If you’re new to the dog community or perhaps you’re considering purchasing a purebred dog, you may not understand what all the special letters surrounding a registered name signifies. What do they mean? What do they stand for? What value do they bring? How do you earn them? I’ve had many people ask over the years what these letters mean or what my ribbons mean. I’m going to try and cover as many aspects of dog sport titling throughout this blog post.
What do they mean?
In short, each set of letters before or after a dog’s registered name signifies a title earned in a sporting discipline. Dog sports consist of a broad spectrum of events that combine training, bonding, outlets, natural genetic desires, physical and mental exercise for your dog. From agility, to nosework, to herding or bitesports there are so many opportunities to have fun with your dog while also working towards the completion of titles along the way. You can work towards your goals, more than likely with trials and tribulations along the way. It can push you not only as a trainer and owner but as a team.
What do they stand for?
Each title has a predetermined acronym that is either a prefix or suffix to the registered name. These titles can come from several overhead kennel clubs (American Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club etc) or individual sporting organizations (DockDogs, Sport Scent Detection Association, Canadian Working Belgian Shepherd Association etc) Examples would be:
(CH) – Champion - conformation
(GRCH) – Grand Champion - conformation
(NS) – Novice Sprinter – lure coursing
(RATI)- Rat Instinct – barn hunt
(IGP1)- Internationale Gebrauchshund Prüfungsordnung – German for working dog regulations – level 1 bite sports.
Typically you only put the highest level of title beside the name and replace it as you continue working up to more difficult titles. For example if you have an IGP3 on your dog the registered name would not show as “registered name” IGP1 IGP2 IGP3 it would only show as “registered name” IGP3 because without the previous lower level titles completed you can’t complete the higher levels. In some instances, the title written may represent the completion of several titles. For example, the Elite Nosework (EN) title under the United Kennel Club represents the completion of 25 titles below it.
What value do titles bring?
Titling a dog seems to be a controversial topic for many, especially in the breeding world.
Do titles make a dog? No.
Are there plenty of excellent breed representatives that can contribute in a positive way to the breed pool without having any titles? Absolutely.
So what’s the point? What does it prove?
Here’s my take on it. When you title a dog you’re showing versatility and stability. You’re proving that said dog can go out in public and complete a given task, of course with higher level titles being of more difficulty. For many sporting avenues, you’re proving that you and your dog can work together as a team. It’s going to be more challenging for you to accomplish team-based titles with a dog who is afraid, shut down in public, easily distracted, uninterested, unmotivated etc. Often times these behaviors can be overcome when you’re persistent and driven to create positive and fun experiences for your dog in environments other than your home.
If your breeding dog never leaves your property, how can you truly assess how stable they are in public?
You can’t.
Meanwhile, if your breeding dog is titled in multiple avenues what does that show?
Firstly, versatility. The ability to be a jack of all trades. Some sports are harder for certain breeds. For example, engagement is going to be harder in an independent thinker or breeds that are less food/toy motivated so it becomes even more rewarding to achieve those titles with the off breeds. You’re showing that you’ve built enough confidence and biddability to succeed in completing these titles, proving the versatility of your dog. This is especially true when people say show dogs can’t be working dogs and vice versa. In some cases the lines are definitely split but you can still have a successful show dog proving breed conformation that also is successful at work & sport.
Secondly, stability. Your dog was able to work AND succeed away from home. Some people will argue that you shouldn’t be able to show your guardian breed dog because it means they are watered down (shouldn’t be able to be touched by strangers). A counter argument to that would be that though many guardian breeds are meant to be ALOOF of strangers, it does not mean they should be outright AGGRESSIVE or unstable towards strangers with no imminent threat. Neutrality is a wonderful thing. Showing that your dog is able to decipher the difference between a threat and a non-threat and act accordingly. Showing that your dog also trusts YOU enough in scenarios where they may feel uncomfortable. Of course some dogs are going to excel and enjoy some sports and not others and that’s completely fine. It’s all about proving the level of versatility your breeding dog(s) possess and highlighting their ability to work individually and as a team. Finding what they love to do and watching them be fulfilled on top of the fancy titles and certificates is the icing on top.
How do you earn titles?
Titles are earned by completing a pre-determined number of qualifying legs/runs or by accumulating a pre-determined number of points. Depending what the sport is, there is typically a handbook or rulebook that clearly outlines the requirements to earn each title. Pending what organization or kennel club the sport belongs to, you will need a registration number. Some organizations and sporting events allow mixed breed dogs and have the option to get “performance” registration numbers. Conformation (judging a dog against its breed standard) is for purebred dogs only and requires registration papers with the kennel club in order to compete and earn conformation titles. Some breeds are not recognized with all kennel clubs and therefore are not able to compete (for example the Presa Canario is not recognized with Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) so therefore we cannot earn CKC conformation titles). We can however use our foreign registration (FCI) numbers to get a CKC performance number allowing us to compete in CKC sporting events and earn CKC sporting titles.
If you’re wondering how you can get started with your dog, the first step is deciding what sport you’d like to try and then finding a local club/trainer where you can sign up for classes. Once you start learning about the disciplines and working with your dog you’ll get a feel for what you both enjoy and can start to work towards your trialing goals. Titling dogs is not just for breeders! Get out there and try something new with your dog, you won’t regret it.
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