Acronym Key What all those letter's before/after an awesome dog's name stand for!!!!!!
	CONFORMATION AND WORKING TITLES CH or GR CH:  Conformation is judged in the UKC , NKC, or ADBA show ring and indicates that the physical structure of the dog meets or exceeds that of the specific breed standard for each registry.  A dog that has conformation titles has the initials of the title before their name.  (e.g. CH = Champion GR CH= Grand Champion) CDX, CD, UD, ODC:  Obedience  working titles, which also appear before the registered name.  CD (companion dog), CDX (companion dog excellent), UD (utility dog), ODC (obedience dog champion), prove that the dog has the talent and desire to work with their handler.  It indicates that they are stable in temperament and high in intelligence.   ACE, ACE of ACE:This is a working title awarded by the ADBA for weight pulling.   This is a great indication of the heart and soul of our breed.  A dog that earns this title has a great desire to work and please the owner. Dogs with these titles are strong in mind and body. UWP, UWPCH, UWPCHO, etc..:  These are also working titles in weight pull but are awarded by UKC.  This is a great indication of the heart and soul of our breed.  A dog that earns this title has a great desire to work and please the owner. Dogs with these titles are strong in mind and body. UAGI, UAGII, ect...:  These are working titles awarded in Agility events held by UKC.  Agility also shows the dogs ability to perform with their owners and have fun while doing it! It is a rewarding sport for both Dog and Owner! TD:  Total Dog.  A dog that has both a conformation title and  working title from UKC. SD:  Super Dog.  A dog that has a conformation title and three working titles from UKC. REGISTRY/PEDIGREE TITLES UKC:  United Kennel Club, Inc. NKC: National Kennel Club ADBA: American Dog Breeders Association 'PR':  A dog with a pedigree that has been confirmed as registered with UKC for a prerequisite number of generations earns the Purple Ribbon Pedigree.  This is indicated by a 'PR' before the registered name.    DNA-P: This means that the dog has a genetic profile registered with one or more registries. DNA-VIP:  Also a genetic profile and is also a genetic test that proves the parentage of the dog.  Note: the parents must also be DNA-P or DNA-VIP in order to prove ancestry. HEALTH CERTIFICATES Health standards include orthopedic and genetic inherited traits that can be passed down to a puppy from not only its parents but previous generations.   A dog or a bitch that has been tested for these characteristics has these results indicated in their title after the registered name. Although health testing can not guarantee a healthy puppy, the chance of having any genetic problems with the pups of health tested parents is significantly lower than from parents who are not health tested.  Health testing is a tool that should be used by all breeders to improve their breeding stock and help to insure a healthy future free of genetic or orthopedic problems!!! Any RESPONSIBLE breeder will test at some level to ensure only healthy/problem free dogs are used as breeding stock.  Please Note: Responsible breeders will also guarantee your puppy for LIFE against any genetic problems and will also know what genetic problems are present in their specific breed. vWD:  Von Willebrand’s Disease is a genetic bleeding disorder. Dogs affected with vWD will have a reduction in the amount or function of a blood protein which binds platelets to blood vessels. This blood protein is commonly referred to as Von Willebrand’s Factor (vWF).  The absence or deficiency of the factor can be life threatening by leading to uncontrolled bleeding episodes. This is checked by a veterinarian. vWD is not common in American Pit Bull Terriers therefore is not often tested for unless previous generations are questionable to this disease.   OFA Hips/OFA Elbows: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.  This test comes with ratings from poor to excellent. This is a measurement of the dogs hips and elbows.  Poor means that the dog has high propensity for CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia) or CED (Canine Elbow Dysplasia)  which are both debilitating diseases.  Arthritis can develop as a result of the malformation of the hip joint and this results in pain as the disease progresses.  It is inherited so  buyers should make sure parents are tested and have a passing score.   Veterinarian can take the x-rays which are sent to OFA for certification.  Please note that CHD and CED  risk is high for our breed and should be a concern of breeders.   AmStaff's are at higher risk than APBT's according to OFA statistics. OFA Cardiac: This health test is performed by a vet or a cardiologist, results are sent to the OFA database.  Congenital heart diseases in dogs are malformations of the heart or great vessels. The lesions characterizing congenital heart defects are present at birth and may develop more fully during perinatal and growth periods. Many congenital heart defects are thought to be genetically transmitted from parents to offspring; however, the exact modes of inheritance have not been precisely determined for all cardiovascular malformations. The purpose of this test is to gather data regarding congenital heart diseases in dogs and to identify dogs which are phenotypically normal prior to use in a breeding program.  According to OFA's statistics heart problems can be problematic in our bully breeds. OFA Patellas:  The patella, or kneecap, is part of the stifle joint (knee). In patellar luxation, the kneecap luxates, or pops out of place, either in a medial or lateral position. Bilateral involvement is most common, but unilateral is not uncommon. Animals can be affected by the time they are 8 weeks of age.   Although the luxation may not be present at birth, the anatomical deformities that cause these luxations are present at that time and are responsible for subsequent recurrent patellar luxation. Patellar luxation should be considered an inherited disease.  A veterinarian can test for and provide results which are sent to OFA's Database. PennHIP:  University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program. This is a more scientific approach to detecting CHD. This test must be performed by a PennHIP certified veterinarian.  It not only studies the hip joint "structure" but also the laxity in the joint or how it moves. Ratings are given in decimal number scores.  The average score for our breed is around .59. CERF: Canine Eye Registration Foundation.  The foundations goal is the eliminating heritable eye diseases in purebred through registration, research, and education. After a painless examination of the dog's eyes, the ACVO Diplomate  indicates any specific disease(s) found. Dogs found to be unaffected by major heritable eye disease by an ACVO diplomate can be registered with CERF. THYROID NORMAL:  Autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause of primary hypothyroidism in dogs and is recognized as an inheritable condition. Predisposed dogs are born with normal thyroid function and generally grow and develop in a normal manner. Evidence of an immune reaction in the thyroid glands begins to appear sometime in early adulthood, most affected dogs become hypothyroid in the future. Dogs that are negative at 1 year of age may become positive at 6 years of age. Hence, dogs should be tested every couple of years in order to be certain that they have not developed the condition. It is said that a negative result at any one time will not guarantee that the dog will not develop thyroiditis, so periodical testing is recommended. TEMPERAMENT CERTIFICATION TT:  Temperament Tested.  This is a test provided by the American Temperament Testing Society.  This means that the dog is not overly shy, or overly aggressive and proves that the dog has a sound,stable temperament. CGC: Canine Good Citizen. This is a test provided by the American Kennel Club which evaluates the ability of a dog to be a good citizen. It is a good evaluation of how a dog reacts to every day situations. It is awarded to dogs who have completed a list of tasks testing how each behaves and reacts to certain commands/situations.  It also proves that the dog has a sound, stable temperament. TDI: Therapy Dog International. This test shows that the dog  who obtains it has an extremely marvelous temperament and is able to go visit public places and partake in therapy sessions. Such places include but aren't limited to: nursing homes, senior day care facilities, hospitals, libraries, etc.....  The dogs who go and visit often bring much needed smiles to an otherwise dismal environment.  Many health care facilities have taken on this program to gain a more positive patient attitude,  to ease pain/sadness, and bring up recovery rates.
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