Working Titles
What are they and are they important?
A Title is an award, certificate, or accomplishment shown in letters preceding or following a dog's name. Depending on what is required of the dog to earn a title it can help show, from an objective stand point, that a dog posses good qualities that are worthy of being passed on to the next generation. However, not all titled dogs are necessarily "good" dogs and not all un-titled dogs are necessarily "bad."
It has been my experience that you can take a dog that is not suitable for breeding due to poor health or low tolerance for stress and with good training still obtain titles with that dog. The opposite is also true. You may have a healthy dog that has a solid temperament and is a correct representation of their breed but due to lack of time, resources, or because of poor training the dog may never be titled. For this reason, while I strive to train and title all of my dogs, I do not use titles as the only criteria when selecting a dog for breeding.
When selecting a dog for breeding I think it is important to look at health, temperament, biddablity and whether or not the dog is true to its breed. While I may occasionally produce dogs that are suitable for pet homes, it is not my goal. Both Belgian Malinois and Australian Cattle dogs were originally developed and bred to be able to work for long periods of time without becoming physically or mentally tired. It is my goal to preserve the drives and temperament that make them great working dogs.
It has been my experience that you can take a dog that is not suitable for breeding due to poor health or low tolerance for stress and with good training still obtain titles with that dog. The opposite is also true. You may have a healthy dog that has a solid temperament and is a correct representation of their breed but due to lack of time, resources, or because of poor training the dog may never be titled. For this reason, while I strive to train and title all of my dogs, I do not use titles as the only criteria when selecting a dog for breeding.
When selecting a dog for breeding I think it is important to look at health, temperament, biddablity and whether or not the dog is true to its breed. While I may occasionally produce dogs that are suitable for pet homes, it is not my goal. Both Belgian Malinois and Australian Cattle dogs were originally developed and bred to be able to work for long periods of time without becoming physically or mentally tired. It is my goal to preserve the drives and temperament that make them great working dogs.
For more information on dog sports and titles you can visit my Links page.