizen training program.
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S.T.A.R. Socialization Training Activity Responsibility
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The “R” in S.T.A.R. PUPPY stands for Responsibility. Every puppy deserves a responsible owner. The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen® Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge is for S.T.A.R. puppy owners too. After S.T.A.R. PUPPY, we hope you’ll go on to earn the CGC award with your wonderful puppy!
OWNER BEHAVIORS:
• Maintains puppy’s health (vaccines, exams, appears healthy)
• Owner receives Responsible Dog Owner’s Pledge
• Owner describes adequate daily play and exercise plan
• Owner and puppy attend at least 6 classes by an AKC Approved CGC Evaluator
• Owner brings bags to classes for cleaning up after puppy
• Owner has obtained some form of ID for puppy-collar tag, etc.
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PUPPY BEHAVIORS:
• Free of aggression toward people during at least 6 weeks of class
• Free of aggression toward other puppies in class
• Tolerates collar or body harness of owner’s choice
• Owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size)
• Puppy allows owner to take away a treat or toy
PRE-CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® TEST BEHAVIORS:
• Allows (in any position) petting by a person other than the owner
• Grooming-Allows owner handling and brief exam (ears, feet)
• Walks on a Leash-Follows owner on lead in a straight line (15 steps)
• Walks by other people-Walks on leash past other people 5-ft away
• Sits on command-Owner may use a food lure
• Down on command-Owner may use a food lure
• Comes to owner from 5-ft when name is called
• Reaction to Distractions-distractions are presented 15-ft away
• Stay on leash with another person (owner walks 10 steps and returns)
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k9hs dog | Middle School
AKC Certification Preparation
Dog Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification.
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Obtaining their first AKC Certification is a testament to the parent's efforts and also to the skills these pups will gain for life. Your dog will learn skills that will allow you and your pup to walk calmly down 2nd Street, or through Downtown Long Beach, laying calmly beside your chair at an outdoor restaurant, and greeting your friends and family politely with all paws on the ground. Training a dog to be confident and obedient in public takes a lot of practice, so enroll your dog in our American Kennel Club's preparation classes.
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AKC Canine Good Citizen (cgc) Certification
CGC is a ten-skill training program that’s open to all dogs–purebred and mixed breed–that focuses on teaching the basics of good manners and obedience, instilling the values of responsible ownership, and strengthening the bond between you and your dog at home and out in the community.
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After mastering the ten skills, passing the CGC test together, and taking the Responsible Dog Ownership pledge, you and your pup will join the proud ranks of over 1 million dogs who have earned their Canine Good Citizen award– accomplishment that’s definitely worthy of at least one puppuccino!
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• Accepting a Friendly Stranger
• Sitting Politely for Petting
• Allowing Grooming
• Loose-leash Walking
• Walking Through a Crowd
• Sit-Down-Stay in Public
• Recall - Coming When Called
• Polite Around Dogs
• Confident Around Distractions
• Supervised Separation
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k9hs Socialization | High School
AKC Certification Preparation
Advanced Placement Dog Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Community Canine Program (advanced CGC) and AKC Urban CGC.
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AKC Community Canine Program (advanced CGC) Certification
The AKC Community Canine program is all about ensuring you have a well-behaved dog while you’re out and about in the community. Where CGC happens in a simulated environment, the 10-step AKC Community Canine test is conducted in real life situations—like walking on a busy sidewalk or through a local park–giving you and your dog the confidence to enjoy everyday to the fullest, no matter what comes your way.
AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. As with CGC, AKC Community Canine has a 10-step test of skills that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Community Canine title. This is a title that appears on the dog's title record at AKC.
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• Dog sits or lies down and waits under control
• Walks on a loose leash in a natural situation (not in a ring) and does not pull
• Walks on a loose leash through a crowd
• Dog walks past distraction dogs present and does not pull
• Sit-stay in small group (3 other people with dogs)
• Dog allows person who is carrying something to approach and pet it
• Dog walks by food and follows owner instructions, “Leave it”
• Down or sit stay-distance (owner’s choice)
• Recall (coming when called) with distractions present
• Dog will enter/exit a doorway or passageway with owner and remain under control
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k9hs Socialization | AP High School
AKC Certification Preparation
Advanced Placement Dog Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Urban CGC Certification.
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AKC Urban CGC Program Certification
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AKC Urban CGC is a public access test that demonstrates dogs are well-behaved and well-trained when in public settings. The Urban CGC test can be used by dog- friendly business (e.g., lodging, retail, transportation, public facilities) to recognize and accept dogs with good manners.
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Another step beyond the basic CGC test is the AKC Urban CGC title, which tests your CGC skills in an active city or town setting. There are 10-steps to the test that your dog must pass to earn the official AKC Urban CGC title, but it is administered in a place where there are cars, streets to be crossed, noises, and fast-paced distractions.
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• Exit/enter doorway with no pulling in dog-friendly buildings. Exit building to start test, additional Public buildings items are below.​
• Walk through a crowd on a busy urban sidewalk.
- People come toward the dog from 1-ft. away
- Tolerate distractions (people wearing hats, coats, men, women, etc).
• Appropriate reaction to city distractions. This includes movement, noises, and walking on a variety of surfaces. Examples:
- Noises: horns, sirens, construction noise, etc.
- Moving objects: skateboard, bike, carts, person running
- Surfaces: concrete, grass, grates, plastic tarp, wet sidewalk
• Crossing street: Stop at corner, stand or sit to wait and cross with no pulling (on leash, with owner). Crosses street under control.
• Ignore food on sidewalk. (Dropped food, or cups, bags, cans, in which food was wrapped).
• Person walks up and pets the dog. May be carrying an item such as a small dog in a bag, a computer bag, etc. Person does not put the bag down to pet the dog.
• Public Building (that is dog friendly). Walks under control in building (slick surface, carpeted floor). Down stay (3 min) in lobby or outdoor area, or waits while owner has a meal or snack.
• Stairs, steps, or elevator under control.
- Steps (at least 3 – up and down)
- Elevator (Enters under control, exits, rides under control)
• Housetrained for apartment, condo, city living. Owner may verify this item. Evaluator may also observe in public buildings, or have observed in training classes.
• Transportation. Owner’s choice depending on transportation needs.
- Car. Enters/exits, remains under control during the ride. (Crate? Seatbelt?)
- Subway. Small dog in bag for ride.
(large dogs are not always permitted; know and abide by the Transit Policies in your area).
- Dog friendly (enters/exits or allows to be put in/taken out) under control.
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k9hs FIT DOG Club | Graduate School Club
AKC Official Club & Fitness Classes
Graduate School Club to maintain, manage and upkeep Training, Social Skills and Certification Behaviors. Exclusively for School Program graduates and AKC Official FIT DOG Club.
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AKC Fit Dog
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Now more than ever, fitness is important for both dogs and people. The most commonly recommended exercise to improve fitness is walking. Walking is considered a safe activity that improves muscular strength, circulation, memory, weight loss, increases energy, helps with sleep, and reduces stress. The American Heart Association recommends walking a minimum of 150 minutes per week. Participation in the AKC FIT DOG program will bring health benefits to both you and your dog.
Our club is daycare reimagined at a much higher standard, each day is structured like a school-day, it is a daycare/school hybrid meant to enrich your pup's life, manage behavior and upkeep training skills. We are focused on safe socialization on-leash while upkeeping the AKC certification behavior standards that you have worked so hard to achieve. Our club's on-leash pack walks happen at high-energy public spaces, where we focus on personal space and polite behavior around dogs, advanced socialization & exercise, advanced boundaries, impulse control & recall. And we do all of this at high-difficulty outdoor environments like parks, malls, beaches, stairs, crosswalks, etc.
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Parents in the club are automatically enrolled into our official AKC FIT DOG club which includes free access to our classes each month!
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• k9HS - AKC FIT DOG Club Walking Classes
• k9HS - AKC FIT DOG Club Reactivity Classes
• k9HS - AKC FIT DOG Club Fitness Classes
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k9hs Agility | Athletics School
AKC Certification Preparation
Dog Agility Training Day School Program to prepare for the AKC Trick Dog Program Titles.
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Athletic dogs and working breeds that need an outlet for their high mental and physical drives will find great success in our our athletics program, which provides these dogs a focus on AKC Trick Dog Title Certifications. Hyperactive dogs are a great fit for this program because it channels mental energy into a skill instead of being punished for it.
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Trick dog training is a great way to provide your dog with physical and mental exercise. Going beyond the skills in your CGC training, you and your dog will learn how to high five, or try more advanced tricks, like training your pup to jump into your arms. For someone brand new to dog training, trick dog training might seem like a big leap, but your CGC training provides a great foundation for you and your dog to begin with easy tricks and progress to more challenging activities together. By earning the CGC title first, you only have to perform 5 tricks from the Novice checklist to earn an AKC Novice Trick Dog title, commonly called “CGC + 5.”
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AKC Novice Trick Dog (TKN) Title Certification
Your dog performs 10 skills from the Novice list. (see link to “Application” below for lists of skills). If a dog has a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate or title on record at AKC, it can do 5 Novice tricks (CGC + 5) to earn the Novice title.
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AKC Intermediate Trick Dog (TKI) Title Certification
Your dog must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks.
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AKC Advanced Trick Dog (TKA) Title Certification
Your dog must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 10 tricks from the Advanced list.
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AKC Trick Dog Performer (TKP) Title Certification
In this title, handlers perform a short routine with at least 10 tricks with at least 3 tricks using props.
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AKC Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE) Title Certification
In the highest level of Trick Dog, the Elite Performers perform a routine that has a story/script. At least 5 props are used.
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k9hs Online | Virtual School
AKC Certification Preparation
Puppy & Dog Online Training School Program to prepare for the AKC VHM Certification.
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Virtual Home Manners (VHM) is the answer when you want to train your dog at home. When you get a puppy or new adult dog, Virtual Home Manners can get you started on practical skills before you attend a training class. The evaluation of a dog’s ability to perform ten home manners skills will be done by a video recording. Two levels of Home Manners will be offered – Virtual Home Manners Puppy (VHMP) and Virtual Home Manners Adult (VHMA). Dogs that pass the tests will be awarded these titles.
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The Virtual Home Manners tests assess ten skills that well-mannered pet dogs need in the home setting. The skills relate to the dog owner having control over the dog, being able to walk the dog (which is one of the most frequently cited activities that owners want to do with their dogs) and developing a bond with the dog during playtime.
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The Virtual Home Manners tests are evaluated online by CGC Evaluators in the same manner that is currently used for Virtual Tricks. There is not an in-person VHM testing process. Virtual Home Manners is natural lead-in for AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen (CGC) in-person training.
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