The Primary Abbreviations used in our Pedigrees

American Pedigrees

AM/CAN CH - A.K.C. title of Champion in the United States and C.K.C title of Champion in Canada

AOE -Award of Excellence-A dog must meet qualifications in conformation, obedience, and be OFA certified to earn this award given by the GSDCA.

AXJ - Agility Excellent Jumper

BIS - Best in Show (not an official title)

CD - Companion Dog - An obedience title

CDX - Companion Dog Excellent - An obedience title beyond CD

CGC - Canine Good Citizen

CH - A.K.C. title of Champion (American is assumed).

GV - Grand Victor or Grand Victrix:  The title given to the best male (Grand Victor) and best female (Grand Victrix) at the German Shepherd Dog Club of America's National Specialty Show each year. Only one male and one female may receive this honor in any given year.

HI - Herding Instinct

OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals:  A registry in which orthopedic surgeons certify animals free of hip dysplasia based upon x-rays.  We typically have elbows evaluated also.

OFA (Prelim) - Preliminary evaluation prior to two years of age,

MX - Masters Agility Excellent

ROM - Register of Merit:  A title given by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America  to animals who have produced a minimum number of conformation Champions and other winning offspring.

ROM/C - Register of Merit United States and Canada

ROMC - Register of Merit Canada

SEL - Select:  A rating given to the top dogs of either sex at the German Shepherd Dog Club of America's National Specialty Show each year.  Select titles are awarded in numerical order after the Grand Victor and Grand Victrix beginning with Select 2, Select 3, etc.).

 TC - Temperament Certified

 TD - Tracking Dog

 TDI - Dog has passed Therapy Dog International’s testing

 TT - Temperament Tested

 UD - Utility Dog.  An obedience title.  A dog must acquire the CDX title before being eligible to compete for a UD.

German Pedigrees

 “a” - normal-certified normal hips

 KKL1 - Breed Survey Class 1-the best breed survey classification given

 SchH I, SchH II, SchH III - The three levels of Schutzhund titles which include confirmation, tracking, obedience, and protection.

 SGR - Sieger (or Siegerin) -the best male (or female) at the national conformation specialty show (in our pedigrees, Germany is assumed).

 V - Vorzuglich - excellent

 VA - Vorzuglich Auslese - excellent select -The Sieger is VA-1, and a few other extremely good dogs also usually receive the VA rating,

For a very extensive list of abbreviations and acronyms, click: acronym-list