What's in a Title???
If you’re looking for the perfect pet, ‘TITLES’ can help you make the right choice! Reputable Breeders breed dogs with a ‘purpose’ in mind, and they do their best to produce dogs that fit that purpose. They may be breeding Goldens for field work, obedience competition, conformation, agility, scent work, therapy, guide-dog work ... What? You say you just want a pet? GREAT! (Most people do!) But, what kind of pet do you want? And, more importantly, what kind of ‘titles’ or pedigree will give you the kind of pet you’re looking for?
If you’re looking at pedigrees without any titles (or at dogs without any pedigrees), you’re looking at dogs that have no proven genetic background for trainability, retrieving instinct, ability to work well with others, or pleasant temperaments. Without a proven, titled, pedigree you’ll have no way of knowing what kind of pet you’re taking home! If beauty, a naturalness with children, trainability, a gentle nature, a pleasant temperament, a desire to retrieve, or any combination or exaggeration of these ‘Golden’ qualities have led you to the Golden Retriever as your breed of choice, be sure you get what you’re looking for!
All Golden pups are cute and cuddly, but they’re definitely not all the same just because they’re Golden Retrievers! Skeptical? Ask your local pet shelter about some of the ‘Golden’ temperaments they see and you’ll be sadly convinced. Remember, the puppy you choose will be a family member for the next fifteen to twenty years - it’s worth the time and effort to find a puppy that will grow up to be the kind of Golden Retriever you’re dreaming of!
FIELD TITLES: AFC (Amateur Field Champion), and FC (Field Champion) titles (appearing before a dog’s name on the pedigree) are earned in competitive AKC Field Trials.
Dogs start by competing in the less difficult classes and progress until they are eligible to compete at the highest level of field competition, where they are eligible to earn these titles. Field Trials are highly competitive and only the best of the best of the best ever do well enough to win and earn FC or AFC titles. Most dogs running the trials today are professionally and electronically trained to do field work that is far beyond the scope of any real hunting situation - field trial dogs usually have a drive and energy level much higher than that of an average retriever. While these dogs are highly intelligent and have the capacity to be outstanding field performers, they are usually too driven and too energetic for the average family or hobby-hunter. Dogs from strong ‘Field Trial Pedigrees’ are usually best handled by strong-willed, experienced trainers looking for exceptional drive and stamina.
JH (Junior Hunter), SH (Senior Hunter), and MH (Master Hunter) titles (appearing after the dog’s name) are AKC Hunting Test titles. Hunting tests are a more realistic test of a dog’s ability to perform well in a natural hunting situation. Dogs earn titles based on an ability to pass the tests (rather than on the ability to win the competition). Most dogs running hunt tests are trained by their owners and many without the aid of electronic collars. Pups who come from pedigrees boasting Hunt Test titles should have the true Golden’s natural hunting abilities, and will be energetic enough to keep up on a day-long hunt, but will likely be more manageable as a family pet or daily companion than a dog from a Field Trial Pedigree.
WC (Working Certificate) and WCX (Working Certificate Excellent) titles (appearing after the dog’s name) are field titles awarded by the Golden Retriever Club of America. WC and WCX titles are awarded to Goldens who prove their natural hunting abilities and trainability on land and in water at a ‘hunting-like’ field test. Pedigrees boasting WC and WCX titles should produce pups with the natural desire to hunt and retrieve, without the necessary high energy of the field trial dogs.
OBEDIENCE TITLES: CD (Companion Dog), CDX (Companion Dog Excellent), UD (Utility Dog), UDX (Utility Dog Excellent) (all appearing after a dog’s name) and OTCh (Obedience Trial Champion) (appearing before a dog’s name), are all titles earned at AKC Obedience Trials.
The first four titles are earned through successful attempts at progressively more difficult tests, and the last (OTCh) is earned by accumulating ‘Wins’ at these same trials. Obedience trials test basic skills such as heel, come, sit-stay, and stand for exam as well as more difficult skills such as jumping, retrieving, scent discrimination, and hand signals. Winning dogs at these trials add just the right amount of energy, attention, precision, and teamwork to their performances, giving them the winning edge! Pups who come from pedigrees boasting non-competitive obedience titles (CD, CDX, UD, and UDX) should bless you with outstanding intelligence, desire, and trainability - their ancestors have proven, very successfully, their ability and desire to work as a team with their human counterparts. A long, solid line of OTCh dogs may give you added energy, assertiveness, and challenge (qualities cherished by talented, experienced trainers of OTCh dogs!), in addition to intelligence and trainability.
CONFORMATION TITLES: Ch (Champion) (appearing before a dog’s name) is a title earned by exceptional ‘Show Dogs’. ‘Show Dogs’ are judged on appearance, expression, coat, color, gait and temperament. Meaning what?
Show dogs are beautiful dogs, who are physically well-put-together and are generally pleasant around other dogs and in crowds of people. Most who do well love the crowds, the cheering, and the excitement of the show - the louder the applause, the happier they are. A pet Golden from a conformation pedigree should be a beautiful, happy-go-lucky, tail-wagger! Will he have any natural hunting abilities, will he be easy to train, will he be smart? Well, if the pedigree is a ‘Solid Conformation Pedigree’ without titles in any other dog-sport areas, your guess is a good as mine! There are many conformation lines that have been bred solely for beauty for so long, that beauty is all that’s left - it is difficult to see the ‘Golden Traits’ of intelligence, trainability, and an instinctive desire to retrieve (whether it’s birds or tennis balls) in many solid Conformation Goldens! (Likewise, it is often difficult to find the ‘beauty’ of the Golden Retriever in many field-line or obedience-line Goldens - it seems that some ‘working-line’ breeders have forgotten what a Golden Retriever is supposed to look like!)
TRACKING TITLES: TD (Tracking Dog) and TDX (Tracking Dog Excellent) are titles earned by dogs who successfully follow a trail by scent.
While this is a natural ability for many dogs, passing the tests requires a mixture of both natural ability and training. Tracking dogs have a knack for perseverance and a confidence level that allows them to continue to work, backtracking and rethinking the situation as necessary, until they find the end of the trail! Pedigrees boasting tracking titles should produce dogs with the natural ability to use their nose, a confident nature, and the ability to work independently when required.
AGILITY TITLES: Agility is an event that is comparatively newer to the dog-sport arena than the other areas we’ve already discussed.
Agility is fast-paced, action-packed, and competitive! It allows dog and handler teams to show off their teamwork, as well as the dog’s athletic ability, stamina, trainability, and confidence by running an obstacle course consisting of A-Frames, Tunnels, Dog Walks, Chutes, Jumps, and Weave Poles. The ‘Stars’ of Agility are strong, physically fit, mentally and physically flexible, energetic, confident, trusting, and team-oriented! Their pups... yep, same thing! A pup from a solid Agility pedigree will provide you with hours of fun and excitement, should prove to be very intelligent and trainable, and will likely be a strong, healthy, well-built dog.
To start, you need to really think about the characteristics you want in your Golden. Maybe you want a combination of characteristics that touches on two or more of the areas we’ve discussed. That’s fine - while many breeders have one goal in mind (just Field, just Show, etc.), there are some that work to produce different combinations of characteristics - look for the combination that suits you best! Above all, remember... your Golden will spend the next 15 to 20 years with you if all goes well - so be sure you know what kind of Golden you want, and then be sure you take the time and have the patience to find the right one!
Do you want a Golden with a strong, assertive temperament and the capacity to compete successfully at field trials? If so, you’ll want a pup from a very solid field-trial pedigree; generations of FC’s and AFC’s!
Do you want a Golden to hunt with, that your kids can play fetch with in the back yard? Then you’ll need to find a pedigree with Hunting Test or Working Certificate titles, versus field titles - your kids probably won’t enjoy the spirit of a Field Trial dog!
Do you want a beautiful, people-oriented Golden, but aren’t necessarily concerned about his level of intelligence, trainability, or retrieving ability? Then a pup from a strong Conformation pedigree is for you!
Do you want an adaptable, outgoing, intelligent, trainable family pet? Then you should look for an Obedience or Agility Pedigree.
Do you want beauty, brains, trainability, and hunting desire in your Golden? Then find a pedigree that combines Conformation, Obedience, and Hunting titles.
Do you want a Golden that is genetically programmed to be aggressive, shy, high-strung, or unruly? If not, be sure to search out reputable, caring breeders. Experience and knowledge are invaluable - if you want a wonderful, healthy, enjoyable pet, take advantage of the knowledge and experience of involved ‘dog people’!