Performance Dog Titles?

Question

Do you know what titles are? Have you ever titled a dog in anything?

Pick a title and give a description of what it takes to earn that title for a dog. There are so many things that can be trained for, like obedience, agility, herding, hunting/tracking, retrieving, earthdog, etc...

If you've personally trained your dog for it, how much training was involved to be ready to trial and earn that title? Months, years? How old was your dog when you earned the first title and what breed?

I am not asking for suggestions of titles to pursue, I want descriptions of the various titles in the various venues out there that a dog can earn in general.

I already have things I am pursuing with my dog, but I want others to tell me what they have or are doing with theirs.

Answer 1

Have trained in obedience for a number of decades -- basic obedience title, Companion Dog is on and off lead heeling, normal, fast, slow, about turn, left turn, right turn, figure 8, stand for exam, recall, long sit in a group, long down in a group. You need to earn at least half each exercise's worth and not fail any and you get a 'leg' and you need three legs under different judges to earn the title, CD. CDX, UD, UDX all with increasing degrees of exercise... Schutzhund titles, BH is the basic obedience/traffic steadiness evaluation that is essentially to make sure a dog won't bite the universe (it allows it to compete in schutzhund or agility in Europe) - it is a one time thing for the BH (not really a title so much as a prerequisit) on and off lead much the same as for a CD but not as stringent in its requirements to pass - for a CD your dog will be non-qualifying if it gets up on long sit or down - for the BH it can get up and not go over a meter before it is NQ (and even then, have seen dogs go further and pass - judge wasn't watching very close)... then they do a thing where they are tied out on a short lead and owner out of site and the dog should be vicious - then there is where a jogger, a cyclist and a vehicle go by and it shouldn't attack them - then there is where a 'crowd' (a small group of people) gets around them in a sit or down and the dog isn't supposed to eat them :) .. it is a pass or fail type thing and have seen dogs pass that were marginal at best but to be able to go on to any schutzhund titling they have to now have a BH. Schutzhund requires a passing once of each level, SchI, SchII, SchIII - tracking in increasing distances with increasing number of articles between the second and third titles - obedience with off lead heeling, moving sit, moving down, recall, group, retrieve on flat, over jump and over wall, go out and down, long down. Then the protection phase where they search two blinds, find the bad guy, bark and hold, call out or are heeled out of the blind, put in a down for the escape bite, bite the guy escaping, take pressure/stick hits, obey out command, heel with handler to mid field and are sent on a long bite. Progressively longer for the long bite with each level - with the second level, there is a back transport, dog/handler walking behind the bad guy after the escape bite, attack on handler from the back transport, dog bites and outs and then a side transport to the judge and then the long bite. A score of 70 must be earn in all three phases to pass but an 80 is required in the protection phase to go to the next level.

I can usually get a dog ready for a CD or BH in a few months - the schutzhund title can take a lot longer and take a lot of committement and the trials are few and far between, would say for the most part, years to complete unless you are rich and driven :) Dobermans primarly - have trained and titled other breeds but Dobermans are my breed. Titled in obedience dogs from 2 years to 6 years - didn't start in schutzhund or obedience with my present dog until she was almost 4 years old.

Oh, and forgot about the UDC stuff -- Breed survey, G-FFB or D-ZTP - this is where they are judged to some degree structurally and then have a sort of steadiness test with a crowd o people walking by with a variety of noisy bothersome things, then tied out for 15-20 minutes with owner out of site, then they protect the handler from a bad guy coming out of the bushes and then go for a long bite and in either of these need to out for at least one. The ATT which is a sort of temperament test where there is no bite involved but a protection of the handler; STT (sport temperament test) where there is a bite involved, as well as an unarm the bad guy and do a side transport back to the judge. And their D-CD which instead of a long down in group has a long honor down in the ring with another dog doing their heeling exercise, can't remember if there is something else different than the AKC CD but again, Doberman that was almost four before starting any training on her.

Answer 2

I mostly showed my dogs in confirmation, but after they earned their champion title (CH) I worked them in obedience. I earned a CD on a few of my cocker spaniels. The CD (companion Dog) is just what is sounds. It teaches a dog to be a good companion dog....it tested basic obedience such as heel, sit, stay and come. I also earne the CGC tital as well.
My dog Cee Cee earned a therapy title called TOUCH which stands for Therapy of Unique Canine Helper. This program was through the Support Dogs, Inc. This organization is a national not-for-profit organization that provides hope, and independence by providing highly skilled service dogs to individuals with disabilities, and uniquely trained therapy dogs to serve the community.
The TOUCH program first evaluates the dogs temperament. Once the evaluation is completed, the handler and dog must complete a 12-week certification course. During this course, the TOUCH Team is taught advanced obedience, as well as how to work around various hospital equipment, and different patient scenarios. Once the course is complete, the TOUCH team is designated a rank. The TOUCH Team can visit those facilities for which they are ranked. My dog Cee Cee and I visited a hospital psych unit, a head injured unit and a children's hospital. It was a very rewarding and fun experience.
Cee Cee, along with earning her CD, CGC and TOUCH title was working towards her CDX until she became ill. The CDX was like a CD except it also involved a dumbell. Along with many of what the CD title required, it required holding and retrieving the dumb bell and releaseing it on command. I am hoping I can get that far with my dog Zoe, who is also a cocker spaniel and is related to Cee Cee. Cee Cee is her great 1/2 aunt! Lets hope Zoe can follow in her aunts foot steps!

Answer 3

Draft Dog....DD.

The dog has to know basic obedience, done off lead. The dog has to be harnessed and hitched while standing still. The dog must work with the handler to navigate the manuvering course, while attached to the cart. The dog and handler must pass the mile freight haul. It requires dog and handler to work as a team through the entire test.
It did not take very long to train. We use our dogs for log hauling a lot, so they are started on this idea from puppyhood. We spent maybe 15min 4-5 times weekly for a month on the actual test exercises.
My Newf was 5 when he got his draft title.

We also do rally and water titles with the Newfs. CGC's for all also.

sydney.....nice cut and paste...but there are a LOT more titles than those through the AKC. A list of them really doesn't answer the question.

Answer 4

My Tibetan Mastiff mix has earned titles in obedience and agility, and we started Personal Protection, although that had to be put off since he recently had surgery. Back to work next week though, after his stitches come out! My APBT mix hasn't earned anything yet, but I want to start her in either lure coursing or tracking. Since mine are both mutts they haven't earned any conformation titles, nor will they be bred, they are both spayed/neutered. But yes, it is important when buying from a reputable breeder that both sire and dam (and other dogs in the line) have titles, whether it be a working title or conformation, as that proves the dog can do what it was bred to do. And just because a dog is titled does not mean it is breeding quality. My mixed breed has titles, will he ever be bred? No. But he has the most stable, confident personality one could ask for in a dog. Nice Laekenois by the way :)

Answer 5

I have taken dogs to CD (Companion Dog) by about 9 months old, CDX (CD Excellent) and UD (Utility Dog) by 18 months and UDX (UD Excellent) by two years. I have also taken dogs to all three Schutzhund titles. Schutzhund is protection work for breeds like German Shepherd, Rottweilers, Boxers and Dobermans. They are generally awarded by breed clubs. Schutzhund is different in that only adult dogs can compete, and consists of 3 phases, obedience, tracking and protection work, which you may have seen, the dog attacking someone who wears a padded suit or sleeve. A good dog can be finished in Schutzhund (SCH III) by age 2, but mine (I took 3 dogs to SCH III) were done by 3, as this training is much more time consuming than obedience titles. It is my understanding that this is pretty much the case for ALL breed or type specific competitions, like the herding trials Border Collies might do. My dogs were all Dobermans.

I retired from active dog work several years back, and just enjoy my dogs now, although I have continued to put CD's on my dogs, which is a prerequisite for Therapy dog work, where you bring the dogs to hospitals or nursing homes. A CD also makes a dog a better neighbor, and is an excellent starting point for someone who wants to see if they would be interested in dog competition. I now have a pug, and she excels in her breed specialty, keeping my lap warm and snoring.

Answer 6

I have 2 titles on my Bernese Mtn Dog 3yrs. I started training with her at 5 mths of age.

CGC Canine Good Citizens. This just requires basic manners. While your dog is heeling, you meet another person that has a dog and your dog needs to sit politely. They have to sit while a stranger comes up to pet them, walk thru a crowd of people making all kinds of distractions, walk at heel...I think I named everything:) She was 8 mths old.

RN Rally Novice title. Harder to explain. Lots of fun to do! The dog needs to know sit, stay, heel, down and to 'leave' the stuff alone that they put on the floor (food dish, toys). You go thru a course consisting of 12 (?) signs that give you different exercises to complete. She was 14 mths when she earned this title

CD Companion Dog You run thru a heeling pattern that the
judge calls out. The dog has to heel on lead, automatic sit, turn right, left, fast and slow pace. This is also done off lead. Complete a figure 8, recall and long sits and downs with all the dogs once they finish their run thrus..Hardest part...is the long down/sit stays. Your dog could perform beautifully and if they break the sit or down stay they will NQ and you have to start all over again.....She was 2 yrs when she earned her title!

She is a wonderful working dog, couldn't ask for any better, but she has a problem with her leg and I can't jump her. So my dreams of getting her Rally Excellent, Open and Utility titles are no more:(

But I have REALLY enjoyed working with her!! We are still active in training classes and take them just for fun. I help teach classes and she goes with me.

Answer 7

I am working with my 1 yr old on CGC training. I know, it is basic obedience, but she is a really difficult dog to train. There are 10 "tests" she has to pass, including basic commands (sit, down, stay), staying calm while a stranger approaches and greets me, walking through a group of people without jumping or stopping for too long of a period, not showing too much distress when I go out of her sight while she is on leash with the examiner or other handler.

Basic commands are fine with her, but the being approached and approaching a group is not. She gets too excited. And me going out of her sight is one that needs a lot of work with her as well. It's ok... if it takes her 5 years to pass it I don't care, I just want to set a goal and attain it at some point.

Answer 8

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://tr.im/MXChN

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 9

I have Border Collies, and have acheived many titles. This is my 7 yr old male.

AKC TITLES
NA, NAJ (Novice agility, Novice agility jumpers)
OA, OAJ (Open agility, Open agility jumpers)
NF, OF (Novice and open divisions of AKC's FAST class)
AX, AXJ (Agility Excellent and Agility Excellent Jumpers)

That was accomplished in about a year.

MX, MXJ (Master Excellent Agility / Jumpers)
MACH (Master Agility Champion) 3 years.
MACH 2 (5 years)
MACH 3 (4 double Q's away)

Attended AKC National Agility Championships in March 2007.

CD about 6 months
CDX another 6 months
UD Still in progress. (been a couple years.)

HC (Herding Champion) 3 years.

UKC agility
AGI, II, III (Took about a year and a half)
UAGX (The UKC championship) 2 years total.

USDAA agility
Novice Standard, Jumpers, Snooker, Gamblers, and Pairs 8 months Title AD

Open Standard, Jumpers, Snooker, Gamblers and Pairs (1 year) Title AAD

Masters Standard, Jumpers Snooker, Gamblers and Pairs another year. Title MAD

Tournament Master 2 years

ADCH (Agility dog Champion) 2 years from starting novice.

AHBA
Many herding titles through them.

BCSA
More herding titles.

So, tell us of YOUR furry friend. I think YOU have to brag a little too. :)

Answer 10

I have put obedience titles on every one of my dogs, from a CD (Novice work) through a UD (Utility Dog).

My dogs were mini poodles, Kerry Blue Terriers, and Boston Terriers. for training, it's kind of hard to say, as I start training my dogs as soon as I get them, around 8-10 weeks old. Some of the dogs walked into the ring when they were 6 months old, and had their first Novice title (CD) at age 9 months. Others I didn't start training until 10 years old (rescue poodle) and she received her CD title on her 12th birthday. I have also shown dogs in conformation, getting a Champion title on a Boston Terrier (My poodle blew her coat and I pulled her from the ring).

Obedience work is really my passion. Novice Titled (CD = Companion Dog) involve the dog walking with you on a loose leash in a rather straight line pattern, usually an L shape. The dog must sit when you stop, change pace when you slow down and speed up, and turn with you. The dog must also walk with you in a figure 8 pattern around 2 people. The dog must stand still, off leash, with you standing 6-8 feet in front of them. the judge will approach the dog from the front, run their hand over the dogs head and down their back, then you circle behind the dog and return to the heel position, i.e., the dog on your left, you standing even with their shoulders. The dog must also do the same heel pattern "L" shape off leash, again staying with you, sitting when you stop, changing pace and turning.
The dog is then left sitting 30-35 feet away from you, you call the dog with a single word command. The dog must come briskly to you, and sit in front of you facing you. You then give the dog a command and they will move from in front of you to the heel position at your left side.
This is all done with just you, your dog, and the judge in the ring.
Then, after 8-12 dogs are judged individually, groups are called back in the ring. The dogs must sit for 1 minute and lay down for 3 minutes, with the owners/handlers standing across the ring, roughly 30 - 35 feet away.
If you complete these exercises 3 separate times, 3 separate shows, and 3 different judges, you will have earned a CD Companion Dog Title.
You are not competing against the others in the ring for the title, just a score. Every dog walks in the ring with 200 points, and as the dog and/or handler makes mistakes, the points come off. Points are lost for the dog not staying with you on the heeling, for not sitting straight at your side, for not sitting when you stop walking, for moving a foot on the stand for examination, for not coming directly to you or for not stopping to sit in front of you on the recall, or for minor movements during the sit and down stay.
The dog will NQ, that is receive a non qualifying score, if they are not walking with you on the heeling patterns, if they leave your side on the off leash work, if they move away from the judge on the stand for exam, if they don't come on the first command when you call them, or if they move out of position on the sit/stay and down/stay. You must earn at least 170 points and at least half of the points available for each individual exercise.