You may see the names of dogs on this web site (or in the pedigree of a puppy you are considering purchasing) with a lot of strange letters before and after their names. Exactly what do all those acronyms mean?

CH (Champion) appears before the dog's name. The most widely recognized AKC title, it indicates that the dog's structure and temperament have been judged in competition and it has been found to be a quality representative of its breed. More about the specific requirements to earn the title champion can be found on this web site in the article All About Dog Shows; dogs competing for the coveted title CH are judged against the breed standard that describes the ideal Shih Tzu.

ROM (Register of Merit) is awarded by the ASTC to Shih Tzu owned by ASTC members that have produced 6 champions (for a dog) or 4 champions (for a bitch).

CGC (Canine Good Citizen) is an AKC certificate awarded to dogs that have passed a 10-step "good manners" test and whose owners have pledged to be responsible dog owners. A CGC dog must accept a friendly stranger, sit politely for petting, welcome being groomed and examined, walk on a loose leash, walk through a crowd, sit down and stay on command, come when called, behave politely around other dogs, be confident when faced with unexpected noises and other distractions, and behave with someone other than its owner. All of these tests are performed on leash.

TDI (Therapy Dog International) indicates that the dog has been tested and registered by Therapy Dogs International (www.tdi-dog.org) as suitable for visiting nursing homes, hospitals, and other institutions. It must pass the CGC test and have its temperament evaluated, including its behavior around people with wheelchairs, crutches, and other medical equipment. Other organizations involved in therapy dog programs are Delta Society (www.deltasociety.org) and Therapy Dogs (www.therapydogs.com).

AKC Obedience Titles are awarded to dogs that properly perform a series of specified exercises in competition. Precision counts more in obedience than in agility. Except as specified, dogs must receive three qualifying scores under three different judges. The titles must be earned consecutively. In ascending order of difficulty, they are:

Level 1. CD (Companion Dog) is earned in the Novice classes; it requires heeling on and off leash, coming when called, standing for examination, and staying in the sit and down positions with a group of dogs.
Level 2. CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) is earned in the Open classes; it involves more exercises done off leash, plus retrieving and jumping challenges.
Level 3. UD (Utility Dog) adds scent discrimination, directed retrieves, jumping, and silent signal exercises.
Level 4. UDX (Utility Dog Excellent) requires that the dog receive qualifying scores in competition in both the Open and Utility classes at the same show ten times.

OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion) is a title won by very few dogs of any breed. It involves not only earning qualifying scores in competition as the UDX, but placing first with competition in both Open and Utility classes, plus a third first place win in either class, under three different judges. Points towards the OTCH are awarded for the number of dogs defeated; 100 points are required to earn the title. This title goes before the dog's name.

AKC Rally Titles require dog and handler to compete on a course designed by the judge. They proceed at their own pace through 10 to 20 stations, depending on the level. Rally is considered a companion sport to obedience. It is not as rigorous as traditional obedience and unlimited communication between handler and dog is encouraged rather than penalized. The titles, which must be earned consecutively, are in ascending order of difficulty. Each title requires three qualifying scores under at least two different judges.

Level 1. RN (Rally Novice); all exercises are on leash and there are 10-15 stations.
Level 2. RA (Rally Advanced); all exercises are performed off leash and the course must include one jump and 12-17 stations.
Level 3. RE (Rally Excellent); all exercises are off leash. There are 15-20 stations and handlers cannot pat their legs or clap their hands to encourage their dogs, although signals and verbal encouragement are allowed.
RAE (Rally Advanced Excellent) requires qualifying scores in both RA and RE at the same trial ten times. It may be earned more than once by the same dog (RAE2, RAE 3, etc.).

AKC Agility Titles are, again, in ascending order of difficulty; at each level the number of obstacles the dog must navigate increases. Unlike in obedience, owners are to "cheer on" their dogs as they run the course, which contains certain required elements but still varies from show to show. Speed and good communication between handler and dog are very important. Dogs must receive qualifying scores at three shows under two different judges unless otherwise specified.
The courses for standard AKC agility titles include contact objects such as the dog walk, a-frame, and seesaw that the dog must touch at a certain spot to complete the course successfully. Courses for Jumpers with Weaves include only jumps, tunnels, and weave poles, with no contact objects to slow the pace. Courses for Fifteen and Send Time (FAST) classes include jumps, weaves, tunnels and contact obstacles, each assigned a point value; dogs are required to earn a certain number of points and complete a distance challenge within a specified period of time. In this class, the handler determines the dog's course.

Prefered AKC agility titles involve lower jump heights and more generous course times to allow more dogs and handlers to compete.

The levels are as follows:

Special Agility Titles:

FAST Century 1 (FTC1) Requires the MXF title plus one-hundred additional Excellent B FAST Class qualifying scores of 60 points or greater. The FTC title initials will be followed by a numeric designation indicating the quantity of times the dog has met the requirements of the FTC title as defined above.

PAX (Preferred Agility Excellent) is the highest AKC agility title in the preferred program. In order to acquire the Preferred Agility Excellent title, a dog must achieve 20 double qualifying scores obtained from the Preferred Excellent B Standard Agility class and the Preferred Excellent B Jumpers With Weaves class. Qualifying in both the Preferred Excellent B Standard Agility class and the Preferred Excellent B Jumpers With Weaves class on the same day equals one (1) double qualifying score (2Q).

MACH (Master Agility Championship) is the highest-level AKC agility title; it allows those dogs who have already completed their MX and MXJ titles to continue to compete and may be awarded more than once (ie, MACH2, MACH3, etc.). To earn this title, a dog must achieve a minimum of 750 championship points and 20 double qualifying scores obtained from the Excellent B Standard Agility class and the Excellent B Jumpers With Weaves class. One point is earned for each full second the dog runs under the assigned standard course time. If they place first in the class, they shall earn twice the number of points for the run; if they place second in the class, they shall earn 1.5 times the number of points for the run, rounded down to the nearest whole second. This title appears before the dog's name.

Perhaps one day a Shih Tzu will surprise us and win tracking titles, or even the coveted Versatile Companion Dog titles, which involve earning titles in various levels of obedience, agility, and tracking. If so, we'll revisit this article!