We all want our PWDs to be viewed favorably wherever we may go. Being a breed that loves to be with their humans, our porties want that too! Enter the CKC Canine Good Neighbor program.

The Canine Good Neighbor program is an evaluation of your dog’s ability to be just that, a wonderful and well behaved portie who is welcomed everywhere he/she goes. It is foundational to becoming a volunteer therapy dog and some hotels and even apartment rental agreements prefer dogs who have passed the evaluation.

This non-competitive evaluation, which is open to all dogs and owners, allows us to demonstrate our dog’s control and confidence, as well as our handling abilities, in 12 areas.

Accepting A Friendly Stranger
Politely Accepts Petting
Appearance and Grooming
Out For A Walk
Walking Through A Crowd
Sit/Down On Command and Stay In Place
Come When Called
Praise/Interaction
Reaction To A Passing Dog
Reaction To Distractions
Supervised Isolation
Walking Through A Door/Gate

Sounds easy right? With good foundational training and some daily practice, you and your portie can ace this test! Zero equipment beyond you, your dog, and maybe a friend to assist, you can get started today on making porties known as fantastic, friendly canine companion dogs who can be taken anywhere.

Getting Started

Information about the Canine Good Neighbor program, including handbook, testing events and evaluators can be found through the Canadian Kennel Club here.

Training specific to the test may be a bit hard to spot at your local facility, but most puppy classes and obedience classes offer the skills required to pass the evaluation.