Titling etiquette
- Listing multiple titles: When your dog is the proud recipient of many titles, you do not need to list all titles earned. With most, the upper levels titles already imply the others were earned, because they are necessary to move onto the next title. Ex: "Dog's Name CD, CDX, UD, RN, RA, RE" or "Dog's Name FR1, FR2, FR3". Yes, it looks fancy to have all those letters, but really this should just read "Dog's Name UD, RE" or "Dog's Name FR3", nice and clean.
- Listing the BH: It is understood that many who train mostly in AKC may not have ever heard of a BH. The desire for clarity prompts some to list it as an "IGP BH". This is not correct. The only IGP/IPO titles are IPO and IGP1-3, yes the BH companion dog test is in the IGP and IPO rule books, but it is not strictly-speaking an IPO or IGP title.
- Optional titling found in the IGP rule book: In 2019, the most current FCI rule book was released. It listed some new titling options such as Obedience, Tracking and/or Protection only. There used to be an obedience and protection only title called a SchutzhundA, this is confusing, especially since there are some organizations that still erroneously list this, but the SchutzhundA, no longer exists. The IPO1A (or IPO2A or IPO3A) is not a thing. It is not a title that exists in the FCI's IPO or IGP rule book. There are several titles outlined in the IPO and IGP rule books at all levels available. Of these, you can select individual phases or some combination thereof. They have their own names: Apr1-3 (Ob and protection), Upr 1-3 (Ob), Fpr1-3 (tracking) and Spr1-3 (protection).
- Titles that are made up locally or "borrowed" from existing venues. It is generally frowned upon to list "titles" that are not available through national organizations (AKC, UKC, IPO, NARA, etc.).
Molossers often have enough of a hard time earning respect from the working and performance community. Listing titles properly is just another way for us to show that we are serious competitors, with good dogs, worthy of that respect.