The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme is the largest dog training scheme in the UK. Its aim is to promote responsible dog ownership and in turn, enhance our relationship with our pets and to make the community aware of the benefits associated with dog ownership.

Getting a dog is one of the rare occasions you actually choose a member of your family! So if things are going to work out, your choice must be a good one. So what happens when you find the right dog and bring it home? Will it behave itself in your home? Will it get on with your family and what will it be like when you take it out? These are just a few questions that a new dog owner will ask himself or herself when bringing a dog into the home. How do you learn to live with your new addition?

The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme was established for this very reason, to promote socially acceptable dogs and to teach owners how to train their dogs. After all, dogs are not born with the fountain of all knowledge. Just like humans dogs need to be educated so that they can live in harmony with society.

The Scheme is open to all dogs regardless of age or breed. The aim is to promote responsible dog ownership and in turn, enhance our relations with our canines, and to make the community aware of the benefits associated with owning dogs.

There are four levels of achievement:

• Puppy Foundation – for puppies, whereby basic training skills and socialisation will start to introduce them to life’s daily routine.
• Bronze – for dogs that are relatively new to dog training.
• Silver – for dogs that have their bronze level and have graduated to a higher learning curve.
• Gold – this is the highest level of Good Citizenship and will show you have a well behaved and trained domestic pet.

Dog owners' knowledge of responsibility and care for their dog will be tested at each level.

updated on 19 July 2008