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Title Recognition Program

Title Recognition Program

A Golden Retriever doing dock diving
A Cavalier King Charles therapy dog
A Golden Retriever therapy dog
chapin31/Getty Images Plu
Keeshond doing flyball
A German Shepherd, Black Lab, Springer Spaniel, and others preparing for Search and Rescue
A German Shepherd doing Search and Rescue in a field
Golden Retriever Search and Rescue dog in the mountains

“A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” — Colin Powell

There are many reasons to put in the time and resources necessary to earn recognition of your dog’s abilities: You might do it to show off his superior abilities; or you might do it for the personal satisfaction that comes from hard work. Or both. Regardless, achieving a goal you’ve set out to do is something to be very proud of, and why we offer many titling programs for dog owners to have their dog’s accomplishment recognized by The American Kennel Club. Below are the types of Title Recognition Programs available. To learn about each click on the links below:

Get Started
As with any sport, we recommend finding an AKC Club near you with a training facility for the sport you’re interested in. Once you’re ready, your Club can help you find events to enter.

Earning a title means you can add it to your dog’s permanent AKC record but, most of all, it’s an excellent reminder of the hard work and determination that you and your have shared.

Title Eligibility
Each title has its own requirements for eligibility. Chose the event you’re interested in to find eligibility rules:

Your dog also must be registered or listed with AKC by any one of these options:

  • AKC Registration Number – This number is provided to a dog owner via a registration certificate received from the previous owner, or via a puppy registration paper given to the new owner by the breeder.
  • Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) – If a dog is purebred but an AKC Registration Number is not possible, owners can apply for PAL number
  • AKC Canine Partners Number – This number is given to either mixed breed dogs or a purebred.
  • Foundation Stock Service®(FSS) Number – This number is used for breeds whose status is currently in the foundational stage of being recorded into our registry and requires a copy of the dog’s pedigree.

If you are interested in having your organization’s titles recognized by The American Kennel Club, send your request to: performance_events@akc.org.