The Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme
The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme is the UK’s most widely recognised dog training programme, promoting responsible ownership and rewarding well-mannered dogs of all breeds and backgrounds.
It’s a brilliant way to build real-life skills and a closer bond with your dog—whether you're just starting out or looking to polish up on obedience. We're proud to be one of the few dog training schools in the Central Belt of Scotland offering this respected scheme.
The Bronze Award is all about building everyday obedience and encouraging responsible dog ownership.
The course includes key skills such as walking on a loose lead without pulling, returning promptly when called, controlled door entry, and calmly allowing basic inspection (like checking ears or paws) by handler.
You’ll also cover grooming, handling, and being relaxed around other dogs and people. It’s assessed by an external examiner and is a brilliant next step for dogs who’ve mastered the basics and are ready to work in a more structured setting.
Begin with Bronze
Begin with Bronze
The Bronze level builds on the Puppy Foundation basics, but is also suitable for dogs with no prior experience.
The course and exam is comprised of 10 exercises including: heel on lead with distractions, recall and finish, stay commands, grooming, handling and responsible ownership skills. There’s no requirement to complete the Foundation award first, but many dogs breeze right on through! The end includes a short test overseen by an external qualified examiner.
Your Route to Gold
With an experienced instructor and a supportive, down-to-earth atmosphere, we’ll guide you and your dog through each level at a pace that works for you both.
The Silver Award builds on everything learned in Bronze, but turns up the difficulty just a notch.
You’ll work on road safety, recall from distance and distraction, controlled greetings, walking on a loose lead in busier settings, and keeping your dog calm in real-world situations. Perfect for owners who want to sharpen their skills and build a deeper bond with their dog.
To undertake the Silver course, dogs must first pass their Bronze award.
The KCGCS Puppy Foundation course is a fabulous all round course for any puppy up to 12 months of age.
Our Puppy Foundation course is designed to give young pups the best start in life, covering all the basics like socialisation, loose-lead walking, recall, sit–stay, handling, and more. With a friendly, supportive environment and clear guidance from Denise Symon, this course helps build confidence in both pups and their owners.
Ideal for setting the groundwork before moving on to more advanced levels and getting you used to the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme process.
The Gold course is our most advanced level, focusing on off-lead control, distance commands, calm settling in public, and refined behaviour under pressure. It’s ideal for anyone looking to achieve reliable obedience, whether at the park, in town, or just at home with visitors. Gold-level dogs are confident, cooperative and a joy to live with. To participate, dogs must first pass their Silver award.