Service dogs do not need to acquire titles in order to be effective or valid working dogs. Titles for service dogs are entirely elective. But there are some great reasons to title your service dog in training (SDiT), including that it’s fun!
Reasons to Title
- Titles can provide external validation of your training efforts.
- They can offer clear, specific goals for you and your dog to work towards.
- Training for a title can show you specific areas your dog needs to improve, and can be a fun, structured way to approach parts of working together with your dog.
- Did we mention that it’s fun?
How and Where to Title
Some titles can be done at home. You record yourself and your dog performing the required tasks, and send the videos to a qualified evaluator. Virtual Home Manners was designed for this kind of testing. Tricks titles at some levels can also be earned this way.
One of the videos Eli submitted for his dog’s Novice Tricks title. Demolition (“Demo” for short), is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
Other titles are earned at in-person assessments, like the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. Some titles require multiple tests to earn a title. For both traditional and rally obedience titles, you need three qualifying scores from three different adjudicators for the initial levels.
Service Dog Goals
Multiple titles align with goals for service dogs. Consider Virtual Home Manners for things like settling on a mat, not being pushy about food, and appropriate responses to someone at the door. There’s one for puppies three to 12 months old, and one for any dog older than four months .
Demo’s “Virtual Home Manners” titles and ribbons for both puppy level and adult level
Consider Tricks titles for fun behaviors around novel objects, getting into small spaces, and hand targeting. Some tricks that qualify may have foundations similar to future tasks for your service-dog-in-training. When my puppy earned her Tricks Novice title, most of the tricks we used were just behaviors she picked up while we did normal puppy socialization activities, like walking on different surfaces and paw targeting.
Demo sits in a plastic box as one of her “tricks.”
Demo’s Trick Dog Novice certificate and ribbon
Consider pursuing Canine Good Citizen titles, as they have much in common with public access assessments. The basic CGC title assesses skills like sits, downs and stays. The highest level, CGCU, assesses behaviors like entering and exiting busy buildings, behaving appropriately in elevators, and ignoring food distractions.
Eli puts food in a bowl, places the bowl next to a mat, then tells Demo to lie down on her mat. Demo lies on the mat without eating the food. After a pause, Eli says “Bowl,” and Demo gets up to eat the food.
Dog sport titles, like FastCAT, FitDog, or dock diving, may not necessarily have anything to do with your service dog’s job, but could still be a fun way to keep them active. Maybe you want to pursue agility trials as a hobby. Maybe your dog is well suited for a scent sport, like shed hunt where they sniff out antlers, or barn hunt where they sniff out rats.
If you want to pursue titles, look up the requirements before you start. Make sure you are picking something that either aligns or does not conflict with your public access and task training. For example, obedience titles ask for an auto-sit that may be counterproductive for your dog. Agility trains some behaviors that align with service dog training (pay attention to your handler) and others that are the antithesis of public access training (maintain a high level of arousal and move quickly). Bite sport titles are not appropriate for service dogs.
You can do the training and trials or assessment for fun without necessarily trying to achieve a title, but if you like the achievement badge, you can register your dog with the AKC. You can do this even if it’s a mix breed. They call them “All American Dogs.” For a fee, you can have letters added to your dog’s official name for each title you earn. AKC then sends a certificate in the mail upon approval that you can display in your home.
Whether you decide to title your dog or not, most of all, remember to have fun!
