BH or Canine Good Citizen? Why the BH is still worth it

“Should I do the Canine Good Citizen or the BH?” It’s one of the questions we hear most from new dog owners. Both tests reward a well-mannered dog, and in South Africa both run under KUSA. But they’re built for different jobs. Here’s how they compare, the pros and cons of each, and why we think the BH is still well worth the effort.

Two tests, two different goals

The KUSA Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is a non-competitive programme that rewards good manners at home and in the community, and promotes responsible dog ownership. It has four levels: Puppy, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Any dog can take part, whether pure bred, crossbred or of mixed breeding.

The BH (Begleithundprüfung, or companion dog test) is the FCI’s entry-level working dog test. It checks that a dog is a calm, social, reliable companion, first on the trial field and then out in real public traffic. Every IGP dog has to pass it before it can compete, which is why we covered it in detail in The BH: the test every good dog could pass.

At a glance

	Canine Good Citizen (KUSA)	BH (FCI, at KUSA trials)
Who assesses	A KUSA Canine Good Citizen evaluator	A licensed working dog judge
Where	Any KUSA-affiliated club or authorised organisation	At a trial, such as a club trial or CACIT
Which dogs	Any dog, including crossbreeds and mixed breeds (microchipped and vaccinated)	Dogs of all breeds and sizes registered or recorded with KUSA
Minimum age	Puppy from 4 months, Bronze from 9 months	At least 12 months under FCI rules (check KUSA’s requirement with your club)
Levels	Puppy, Bronze, Silver, Gold	One test
Result	Each task marked “Passed” or “Not ready”	Scored obedience part, then a pass or fail in public
Second chances	Up to Silver, only the tasks marked “Not ready” are re-tested on another day. Gold must be passed in one session.	The whole test is taken on the day. You can try again at a later trial, but not twice at the same event.
Leads to	KUSA disciplines such as Obedience, Agility and Dog Jumping	IGP and the other FCI working titles

How they differ in practice

Everyday manners versus working teamwork

The CGC is about living well with your dog. The tasks include accepting a friendly stranger, being groomed and examined, greeting visitors without jumping up, waiting calmly while left tied up, behaving around food, and, at the higher levels, settling in a car or crate. The handler also has to show they understand how to care for their dog.

The BH is about working together. On the field, the dog heels on a loose leash at the handler’s left knee through turns and changes of pace, sits on its own every time the handler stops, drops into a down on command, comes when called, and holds a down while another dog works nearby. The judge watches for a dog that clearly wants to work with its handler.

Relaxed control versus precision

In the CGC Bronze walk on lead, the dog doesn’t have to be in a perfect heel position or sit when you stop, as long as it’s clearly paying attention to you. In the BH, heeling position, attention and automatic sits are all part of the score.

The training ground versus the real world

Many CGC tasks happen at a club venue, with distractions set up by the evaluator: a person on crutches, an umbrella opening, a dropped book, a jogger, a pram or a cyclist. Silver and Gold add a road walk on a pavement and a road crossing.

The BH’s second half happens out in public. The dog walks through a group of at least six people while the handler stops to shake hands, is passed by a cyclist ringing a bell from behind and from the front, walks past cars as an engine starts and a door slams, waits calmly while a driver asks for directions, ignores joggers and other dogs, and stays calm while tied up alone with the handler out of sight.

Building up versus one day

The CGC lets a dog build confidence over several sessions, re-testing only the tasks it wasn’t ready for. The BH is a single test on trial day, after a temperament check by the judge, and every result goes into the dog’s official scorebook.

Pros and cons

Canine Good Citizen

Pros

Open to any dog, including crossbreeds and rescue dogs.
You can start with a puppy from four months old.
Four levels give you clear, achievable steps.
Relaxed and non-competitive, so it’s a gentle introduction for nervous dogs and first-time handlers.
Covers practical life skills, such as grooming, being examined, food manners, and car or crate control.
Teaches the handler about responsible ownership, not just the dog about manners.
If a task isn’t ready, you only re-do that task another day.

Cons

It doesn’t lead into IGP or the other FCI working titles.
There’s less emphasis on precision, focus and drive.
Most of the distractions are set up at a club venue rather than met in live traffic, at least until Silver.
It’s a KUSA certificate rather than an international FCI qualification.

BH

Pros

It tests the dog in real public traffic, not just on a training ground.
An experienced working dog judge checks the dog’s temperament and character.
It builds precise, joyful teamwork and focus.
It’s an FCI qualification, and the FCI rules require titles to be accepted by all FCI member countries.
It opens the door to IGP, tracking, obedience and protection titles.
Your dog’s result is recorded in its official scorebook.

Cons

It’s a higher bar, and you only have one go on the day.
You need a club to train with and a trial to enter.
Dogs must be older (at least 12 months under FCI rules) and registered or recorded with KUSA.
Trial-day nerves are real, for handlers as much as for dogs.

Why the BH is still worth it

If the CGC is easier to get into, why bother with the BH? Because it proves something the CGC isn’t designed to prove.

It shows your dog copes with the real world. Passing among real cars, cyclists, joggers and strangers is a different thing from passing a set of staged distractions.
It’s a statement about character. A working dog judge has watched your dog’s temperament from the moment it arrived, and was satisfied.
It builds a working partnership. The focus and teamwork you train for the BH make everyday life easier too, and they’re the foundation for everything that comes after.
It opens the whole sport. With a BH, your dog can go on to IGP, or focus on tracking, obedience or protection.
It counts beyond our borders. As an FCI qualification, it’s recognised across FCI member countries.

It doesn’t have to be either-or

Many owners do both. The CGC Puppy and Bronze levels are a great way to start a young dog: they build socialisation, handling and calm manners while the dog is too young for the BH. Once your dog is old enough and you’re training at a club, the BH is the natural next step, and the start of everything IGP has to offer.

Which is right for you?

Choose the CGC if you have a puppy or a crossbreed, you mainly want a well-mannered family dog, or you’d like a relaxed, step-by-step programme.
Choose the BH if you want to test your dog in the real world, you’re curious about IGP or other working titles, or you want an internationally recognised qualification.
Do both if you’re starting with a young dog and want to build up to the BH.

Get started

Find a club near you: IGP Clubs
Read more about the BH: The BH: the test every good dog could pass
See this year’s CACIT results: CACIT Johannesburg 2026
Questions? Contact us