The AKC works with non-AKC service and sports organizations to recognize the titles that AKC-registered dogs earn in their programs. This includes the AKC Therapy Dog program and the AKC Search & Rescue program. AKC also recognizes titles of the Barn Hunt Association (BHA); North American Diving Dogs (NADD); the North American Flyball Association (NAFA); and UpDog Challenge disc organization. For information on how to apply, go to: AKC Title Recognition Program. Read on to meet All-American Dogs who are recent achievers in these sports.
AKC Therapy Dog Title
The AKC Therapy Dog Title program offers titles based on the amount of service that a therapy team has volunteered, giving more dogs the opportunity to earn the honor. Dogs also must be certified by an AKC-recognized therapy dog organization. The titles are:
600 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Supreme (THDS) title.
400 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished (THDD) title.
200 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Excellent (THDX) title.
100 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Advanced (THDA) title.
50 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog (THD) title.
10 visits to earn the AKC Therapy Dog Novice (THDN) title.
Congratulations to the All American Dogs who have earned the Therapy Dog Supreme title, having made 600 visits:
THDS
Wyatt Taylor THDS CGCA CGCU TKN owned by Leland Taylor of Orange Park, FL
Wyatt is a fun loving 4-year-old that loves to meet everyone, truck rides and Cool Whip (what fur buddy doesn’t!!). Early temperament testing indicated he had the potential to be a therapy do,g which he achieved certification on Dec. 23, 2021, through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
Wyatt frequents several places as a certified therapy dog. These include daily visits at Haven Hospice; weekly, bi-weekly and monthly visits at three different hospitals (St. Vincents Clay County & Riverside and Haval Hospital NAS Jacksonville), and the Jacksonville International Airport as member of JAXPaws. He also visits the Florida School for the Deaf & Blind, an Alzheimer’s care center, a life care center, and Amazon Fulfillment Center twice a month.
Because of his gentle nature, Wyatt often participates in visits to one of our high schools’ special needs programs and two different community organizations that provides job skill training and social development for young adults with intellectual, physical, or developmental impairments.
Although all the previously mentioned venue therapy visits are special and unique in their own individual way, Wyatt was deeply honored to be invited to attend the 2023 Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine prom. During the prom, more than 1,000 Jacksonville area special needs young adults were crowned king or quee,n and Wyatt teamed with additional therapy dogs to provide calming breaks so everyone could fully enjoy all the evening events.
He completed his 600th visit on April 16, 2023, at the Jacksonville Fl International Airport as a member of JAXPaws.
Charlee Jo THDS CGCA owned by Meghan & James Olds of Terre Haute, IN
Six-year-old Charlee Jo was a rescue dog and joined the Olds family in the summer of 2019. “She has been the perfect addition to our family,” Meghan said.
She is a licensed therapy dog at Hoosier Prairie Elementary School. She was the pilot dog for the program in 2019, and it has grown and expanded in the school corporation. Charlee has earned the titles of Therapy Dog Supreme, Canine Good Citizen, and Community Canine.
“Charlee Jo comes to school ready to visit her students every day! She gets disappointed if she doesn’t get to go to school,” she said. “At home, she loves to chase squirrels and cuddle with her humans. She loves snuggling with our 16-year-old and lets our 6-year-old give her bows and hats. Charlee Jo has positively impacted so many people, both at home and on her visits in the community.”
BARN HUNT ASSOCIATION
The BHA enables all dogs to participate in the sport of hunting for vermin. Dogs track rats safely enclosed in sturdy tubes that are hidden among hay bales. The titles range from Novice level to Champion to Champion Excellent, and since March, Crazy 8s. Go to www.barnhunt.com for more information.
Congratulations to All-American Dogs who recently received recognition of their BHA titles:
RATCH
- Molly Jarvis RE FDC CAA FCAT2 RATCH CGCU TKN owned by Connie Jarvis Scio, OR
RATM
- Cloud The Light Of The Sun NAP NFP RATM TKN owned by Laurie Austin of Palm Coast, FL
- Always A Guardian BN RA AX AXJ OF DCAT RATM DJ CGC TKN owned by Payton Kubiak of Saint Peters, MO
- MACH2 Trippett’s Twist Of Fate CD BN RE MXS MJG MFB TQX T2B SWE SBM RATM CGCA CGCU TKI owned by Lisa Trippett of Denton, MD
RATN
- Hart’s Little Lotte BN RATN CGC owned by Mary Hart of Sandy, UT
- Saucy Sassy Sue DCAT RATN owned by Laura Obal of Fairview Heights, IL
- Talula Chalula RATN owned by Heather Ferrier of Bois D’Arc, MO
- Ava Parker SWN RATO CGCA TKN owned by Kelli Parker & Kelli C Parker of Cookeville, TN
- Carolina’s Ray Petunia RATN TKN owned by Robin French of Beech Island, SC
- Soaring Wren RATO TKI owned by Kelsey & Ryan Schaefer of Rockwall, TX
- Epona CAX2 FCAT3 RATN TKN owned by Meg Reidy of Ranger, GA
- Double Dog Duke FDC DCAT SWN SCNE SCA SIA SEA RATN CGCA TKE ATT VHMA VSWE FITG owned by Charis Smith of Elkridge, MD
- Ollie By Golly Shealy CD BN RM FDC SIA SEN SBN RATN CGCA TKA owned by Leslie Shealy-Smith of Spartanburg, SC
- Chance Munoz RN ACT1J RATN CGC TKI BN-V owned by Natalia Munoz of Ridgecrest, CA
- A Happy-Go-Lucky Gremlin RATN TKI owned by Courtney Carter of New York, NY
- Mission To Mars BCAT RATN DS DJ CGCA CGCU TKP owned by Emily Miller of Lexington, KY
RATO
- Honey Badger Don’T Care RN FDC OAP OJP OFP CAX FCAT ACT2 ACT2J RATS DS DJA HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWB owned by Kimberly Dickson & Jesse Blanchard of Stanfordville, NY
- Declan Of Faircloth FDC RATO owned by Rachael Taylor of Andalusia, AL
- Schooner Richards RA FDC DCAT SWN SIA RATS DM DS AM HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWI FITS owned by Danielle Richards of San Diego, CA
- Ava Parker SWN RATO CGCA TKN owned by Kelli Parker & Kelli C Parker of Cookeville, TN
- Maisie Mae Tracys D.O.G RA BCAT THDX RATO CGCA CGCU TKA FITS owned by Cheryl Cobb of Elmira, NY
- Moonridge Captain Dynamite FCAT5 SWN SCA RATO CGC TKA owned by Karen & Thomas Orr of Knoxville, TN
- Hurricane Stormie Rechsteiner Brooks BCAT RATO DS TKI owned by Jaime Brooks of Bay City, MI
- Soaring Wren RATO TKI owned by Kelsey & Ryan Schaefer of Rockwall, TX
- Winnie Sinha RA OAP OJP DCAT SWN SIA RATO CGC TKA ATT owned by Dolly Sinha of Lawrenceville, GA
- Rico De San Juan AXP AJP OFP ACT2 RATO CGC TKI owned by Stacey Tillberg of Coral Springs, FL
RATS
- Schooner Richards RA FDC DCAT SWN SIA RATS DM DS AM HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWI FITS owned by Danielle Richards of San Diego, CA
- Wyatt Parker Freeman RATS CGCA TKN owned by Shona Freeman of Hammondsport, NY
- Honey Badger Don’T Care RN FDC OAP OJP OFP CAX FCAT ACT2 ACT2J RATS DS DJA HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWB owned by Kimberly Dickson & Jesse Blanchard of Stanfordville, NY
- Stonewall Manor’s Family Business NA NF CA FCAT RATS DSA TKN owned by Casey Gagnon-Shippee & Timothy Shippee of Dayville, CT
NORTH AMERICAN DIVING DOGS
NADD offers titles in both distance dock jumping and air retrieve for all dogs. Dogs receive titles based on how far they jump and only compete in the same division with dogs that jump similar distances. For more information go to www.northamericadivingdogs.com.
DM – Dock Master
Ruby Schwarz DCAT DM DS CGC TKI VHMA owned by Deanna Schwarz & Casey Burnham of Houston, TX
Ruby is a 6-year-old rescue from Louisiana. She was found as a stray at the age of 4 years and was transferred to the Houston Humane Society when Hurricane Ida flooded her shelter in August 2021; Deanna and Casey adopted her two months later.
Ruby and her family found dog sports as a way to give Ruby a ‘YES!’ moment. Because of her strong prey drive (and feline roommate), Ruby’s family was constantly working on impulse control and were seeking a positive drive outlet. One of her trainers said ‘Hey, why don’t you try dog sports with Ruby?’ As owners of a bully breed, Deanna and Casey were hesitant to enroll her because they wanted to protect Ruby from any harsh judgment due to negative stereotypes about dogs that looked like her. What they found was quite the opposite – an incredibly warm and welcoming community that not only supported Ruby but encouraged her to try as many sports as she could!
Ruby began her dog sport journey with coursing, quickly earning BCAT and DCAT titles. She then took to dock diving after falling in love with swimming, earning both Dock Master and Dock Senior titles with a personal best of 22’9”; she is working to earn an advanced title and an invitation to NADD Regionals. Most recently, Ruby earned her Novice title in Barn Hunt and has just started agility classes.
“Representation matters in dog sports – rescues, mixed breeds, and bully breeds are incredible dogs and they can do amazing things if you give them the chance,” Deanna said.
She earned the Dock Master title on Nov. 4, 2022, at Splash Paws in Spring, TX.
Photo by Julia Bri Photography
Schooner Richards RA FDC DCAT SWN SIA RATS DM DS AM HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWI FITS owned by Danielle Richards of San Diego, CA
Like thousands of other Americans during the COVID-19 lockdown, Danielle decided it was a good time to adopt a new dog. After a month of searching and being denied by numerous rescue organizations, she found Schooner.
“Schooner is my nearly 4-year-old German Shepard mix from Mexico. He and his seven siblings were found in a box in a parking lot in Tijuana before the rescue, No Wagging Tails Left Behind, took custody of them. When I saw his profile online, it was love at first sight,” Danielle said.
“He was a shy pup so we signed up for training classes anywhere we could. Classes were a struggle due to his high energy and fear of everything. He was either bouncing off the walls or hiding behind me afraid. After struggling through obedience and rally, I decided I needed to find another outlet for him and signed up for a dock diving trial on a whim. We showed up having never jumped off a dock before or having any idea what to do. His first few jumps were comically small (4’0”, 6’2”) but he quickly figured it out and started to improve with every jump. We went through every title in the distance jump category (Novice, Junior, Senior, & Master) and are now within two-inches of Elite.
“This past June,, when he earned his Dock Master Title I could not have been more proud. It took a year and 36 jumps but watching him go from the shy rambunctious pup who practically fell off the dock to the confident 95 pound dog who flies 23’ 10” across the pool has been the best experience.”
Schooner Facebook | Schooner Instagram | #schoonertherescue
Congratulations also to these dogs for earning the DM:
- Mooseman Of Harborsite Acres DM DS BN-V owned by Ruth Camp of La Fayette, GA
- Moose Cui DM CGCA owned by Shuyang Cui of Stoneham, MA
AM
- Schooner Richards RA FDC DCAT SWN SIA RATS DM DS AM HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWI FITS owned by Danielle Richards of San Diego, CA
AS
- RACH2 Kai Updike CD RM4 RAE4 DS AS CGC owned by Chelsea & Chris Updike of Verona, WI
DE
- Houdini’s Historic Hypernym RATO DE DMA CGC TKN owned by Linda Gregg of Minden, LA
DEA
- Adios BCAT DEA DM CGC TKN owned by Christy Bostic Hiles of Dublin, OH
DEX4
- Juno Deems RN DP DEX4 AS HDJA owned by Pam Deems & Aaron Trunk of Scottsdale, AZ
DJ
- Brutus Paul Prell-Kubasiak BCAT DJ DN CGCA TKA FITS owned by Sarah Prell of Battle Creek, MI
- Ila Slf Fleetfooted Splashdown RN DCAT DJ owned by Elizabeth Grant of Blythe, GA
- Mission To Mars BCAT RATN DS DJ CGCA CGCU TKP owned by Emily Miller of Lexington, KY
- Noelle, The Perfect One DJ owned by Lauren Lahm of Saint Louis, MO
- Maverick Goose Eschenbach RN BCAT DJ CGC TKN owned by Amy & Delana Eschenbach of Hamilton, OH
DJX
- Loulu Love Hillary RI FDC DS DJX CGCA CGCU TKP FITS owned by Nora & Dan Hillary of Norco, CA
- Third Times A Charm DCAT DS DJX CGCA CGCU TKA FITS owned by Brittany Angone of Sierra Vista, CA
- Bradley’s Daisy BN RI FDC NA NAJ AXP AJP XFP T2BP CAX2 FCAT5 SWA SCME SINE SHDNE SIM SEE SHDM RATO CZ8S DJX DNA HDN CGCA CGCU TKI ATT VHMA FITB owned by Alison & Kevin Bradley of Fayetteville, AR
DMX4
- Ac’s Perfect Insanity AX OAJ XF CAA BCAT DMX4 CGC TKP owned by Alissa Huckabay of Luther, OK
DN
- Brutus Paul Prell-Kubasiak BCAT DJ DN CGCA TKA FITS owned by Sarah Prell of Battle Creek, MI
- Eevee Umbreon DN owned by Benjamin & Regan Falcone of Gurnee, IL
- First Strikes Tiberius BCAT DN owned by Jordan Erin Antor of Woodstock, IL
DNX
- Happy Go Flappy FDC CA DCAT RATN DNX CGCA TKI owned by Catherine & John Gray of Des Moines, IA
DP
- Volek Shelton’s Ruby DCAT DP CGC TKN owned by Allison Volek Shelton & Roger Volek Shelton of Madison, TN
DS
- Seaspray’s Aoife Of True Blue CD DS CGC TKN owned by Susan Hansell of Winter Haven, FL & Peggy McElroy of St. Pete Beach, FL
- Mac And Cheese DS DJ owned by Ava Lea King of Village of Lakewood, IL
- Boreland Chisum’s Isabella DS owned by Linda Maurer of Culpeper, VA
- Hurricane Stormie Rechsteiner Brooks BCAT RATO DS TKI owned by Jaime Brooks of Bay City, MI
- Mooseman Of Harborsite Acres DM DS BN-V owned by Ruth Camp of La Fayette, GA
- Ms. Demeanor DS owned by Sophie Alexander of Pell City, AL
- Primrose The Untucked Little Duck RN DS owned by Lauren Lahm of Saint Louis, MO
- Mission To Mars BCAT RATN DS DJ CGCA CGCU TKP owned by Emily Miller of Lexington, KY
DSA
- Stonewall Manor’s Family Business NA NF CA FCAT RATS DSA TKN owned by Casey Gagnon-Shippee & Timothy Shippee of Dayville, CT
DSX
- Julia VII FDC CAX FCAT SCN SIN SEN DM DSX CGCA TKN FITB owned by Kerstin Thompson of DeSoto, TX
DSX3
- Rain On Little Main FCAT3 DSX3 FITS owned by Mary Susan Billingsley & Charlotte Mills of Spotsylvania, VA
HDM
- Mr. SweetFace Scooby CA FCAT DSA DJA HDM CGC TKA owned by Nicole Teitelbaum Guerrero of Sunrise, FL
HDN
- Roy Knowles RA FDC FCAT2 DJA HDN DDB CGCA CGCU TKP ATT BN-V VHMA VSWE FITG owned by Kelly Knowles of Herndon, VA
HDS
- Schooner Richards RA FDC DCAT SWN SIA RATS DM DS AM HDS CGCA CGCU TKA ATT VHMA VSWI FITS owned by Danielle Richards of San Diego, CA
SEARCH & RESCUE
SAR-W
Cali Hamman SAR-W CGCA CGCU owned by Gail Hamman of Lewes, DE
Cali is a chocolate Labrador Retriever that we rescued at 14 weeks. We immediately started her Search and Rescue training in Area Live Find with NASAR certification at age three years. We continued to challenge her skills with NASAR certification in Human Remains Detection at age five. She has participated in six searches up to this date (2021-2023) with our team Delmarva Search and Rescue.
Her other certifications are CGC, CGCU, and Alliance of Therapy Dogs. We utilize her therapy work with PAWS for People, visiting Beebe Hospital and TriState Canine Response Team, visiting schools and colleges. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, fetching, walks and playing with her chocolate lab sisters, 10-year-old Mallie and 8-month-old Dolce.
