If you’re gearing up to practice for the Canine Good Citizen Test, then finding manageable crowds of people to walk through and around will be a priority, especially if you have a busy schedule.

Within this post, I’m assuming that your dog already knows how to walk politely on a loose leash. You’ve got the basics down. You’re here because you need some ideas for finding different crowds of people to fit the needs of your dog. Or you may be looking for more advanced tips on how to manage your dog in crowds, especially if you’re thinking about getting your dog certified as a therapy dog.

First, let’s define what the American Kennel Club looks for when they’re testing your dog’s ability to walk through a crowd of people.

Task #5: Walking Through a Crowd

The AKC description of this fifth test reads:

“This test demonstrates that the dog can move about politely in pedestrian traffic and is under control in public places. The dog and handler walk around and pass close to several people (at least three). The dog may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence of over-exuberance, shyness or resentment. The handler may talk to the dog and encourage or praise the dog throughout the test. The dog should not jump on people in the crowd or strain on the leash.”

According to the CGC Evaluator Guide, the evaluator looks for five main behaviors:

In this test, the dog may show some interest in the strangers but should continue to walk with the handler, without evidence of over exuberance, shyness or resentment.
The dog may show mild interest in members of the crowd. The dog may sniff a person in the crowd briefly but must move on promptly.
The dog may not jump on people in the crowd or attempt to go to them.
The dog should not be straining at the leash.
The dog should not be trying to hide behind the handler.

Watch the video below for a few quick demonstrations of what walking through a crowd looks like during the CGC Test.

Disclaimer

Before you start reading the training tips, please remember I am not a professional dog trainer. I am a dog parent just like you who wants my dog living up to CGC expectations for being a well-mannered pup in public. I’ve pulled these tips from a variety of sources, including online videos, webinars, books, and dog obedience classes I’ve attended. I’ve used all of the tips I suggest, but not all of these ideas may be right for you or your dog.

If you’re serious about wanting your dog to be a good neighbor, you should absolutely 100% be working with a professional dog trainer. Read more about why working with a professional dog trainer is one of the best decisions you’ll make for you and your dog. Once you’ve found a professional dog trainer who understands you and your goals, then online resources can serve as helpful reminders and inspiration.

Practicing for Task #5

Before you start taking your dog to crowded places, think about the safety and needs of your dog.

Is your dog shy around new people or in new situations?
For shyer dogs, be sure to start with smaller groups of people. Think about the noise level at different events as well, and take your dog to those events where he’ll be more comfortable and safe.
Is your dog shy or anxious around other dogs?
If you’re still working on achieving a neutral dog reaction to other dogs, then you may want to avoid events where the number of dogs present will likely be higher. Work on the skill of walking through crowds of people with crowds of 2-3 people to start.
Is your dog overly enthusiastic? How will you manage the enthusiasm?
Definitely bring your treat pouch to reward the behaviors you like, but also think about whether or not you want to meet people while you’re out. It’s okay to decide that for this event, you’re focusing on walking through a crowd, so you won’t be stopping for pets.
How are your leash handling skills?
Can you move your dog from one side of you to the other quickly and safely? If the crowd suddenly slows down, can you manage your dog’s speed and protect his space so he doesn’t get stepped on? If your dog starts barking, can you manage that behavior so he’s quiet?
Are you mentally prepared to leave an event early?
You need to remember that you’re bringing your dog into a new environment. If he gets super scared or gets out-of-hand, you need to make sure you’re ready to leave whenever your dog needs you to. This one can be hard, especially if the event is one you’ve been looking forward to attending or if you’ve paid an entrance fee.

Identify where crowds of people may be

If you like to hike with your dog, check your state parks website for events. Most state parks celebrate First Day Hikes on January 1 of every year. Throughout the year or hiking season, rangers will lead guided hikes. Call to find out if those guided hikes are dog-friendly.
Identify dog-friendly stores near you. Sign up for their store newsletters and/or like their Facebook page so you know when special events take place. Special events usually mean more people.
Identify dog-friendly malls as well. If the mall is hosting an event, that’s a great time to practice walking through crowds. Keep in mind that larger events with booths, stages, and other displays can block your sight line. If that makes you nervous, stick to the edges of the event. You don’t have to walk through the thick of a crowd to get in the practice.
Figure out different levels of busy outside your local grocery store. If everyone shops on Saturday morning or a certain sale day every week, take your dog for a good walk first, and then walk back and forth along the outside length of the supermarket. Your purpose is not to get in anyone’s way. You’re teaching your dog how to navigate around the different groups of people and their carts.
Find dog-friendly hardware stores for crowds and home improvement noises. When seasonal decorations go on display, Lowe’s and Ace Hardware have tons of spooky skeletons, and decor that cackles. Get in some practice walking through their crowds while also introducing your dog to the Halloween or other holiday trimmings they’re likely to pass in your neighborhood.
Live music tends to draw crowds. Check your local paper for any music events or festivals that may be held in nearby parks. If the festival is too large of an event to safely manage your dog, you could walk around the outside of the event on the sidewalk or on the edges of the parking lot.
Another great place for live music is your local farmer’s market. Support some local businesses while practicing walking around the booths, people, food, random baskets, and yummy smells.
Get to know your local animal rescue organizations and the events they host. Again, sign up for their newsletters or like their Facebook pages to stay informed. When they host dog-friendly events, you can practice not only walking through crowds, but also neutral dog skills.
Check your town or city’s events calendar for specific dates for athletic tournaments or games. Tournaments are usually held in larger parks, so while more people will attend, you may also have more space for walking around. Arrive early to the park to work in a good walk before maneuvering through the crowds.
Consider the time of day of events too. Frequently, we take our dogs out only during daylight hours. If you have the opportunity to walk your dog at night through an event, you should think about it. Consider safety, of course, but giving your dog the chance to walk around people at dusk or in the evening is good practice for him.
Bonus Tip: If you want to introduce your dog slowly to crowds, avoid actual events. Instead, show up early while people are setting up, or wait until the event is over and walk around as the last people leave.
Bonus Tip for Busy People: Create a calendar dedicated to your dog and share it with all relevant people in your home. When you hear about specific dog-friendly events, add that event to your calendar so you don’t forget to get in the focused practice.

Know how you’ll keep your dog safe in crowds

You need solid loose-leash walking skills to manage walking through a crowd of people with your dog. For the Canine Good Citizen Test, the evaluator looks for a basic level of skill.

However, for the real world where people aren’t always cognizant of the presence of others let alone their canine companions, I’d argue that you want several tools in your toolbox to keep you and your dog safe.

How will you switch your dog from one side of you to the other?

People in crowds walk two and three across. While I’m all for my dog’s right to space, if distracted people are plowing toward us, I want the ability to swap my dog to the side farthest away from people who may not even notice he’s there. His safety is more important to me than advocating for his right to space.

One of the quickest ways to switch your dog’s placement is to swap the leash behind your back from one hand to the other. This leash handling technique takes some practice.

Give it a try in your driveway or yard. Be sure to practice swapping the leash from one hand to the other behind your back when no one is around. Not only will this isolated practice help you get better at manipulating the leash, your dog will also get used to switching sides with you and without the distraction of a crowd.

Recently, I’ve also learned how to direct Bernie to move out in front of me from one side to the other while we continue moving forward. I’ve named these commands Heel (for directing Bernie to my left side) and Side (for directing Bernie to my right side).

While this technique takes more practice, once you’ve got it down, your dog’s attention should be on you as you’re directing him to your opposite side. If you see something ahead of you that could be highly distracting for your dog, mentally engage your dog with the Heel or Side commands. Keep his attention on you. Keep him safe.

Also, this technique looks really cool in a crowd, especially if you’ve practiced and your swaps appear seamless.

What if you can’t switch sides?

People may be approaching through a narrow passage or on a single tread trail, what do you do?

If there’s not enough room for your dog to walk safely next to you, you should be prepared to maneuver him behind you. Again, this technique takes practice.

First, you have to be observant and see the narrow passageway approaching.

Shorten your leash while you’re also moving your hand to the small of your back. If your dog already knows basic loose-leash walking skills, he should fall in line behind you.

Practice this skill on walks when no one is around. If there aren’t narrow passageways for practice, walk along a long wall. Once your dog is naturally falling in step behind you, you can add a name to the behavior, like Behind.

How will you manage your dog’s speed?

Sometimes you get behind a crowd of people who are walking super slow, what do you do? Or you come to a crowded stairway, how do you keep your dog at your slower speed?

Teaching your dog the Easy command slows him down. I’ve found practicing this command on stairs to be the most effective way for my dogs to understand the speed I’m looking for. Then I start applying the command while we’re out exploring.

If one of the dogs starts walking a bit farther ahead than I like, I’ll tell them Easy and give them a chance to slow themselves down. If they don’t, then I transform into the tree and let them hit the end of the leash. My dogs don’t even hit the end of the leash anymore. As soon as I stop, they know they’ve pulled out front too far and they automatically circle back to me.

And then there are the times when you want to make a quick getaway. I’m thinking about that unsupervised toddler waddling more quickly than you imagined she could chanting “Doggy! Doggy! Doggy!”

Managing a dog and an unsupervised toddler seems like the perfect recipe for a hot mess. I beat feet away using the cue Hurry. Again, be aware of your surroundings so you’re not careening into someone else, but knowing how to move quickly away from something is a good skill to have.

Teaching Hurry to both of my dogs was pretty easy. I just picked up my pace significantly and they were more than willing to comply with my new faster speed. I named this quick pace Hurry so that when I tell them Hurry now, they know we’re about to speed up.

For those times when you’re stopped in a crowd, do you know how you will direct your dog’s attention?

Teaching your dog the command Wait helps them understand that they’ll be staying put for a few seconds, but you’ll be moving on quickly. It’s a shorter duration than Stay. You can pair your expectation for Wait with an autosit.

Touch is another helpful command if you want to adjust the location of your dog. Teaching your dog to Touch a target like your hand means that you can place your hand a few inches in front of where you want your dog’s rear end to land.

Keep in mind the length of your dog’s tail so you’re helping your dog relocate to a place where all of him will be safe from people moving around.

Practicing the Look or Watch Me commands as well as Leave It as you’re moving are also good ideas for those times when you see that thing you know your dog will be super distracted by.

Working in practice with Look or Watch Me strengthens your dog’s engagement with you on walks. If you’ve practiced engagement sessions with your dog, you can bet that engagement will come in handy when you’re in a crowd.

Finally, know when to make your exit

If your dog is doing well walking through a crowd, be sure to end the field trip on a good note.

Keep your first walks through crowds short. Ten minutes may be enough for some dogs. For your first few outings, keeping them short means they’re more likely going to be full of treats and positive associations. Let your dog link in his own mind good thoughts about treats and walking through crowds.
As your walks through crowds gets slightly longer with each practice session, keep up the verbal praise to encourage your dog.
If something super awesome happens that you know just made a positive impression on your dog, consider leaving the event or crowd then. Let your dog associate that positive interaction with crowds.

Watch your dog for signs of his anxiety.

Some signs are obvious like cowering between your legs or behind you. Other behaviors indicating stress are more subtle, like licking his lips frequently. Know your dog and your dog’s body language.

If you sense that your dog is uncomfortable or overwhelmed, leave.

Then reflect upon the event and think about it from your dog’s perspective.

Were there too many people?
Did he meet too many people and just got tired and cranky?
Were there too many different noises?
Was the noise level too loud?
Did something specific happen that scared your dog?

Some crowds are too crowded.

There are just some events that you shouldn’t bring your dog to even if they’re outdoors or advertised as dog-friendly.

Depending on how many people actually show up and the amount of space those people get packed into, taking your dogs to some event is dangerous for them. Not only could they get stepped upon, they could get scared by the sheer volume of people around.

If you even suspect that an event could be characterized as congested, leave your dog at home.

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