(Pictured above:  Vana relaxing.)

Titles and Abbreviations:

GSD=German Shepherd Dog
LCGSD=Long coated German Shepherd Dog
WGSD=White German Shepherd Dog

Registries, Clubs etc.

AKC=American Kennel Club
CKC=Canadian Kennel Club
CKC=Continental Kennel Club (Not to be confused with Canadian)
UKC=United Kennel Club
KC=Kennel Club (Great Britain)
GSDCA=German Shepherd Dog Club of America
USA=United Schutzhund Clubs of America
WDA=Working Dog Alliance (section of the GSDCA)


Conformation:

Ch=Champion
BOB=Best of Breed
BOW=Best of Winners
BOG=Best of Group
BOS=Best Oppposite Sex
BIS=Best In Show (all-breed)
GV=Grand Victor (BOB male at GSDCA national)
GVx=Grand Victrix (BOB female at GSDCA national)
SEL or Sel=Select (Special ranking for better-than-usual animals at GSDCA
national, usually with a # to indicate ranking; e.g., SEL 3)
Group II (or III or IV)=ranking in group competition at all-breed show

Obedience:

CD=Companion Dog (obedience title)
CDX=Companion Dog Excellent
UD=Utility Dog
OTCh=Obedience Trial Champion
UDX=Utility Dog Excellent
HIT=High in Trial
HC=High Combined (Open B and Utility B classes)
TDX=Tracking dog excellent

Herding:

HT=Herding Tested
PT=Pre-trial tested
HS=Herding Started
HI=Herding Intermediate
HX=Herding Excellent
HCh=Herding Champion
AHBA=American Herding Breed Association
HTD=Herding Trial Dog (Three levels)
HRD=Herding Ranch Dog (Three levels)
HTCh=Herding Dog Champion
HCT=Herding Capability Test
JHD=Junior Herding Dog Test
HGH=Herdengebrauchshund (Herding Utility Dog, GSD herding test - recognized by the SV and the USA.)

Agility:

NA=Novice Agility
OA=Open Agility
AX=Agility Excellent
MX=Master Agility Excellent
NAJ=Novice Jumpers With Weaves
OAJ=Open Jumpers With Weaves
AXJ=Excellent Jumpers With Weaves
MXJ=Master Excellent Jumpers With Weaves
CGC=Canine Good Citizen
TDI=Therapy Dog International
***Note:  CGC is an AKC certificate that any dog, including mixes, can aspire to, but it
has nothing to do with therapy work. It serves, however, as a basis for TDI.

German Conformation and Working Titles:

SV=Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde ( The German GSD Club founded by Max von Stephanitz)
WUSV=An international GSD umbrella which is composed of GSDclubs worldwide.

VA=Excellent Select (This can only be obtained at a Sieger Show)
V=Excellent
SG=Very Good (The highest rating a dog may recive without a working title.)
VP=Very Promising Puppy
P=Promising Puppy
LP=Less Promising Puppy

BH=Schutzhund Companion Dog
Sch A=(minimum age 8 months)
SchI=Schutzhund level 1 (minimum age 18 mos.)
SchII=Schutzhund level 2 (minimum age 19 mos.)
SchIII=Schutzhund level 3 (minimum age 20 months)
WH=Schutzhund title related to protection work
FH=Advanced Tracking Dog
AD=Schutzhund Endurance Test
VB=Traffic Secure
FH=Advanced Tracking Dog
RH=Rescue Dog
WH=Watch Dog
IPO=Internationale Prufungs-Ordnung  (Test similar to Schutzhund. It also has three levels.)
DPO I and II=Police Dog
KNPV=Ring work
TD=Tracking dog

 Flyball:

NAFA=North American Flyball Association
(The next few flyball titles will be under the NAFA.  However there are varying
titles ranging from region to country.)
FD=Flyball Dog
FDX=Flyball Dog Excellent
FDCh=Flyball Dog Champion
FM=Flyball Master
FMX=Flyball Master Excellent
FMCh=Flyball Master Champion
ONYX=Onyx award (Named after first flyball dog to accumulate 20,000 pts)
FGDCh=Flyball Grand Champion

Health:

OFA=Orthepedic Fund for Animals (Hips and elbows)
CERF=Canine Eye Registry Foundation
BAER=Basic Auditory ? Response (hearing test)
vWb=von Willibrand's disease (sp?)
DM=degenerative myleopathy (sp?)
HD=hip displasia
ED=elbow displasia

Have I missed a title or abbreviation?
E-mail me, please!  Ü