Hope Lock Kennels - Testing and certification


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Testing and certification

Hope Lock Kennels offers testing for both AKC Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International certification. See below for more information.

Canine Good Citizen Program

The American Kennel Club has developed a certification program known as the Canine Good Citizen Program (CGC) to test dogs in simulated everyday situations in a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere. The CGC Program recognizes dogs that have the training and demeanor to be reliable family members and community members in good standing.

The purpose of the Canine Good Citizen Test is to ensure that the companion dog can be a respected member of the community. Dogs become respected community members when they are trained to act mannerly in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. All dogs, purebreds and mixed breeds are welcomed in the Canine Good Citizen Program. Training for the Canine Good Citizen Program is fun and rewarding and helps create a closer bond between handler and dog.

Hope Lock Kennels integrates Canine Good Citizen training in its Intermediate and Advanced classes. We believe that all dog handlers and dogs should have goals they are planning to achieve as they train. Working to successfully pass the CGC test is an excellent initial goal. Testing by an independent evaluator is offered at scheduled times throughout the year.

Therapy Dog Testing

Therapy Dogs International (TDI) is a non-profit volunteer group organized to provide qualified dogs and handlers for visitations to institutions and facilities where therapy dogs are needed. The primary objective of the TDI dog and handler is to provide comfort and companionship by sharing the dog's presence with patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions. These visits increase emotional well being, promote healing, and improve the quality of life for the people being visited and the staff who care for them.

Regular visits from therapy dogs and their handlers provide stimulation for conversation in mental health counseling and can encourage interest in physical therapy. Therapy dogs elevate the mood of the facility in general and specifically with the staff and residents. These dogs rekindle memories of past pets, and provide a never ending supply of love and affection for those who enjoy touching a furry head or feeling a cold nose.

Because dogs are non-judgmental and open with their affection, they can often touch something in a person who is otherwise uncommunicative. TDI dogs are real dogs - some with fancy pedigrees and titles, some who have been adopted from the local shelter. All are very proud of their jobs as canine ambassadors.

TDI membership is open to purebred and mixed breed dogs. Dogs must be a minimum of 1 year old to test. Testing is done by a TDI certified evaluator and the standards are quite high. While many dogs provide love and companionship in the home, not all have the temperament to be a therapy dog where they are often in unfamiliar facilities and sometimes in stressful situations.

Training a dog to be a therapy dog is an extremely rewarding goal for a handler. It takes time and patience to introduce the dog to the many new experiences that may be encountered on visits to institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes and day care facilities. Using the Canine Good Citizen test requirements as a foundation, Hope Lock Kennels introduces the additional requirements for Therapy Dogs International in its Advanced classes. Dogs are worked around medical equipment and put into situations similar to what they may experience on visits. Only those dogs who show themselves to be comfortable and confident in all experiences are recommended for testing. Testing by a certified evaluator is offered at scheduled times throughout the year.