k wrote:there aren't that many non-conformation CHs though. CT i'm not familiar with - what is it?
As well as the OTCH (obedience champion), MACH (agility champion, this can be followed by a number representing the times the dog has fulfilled the requirements of the title), and CT, the AKC offers the following championships:
For Coonhounds:
CGF (grand field champion)
CSGF (supreme grand field champion)
CGN (grand nite champion)
CGW (grand water race champion)
CSGW (supreme grand water race champion)
CNC (nite champion)
SCGN (supreme grand nite champion)
CWC (water race champion)
WNC (winner of the final cast of the annual World Hunt & Show)
there are also some conformation championship titles specific to Coonhounds.
For sporting breeds:
AFC (amateur field champion)
GDSC (gun dog stake champion)
NAFC (national amateur field champion)
NFC (national field champion)
NGDC (national gun dog champion)
NOGDC (national open gun dog champion)
RGDSC (retrieving gun dog stake champion)
For herding breeds:
HC (herding champion)
For a number of breeds:
FC (field champion)... this can be won by gundogs, coonhounds, sight hounds, Beagles, Bassets, & Dachsunds with requirements appropriate for each breed. It's the AKC championship most likely to be seen outside of the ones available to all dogs.
The combo championships:
DC (dual champion) For dogs that have a Ch and a FC or HC. Not uncommon in sporting breeds and sight hounds.
TC (triple champion) For dogs that have the DC plus an OTCH, CT, or MACH
VCCH (versatile companion champion) For dogs that have the OTCH, MACH, & CT
Any of these titles supersedes the component championships, as they imply their presence. So, if your dog was Ch Dudley, and you finished an FC title, the dog would become DC Dudley; rather than Ch FC Dudley.
and, the NOC (national obedience champion), which title is given to the winner of the annual obedience invitational. The dog gets to keep that title for life. The AKC is now going to an agility invitational, and I expect there will be a title for the winners of that, too.
All of these titles go before the name.