AKC Evaluations & Public Access FAQs
What is an AKC Evaluation?
An American Kennel Club (AKC) evaluation is an assessment of a dog's training, manners, and behavior. Programs such as the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test help demonstrate that a dog has a foundation of reliable obedience and appropriate behavior in everyday situations. While these evaluations can be valuable for service dog preparation, they do not certify a dog as a service animal or replace specialized service dog training and task evaluations.
What skills are assessed during an evaluation?
The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluation assesses a dog's ability to demonstrate good manners and reliable behavior in everyday situations. Skills include accepting a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, grooming and handling, walking on a loose leash, moving calmly through a crowd, sitting and staying on cue, coming when called, reacting appropriately around other dogs, responding to distractions, and remaining calm during brief separation from the handler. These skills help demonstrate a foundation of good behavior, but they do not replace specialized service dog training or disability-related task evaluations.
Can I have my own dog evaluated?
Yes! Lighthouse Canine Learning Center offers dog evaluations to assess obedience, temperament, and behavior. Whether you're interested in an AKC evaluation, assessing your dog's readiness for service work, or identifying areas for improvement, we can help you understand your dog's current skills and potential. Contact us to learn about available evaluations and scheduling.
What happens if my dog needs additional training?
If your dog needs additional training, we’ll explain the evaluation results and identify areas for improvement. We can discuss recommended training strategies and next steps to help your dog build the skills needed to reach your goals. Every dog learns at a different pace, and additional training can help strengthen confidence, reliability, and good working behavior.
What is the difference between obedience and task training?
Obedience training teaches a dog foundational skills such as sitting, staying, walking politely on a leash, coming when called, and responding reliably to commands. Task training teaches a dog to perform specific actions that assist a person with a disability, such as retrieving dropped items, opening doors, providing trained medical alerts, or interrupting harmful behaviors. Both are essential components of service dog training, helping create a safe, reliable working partner who can support their handler’s individual needs.
What does public-access training involve?
Public-access training prepares a service dog to behave safely, calmly, and reliably in everyday public environments. Training may include navigating stores, restaurants, sidewalks, crowds, elevators, and other busy settings while remaining focused on the handler. Dogs learn to ignore distractions, walk politely, settle quietly, and respond to commands without disrupting others. The goal is to help each team navigate public spaces safely and confidently while meeting applicable behavior and control requirements.
Do you provide written evaluation results?
Our evaluations are pass or fail. Teams that pass receive a certificate recognizing that they have met our program's testing standards. If a team does not pass, we take a few minutes to review the areas that need improvement and discuss what skills should be worked on. You are welcome to take notes during this discussion to help guide future training. We do not provide written score sheets or detailed test results. Our certificate recognizes completion of our private evaluation process and does not grant legal service dog status or additional public access rights under the ADA.