Editorial: May 7, 2021

Canine Titles

The American Kennel Club has over the last two decades found reasons to make titles available to almost every dog in categories unthinkable in the past. It seems each board feels compelled to add additional titles and refine them until there are divisions created for each title. Titles should mean something, not be given out like candy. It’s why terms like cheap champion are in our lexicon. Let’s just say we have come a long way from champion. In the conformation area, starting with grand champions that now have to be delineated with metal colors – silver, gold, platinum – and now numbers added, i.e. Platinum 2. A show horse idea that now top-loads Best of Breed competition but deflates the class entries, because instead of breeding or buying a new dog to show we have pensioners in the ring. This does not help to perpetuate our breeds. Maybe putting all that grand-champion info as a suffix instead of prefix would be more appropriate. From there we move on to other titles you might not be aware are available. For example: Air Retrieve Master Excellent, Canine Good Citizen Urban, Junior Nite Champion, Waterrace Champion, Retired Supreme Grand Champion, Endurance Earthdog, DockMaster Excellent, Flyable Dog Grand Champion, Herding Excellent Course for Cattle, Sheep and Ducks, Road Dog, too many Scent titles to list, Time To Beat Preferred, Trick Dog Performer, Trick Dog Advanced and the World Nite Champion, to mention just a few.

It’s the Great American Kennel Club giveaway, with 369 titles used as either a prefix or a suffix. Maybe all these titles should be made into suffixes, with the exception of champion. It makes a lot of people happy, and it’s cheaper than drugs. These are competitions, so let’s keep it competitive.

Human Titles

On the other hand, it seems that the most coveted and sought-after title from the American Kennel Club is bestowed on humans. 

Topping those titles given to humans must be the Lifetime Achievement Awards, which go to three people each year in three different areas of our sport: conformation, companion events and performance. Then there are the Breeders of the Year, where seven breeders, one from each variety group, are recognized for their accomplishments in their respective breed from that group. Then there are sport performance awards, legislator awards acknowledging government officials and presidential visionary awards given to delegates and staff members from the American Kennel Club president. So in hindsight, maybe all those canine titles are too much of a good thing.