| Alphabet Soup or "What do all those letters mean before and after a dog's name?" |
| Some dog registries or groups offer various competitions for dogs and their owners. The best known is the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC has many events that dogs can enter, including Conformation Shows, Obedience, Agility or Herding Trials, Tracking Tests, Field Trials, Lure Coursing or Earthdog Trials. Visit the AKC website for more information. The United Kennel Club (UKC) also offers shows and trials in North America, along with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) which offers shows and trials in Canada. When a dog competes in one of these events, when they meet the requirements for a certain level, they are awarded a title. Depending on the event and the sponsoring organization, the dog is allowed to put the letter for that title before or after their registered name. For example, most performance titles (anything other than a championship) are usually listed after a dog's name, but the United Kennel Club allows many performance titles to be put before a dog's name. Click to go to the Dog Fancier's Acronym List to see a list and description of various titles your dog can earn. |