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Dog Obedience Titles at AthleticDogs.com

Obedience Titles

Several organizations award obedience titles in the US and Canada, including the AKC, UKC, and CKC as well as many breed-specific (and mixed breed) organizations. The standards discussed here are based on the AKC, but most other obedience programs follow a similar path.

When a dog earns a competition title, it is like earning an advanced degree – the letters of the title are added to the dog’s registered name as a permanent prefix or suffix. Though the titles do vary among the different organizations, in general they are similar to:

• CD For Companion Dog, achieved by receiving three qualifying scores from three different judges at three different Novice class trials. The abbreviation CD is usually placed after the dog’s registered name.
• CDX For Companion Dog Excellent, achieved by receiving three qualifying scores from three judges at three different Open class trials.
• UD For Utility Dog, this title is achieved by receiving three qualifying scores at the Utility class level.
• UDX For Utility Dog Excellent, this title is earned by receiving qualifying scores in both the Open B and Utility B class at ten different trials. That is, the dog must earn qualifying scores in both classes at a single trial...and do so ten different times.
• OTCh For Obedience Trial Champion, achieved by earning a certain number of points and wins as established by the sanctioning organization. For the AKC, the current requirement is a total of 100 points (according to the AKC’s rating scale, which is based on how many other handler and dog teams that are defeated in competition), as well as 3 first place awards – at least one each from both Open B and Utility B classes.
• NOC For National Obedience Champion, this is an AKC title awarded annually to the winner of the AKC National Obedience Invitational. This abbreviation is always placed before the dog’s registered name.

Check out  products for obedience training at the AthleticDogs.com store!