AKC Title Recognition
Barn Hunt
The Sport of Barn Hunt tests the hunting and teamwork skills required to rid farms of destructive vermin. Dogs and their handlers work as a team to locate and mark rats (which are always safely held in aerated tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales.
Some breeds are specifically created to fill this role as well as some mixed breeds being up to the task, but as long as your dog can fit through an 18″ wide by bale-height tall tunnel, he’s eligible! Barn Hunt tests the nose, speed, agility, and surefootedness of dogs that have a history of above-ground vermin hunting.
Barn Hunt events include a pass/fail instinct class for owners who want to familiarize their dog with the test. Courses are made increasingly difficult by adding more obstacles, additional diversions and more rats to find.
There are several types of Barn Hunt titles your dog can earn:
Novice Barn Hunt (RATN)
Open Barn Hunt (RATO)
Senior Barn Hunt (RATS)
Master Barn Hunt (RATM)
Barn Hunt Champion (RATCh)
Master Champion (RATChX)
Crazy 8s Bronze (CZ8B)
Crazy 8s Silver (CZ8S)
Crazy 8s Gold (CZ8G)
Crazy 8s Platinum (CZ8P)
The Barn Hunt Association is an independent organization where titles earned can be recognized by The American Kennel Club. Titles earned in Novice and above will be recognized by The American Kennel Club.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
All dogs can be good dogs, and all owners can be great owners: all it takes is a little bit of training, lots of love, and of course, plenty of praise along the way.
The Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program: a two-part course designed to help you and your dog be the best you can be–together. Since 1989, over 1 million dogs and their owners have participated in CGC, mastering ten basic skills that instill confidence and good manners in and out of your home.
Not only does CGC training create long-lasting trust between you and your pup, but also ensures you’ll be good neighbors and friends to everyone around you—and, if you’re interested in going beyond the basics, CGC also lays the foundation for other AKC sports and activities like obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events.
Disk Dog
Disc Dog is an exciting, fast-paced, fun sport that all dogs and people can enjoy. UpDog has taken the basic game of fetch with a flying disc and expanded it into a whole bunch of fun games! Dogs of any breed, type, size or shape can play and be successful. If your dog can fetch, your dog can play UpDog! Dogs get points in every game and cumulative points earn UpDog Achievements (called “UPs”). Once you have earned a medal UP in at least 3 games you can apply for the AKC Disc Dog titles using the Title Application.
AKC Disc Dog Titles
Any 3 UPs of a specific medal (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Unobtanium) will allow your dog to apply for the AKC title of that medal. So, once your dog earns the Bronze UP in 3 games, they are eligible to apply for the AKC Disc Dog Bronze title! If your dog is a superstar and earns the Bronze UP in 6 games, you can apply for the Disc Dog Bronze Elite title! AKC has titles for the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Unobtanium UPs.
AKC Title:
UP in 3 Games UP in 6 Games
Disc Dog Bronze (DDB) Disc Dog Bronze Elite (DDBE)
Disc Dog Silver (DDS) Disc Dog Silver Elite (DDSE)
Disc Dog Gold (DDG) Disc Dog Gold Elite (DDGE)
Disc Dog Platinum (DDP) Disc Dog Platinum Elite (DDPE)
Disc Dog Unobtanium (DDU) Disc Dog Unobtanium Elite (DDUE)
Dock Diving
Dock Diving is one of the fastest growing canine events and is a fun, exciting, and easy-to-do sport with simple rules: You throw your dog’s favorite toy into a pool while he waits on a dock about 40 feet long. On your command, he runs along the dock, flings himself off the end of it, lands in the water and grabs his toy. The goal? To have the longest jump possible, which could be as short as two feet for beginners, but could be as much as 30 feet for those more experienced!
No matter how far your dog jumps, you’re guaranteed to have a blast – and you may get a little wet! Diving Dogs is a great activity to share with your best friend! Titles earned through North America Diving Dogs (NADD) will be recognized by The American Kennel Club.
Flyball
In the sport of Flyball, as soon as the gun fires, each dog dashes over a line of low hurdles to reach a box. Once there, they use their paws to push a spring-loaded pad and release a tennis ball into the air that they catch and bring back to their handlers. Once back to the starting line, the next dog takes his turn.
In partnership with the North American Flyball Association (NAFA), AKC recognizes four titles:
Flyball Dog Champion (FDCH)
Flyball Master (FM)
ONYX
Flyball Grand Champion (FGDCH)
Therapy Dog
Therapy Dog is an AKC program which recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits. Therapy work involves volunteers who schedule visits to various facilities and locations such a nursing homes, classrooms, libraries, assisted living centers, hospices, funeral homes, schools, shelters even courtrooms.
Whether they’re working with a child who is learning to read, visiting a patient in a hospital or a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. A dog can provide a valuable sense of reassurance, joy, or calmness to people experiencing stressful, lonely or depressing situations or general times in their life.
Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specifically trained to perform a task or tasks to assist a person with a disability or impairment. A service dog must be with their person at all times and has special access privileges in public places.
Title Eligibility:
To earn an AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must:
Be certified/registered by an AKC recognized therapy dog organization.
Perform the required number of visits for the title for which you are applying.
10 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN) title.
50 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog (THD) title.
100 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA) title.
200 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX) title.
400 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD) title.
Trick Dog
Do you and your dog love to be the life of the party by showing off his arsenal of tricks? Then he might be perfectly primed to earn AKC Trick Dog titles!
There are five AKC Trick Titles you and your dog can earn:
AKC Novice Trick Dog (TKN):
Your dog performs 10 skills from the Novice list. (see link to “Application” below for lists of skills). If a dog has a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate or title on record at AKC, it can do 5 Novice tricks (CGC + 5) to earn the Novice title.
AKC Intermediate Trick Dog (TKI):
Your dog must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks.
AKC Advanced Trick Dog (TKA):
Your dog must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 10 tricks from the Advanced list.
AKC Trick Dog Performer (TKP)
In this title, handlers perform a short routine with at least 10 tricks with at least 3 tricks using props.
AKC Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE)
In the highest level of Trick Dog, the Elite Performers perform a routine that has a story/script. At least 5 props are used.