Why do show dogs have so many names?

Answer 1

Every good breeder has a kennel name - it proudly identifies dogs as coming from their kennel, kind of like a brand name on a product. Sometimes, often when they co-own a litter with the owner of the opposite parent, they will include THAT kennels name in the registered name, also. In the case of a show dog, then all the titles the dog wins are added to the dogs name - Ch. for Champion (conformation title - means the dog has earned enough points being judged against the breeds standard to prove it is is a good representative of its breed), CD for Companion Dog (an obedience title from points earned for properly following commands), TT for Temperment Tested (means the dog has been tested for its reactions to different situations & acts properly according to its breed standard - i.e. protective if a gaurding breed, non-hostile if a companion breed), etc.

So, you may see a dog with a registered name like "Ch. Willow Glens Aphrodite of Bridgewater, CD, TT" - the kennel Willow Glen owned the mother, the kennel Bridgewater owned the father, and the dog has conformation, obedience, and temperment titles. But the owners probably call the dog in from the yard by yelling " Hey, Dottie, come on in!" LOL!