Kennel Club GCDS

KC Good Citizen Dog Scheme

This training scheme is especially useful for new dog owners, those who haven’t owned a dog for a few years or for families where an older child wants to get involved in training or other activity with their dog. The scheme is non-competitive and owners of any fitness level can take part.

The scheme promotes responsible dog ownership and starts with puppy socialisation. The next levels introduce different aspects of owning a dog such as the law, travelling with a dog, and includes exercises associated with pet ownership such as walking without pulling, sitting and waiting rather than rushing through a gate, and then on to more complex exercise similar to obedience training. After the puppy course there are three levels you can work through starting with the bronze award, then silver award and gold award.

 

The Kennel Club describes its Good Citizen Dog Scheme as “the largest dog training programme in the UK. Now a well-established dog training programme that has been in operation since 1992. The Scheme is open to all dogs, young or old, pedigree or Crossbreed, whether Kennel Club registered or not. It provides a quality standard of training for dogs and owners, and incorporates many domestic obedience exercises, with over 481,000 certificates of achievement having being awarded to owners and their dogs who have successfully passed the scheme’s tests. There are currently around 1,800 dog training clubs and other organisations around the country actively administering the scheme.

Dog owners of any fitness level or disability can take part too. The Scheme is non-competitive and emphasis is placed on the standard of achievement. There are four levels of courses from Puppy Foundation, to Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.”

 

You can finGood Citz stayd out more about the Scheme here and where to find your local training club by searching the KC website here

 

The Clumber Spaniel Club has supported the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme since it began and many Clumbers have achieved awards at all levels; they are listed on our Club’s Roll of Honour.

The Club was invited to demonstrate the Bronze Award at Crufts in 1999 and again in 2000, which was a great honour.

The Club occasionally offers training and testing sessions in Bronze and Silver Awards.

 

Roll of Honour – previous achievers

Bronze

Silver

Gold