Reading your
Pedigree:
What do the initials on a
pedigree stand for?
The colors and print
on your pedigree
Black: Black is the most common color seen on a
pedigree. Some breeders use bold face or italics for the
dogs with champion status to differentiate them from dogs
without.
Red: In North America, breeders commonly type
dog's names in red if they are champions. Non-champion dogs
are therefore in black.
Championship
Titles
Ch: Champion. This dog has competed with other German
Shepherds and was found to display more characteristics that
define what a GSD looks like. To achieve the title in
Canada, (Can Ch)
the dog must have achieved
10 total points (designating the number of dogs against
which it competed) and must have been awarded its points by
3 different judges in a minimum of 3 shows. (A dog cannot
achieve more than 5 points at any one show.) In the United
States, (Am
Ch) the dog must have
earned 15 points and have won over a specified number of
dogs in 2 separate competitions. Every country has its own
rules for achieving champion status. The name of the
granting country usually precedes the CH. If a GSD has won
in 3 or more countries it adds the title Int CH or
International Champion.
Sel: Select refers to GSDs who have competed at the
national level are considered to be among the best
representatives of the breed at that annual specialty show.
The number of Select bitches or dogs depends upon the judge
but seldom exceeds 13 of each sex. The number of German
Shepherd Dogs competing at this show is usually over
200.
GV: Grand Victor/Grand Victrix
is the best male or female
GSD at the annual national specialty show. He/she is awarded
either the Best of Breed or Best Opposite Sex. GV means this
is the dog or bitch that the judge considers the best
representative of the breed and sex in the country on that
day.
SGR:
Sieger/Siegerin is the
number one dog/bitch in Germany at the end of the annual
national show. Looks are not as important to achieve this
title. More important for the Germans is the working
abilities of the dog/bitch as exemplified by the achievement
of a Schutzhund III degree and litter productivity
particularly for the male. The GSD also must have passed a
hip x-ray with at least an "a" normal stamp. The GSD in
Germany is first and foremost an athlete.
BIS/BISS: Best in Show and/or
Best in Speciality Show winner.
Obedience Titles in
North America
CD: Companion
Dog is the first degree
awarded a dog in obedience competition in North America.
After a dog has completed its obedience classes, regardless
of breed, and if it is a registered dog, the owner may
compete with other owners to see which dog performs the
exercises best. A passing score is 170 points. Maximum
points is 200. The dog must have achieved a passing score
three times, under three different judges, in order to
achieve a CD.
CDX : Companion Dog
Excellent must have an
earned CD to be eligible to compete for this advanced
obedience degree. The exercises are conducted
off-leash.
UD: Utility Dog is the third in the series of North
American obedience degrees requiring a certified CDX in
order to compete. A dog may compete further and become a
Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) which requires advanced off
leash work.
HIT: High in
Trial means that dog
received the highest score for the day or for the
show.
HIC: High in
class means the dog had the
higest score in the class in which it was entered (Novice,
Open, Utility)
SchH I, II, III: Schutzhund I,
II, III are the German
working titles developed for the GSD including "bite work"
or protection training, obedience and scent work. A GSD
cannot become a Sieger or Siegerin without a SchH III
degree.
Temperament Testing
& Certification
TT/TC: Temperament
tested/Temperament Certified refers to the fact that the GSD has been
tested to determine if it has a sound temperament under a
variety of sudden and unfamiliar experiences. The initials
mean that the dog has passed the test and is certified to
have the appropriate temperament for its breed. Dogs cannot
be tested until they are at least one year of age. Dogs are
not supposed to be tgrained to pass this test.
CGC: Canine Good Citizen award
based upon passing a test
and certified that the dog will behave well in public places
accompanied by its owner. Generally the dog will have
completed some form of obeience work in order to pass this
examination.
Other
titles
A registered dog may compete
in a number of athletic activities such as herding, agility,
police work, scent work and so on. Each has its own testing
and certification programs. PART OF THE FUN OF OWNING A
REGISTERED GSD IS THE ABILITY TO COMPETE IN ALL THE
AVAILABLE SPORTING ACTIVITIES FOR DOGS SPONSORED BY THE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Health
Certifications
OFA after a dog's name, whether or not a number follows
the OFA, stands for "Orthopedic Foundation for Animals" and
refers to the fact that the dog has had its hips x-rayed;
the X-rays have been evaluated by 3 orthopedic
veterinarians; and, has been certified as being free of hip
dysplasia. The number indicates the breed of the dog (GS
refers to the German Shepherd), the number given the dog
evaluated, the gender of the dog (M for Male, F for Female),
the age (in months) at the time of the dog's X-ray, and the
rating given the hips (E for Excellent, G for Good, F for
Fair). The OFA does not "certify" dogs under 24 months of
age. If you see a T or an M with the number, this signifies
that the dog has been identified by either a tattoo or a
microchip. Since 2001, the OFA will be using PI after the
OFA numbers to signify "permanent identification" as a
result of microchip, tatoo or DNA testing.
If the dog has also had its elbows x-rayed, and has
been found to have its elbows free of any orthopedic
problems, a second set of number will appear preceded by an
EL. If the dog/bitch does not have an OFA number, it has
either not been x-rayd or has failed to pass the evaluation
as having normal hips/elbows.
Anyone may access the OFA records to verify the status
of any animal. Simply go to the web and look under either
OFA or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. There is a
separate page for searching for OFA clearances. The searcher
enters the breed of the dog, the gender of the dog and a
year for the earliest possible search date. (OFA records
begin in 1970.) Enter part of a name to find the specific
animal. If you wanted to search the Vonderbrink records, for
example, enter only Brink, as the OFA does not always spell
names the way you do. If you received a pedigree of your dog
from the breeder, you can search for all the names in the
OFA data base to find which have been cleared.
OVC: Ontario Veterinary College is the certifying
foundation in Canada for hips and elbows. One veterinary
reads the x-rays and certifies the dog's hips and/or elbows.
In this case an OVC is after the dog's name.
CERF: Canine Eye Registration Foundation. Only board
certified Veterinary Ophthalmologists are qualified to
examine a dog's eyes and certify that they are clear of any
abnormalities. There are very few in North America. Eye
clinics are frequently sponsored by breed clubs that have a
genetic propensity for eye trouble. The certification is
only good for one year and must be repeated annually for a
dog that is to be bred.
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