German Shepherd Glossary

Working Titles

AD: Aus dauerprufing, endurance test

BH: Basic companion dog – traffic sureness.

B or BH Begleithunde: The preliminary and prerequisite test for a dog going on to get his/her Schutzhund titles. A combination temperament and obedience test. B and BH are used interchangeably.

WH: Watch Dog.

CD: Companion dog. The first of five working qualifications, each of increasing difficulty, awarded to dogs gaining a certain percentage of total marks at working trials.

CDX: CD Excellent.

DH: Dienshund, service dog.

Gebrauchshundklasse: Working dog class-the only class available for animals over two/in Germany.

HGH: Herdengebrauchshund, herding dog- a qualification of dogs working with flocks.

TD: Tracking dog. Qualification title for nose work.

FH: Fahrtenhund, tracking qualification.

FH1: Advanced tracking.

FH2: Superior tracking qualification.

UD: Utility dog. Working Qualification.

ZH: Zollhund, dog trained to work with customs police.

SchH1: Novice Schutzhund qualification in tracking, obedience, and protection.

SchH2: Intermediate Schutzhund qualification in tracking, obedience, and protection.

SchH3: Masters level of Schutzhund tracking, obedience, and protection.

SchHA: A limited SchH title, similar to SchH I but without the tracking portion.

IPO1: International Novice Schutzhund trial qualification.

IPO2: International Intermediate Schutzhund.

IPO3: International Masters level Schutzhund.

BpDH1 2: Railroad Police Dog.

BIH: Blind Leader Dog.

LwH: Lawinen Hund-Avalanche Dog.

DH: Service Dog.

DPH: Service Police Dog.

PH Polizehund: Police Dog.

INT Internationale Prufungsklasse: International Training Degree.

BPDH I, II – Bannpolizeidiensthund I or II: Railroad Police Service Dog I or II.

GrH – Grenzen Hund: Border Patrol Dog.

PFP I, II – Polizeifaehrtenhund I, II: Police Tracking Dog I or II.

PSP I, II – Polizeischutzhundprufung I, II: Police Protection Dog I or II.

Bundeslestunggssieger: German National Working Dog Champion awarded at the Bundessiegerprufung.

Huntesieger: Herding Dog Champion at the German Herding Dog Championships. HT: Herding Tested.

HC: Herding Champion.

M.H. militar hund: Military Dog.

S.H. sanitats hund: Red Cross Dog.

Kr.H. kriegshund: War Dog.

Conformation titles:

ZB-Zuchtbewertung: Conformation Show Rating followed by:

VA -Vorzuglich Auslese: Excellent Select, the highest attainable award by a German show dog and granted only at the annual Sieger Show.

  • V – Vorzuglich: Excellent
  • SG – Sehr Gut: Very Good; an official German show grade and the highest obtainable by dogs under two.
  • G – Gut: Good.
  • A – Austreichend: Sufficient.
  • M – Mangelhaft: Faulty.
  • U – Ungenugend: Insufficient.
  • Jugendklasse-ruden: Youth class for males of twelve to eighteen months at German shows
  • Jugendklasse-hundinnen: The corresponding class for bitches
  • Sieger or siegerin: Title given to the top Male and Female at the German National Show, they will also receive the rating of VA-1
  • Weltsieger: World Seiger title awarded to the top dog at the FCI All Breed Show
  • Europasieger: Conformation winner at the European All Breed Show
  • Bundeszuchtsieger: Conformation winner at the German National All Breed Show

Other

Angulations: The angles at which bones of shoulder and upper arm meet at the shoulder joint, and those of upper and lower thigh meet at the knee joint.

AKC: American Kennel Club.

CKC: Canadian Kennel Club.

Washed out: Marked palling of color and pigment in nose and nail.

Monorchid: A dog possessing one testicle.

Bloodline: Animals sharing a specific familly relationship over several generations.

SV: Schaferhund Verein, GSD Society of West Germany.

Sable: A gray, brown or fawn foundation color with black- shaded guard hairs. (Wolf like colorings).

Korung: German breed survey to select animals for breeding. Class 1 animals recommended, Class 2 animals suitable.

KK1: Korklasse, survey class.

Inbreeding: Deliberate mating together of close relatives.

High withered: When the area where the neck runs into the back is definite, long and well filled in with muscle over the vertebrae between the shoulder blades, and slopes into the back, rather than being on the same horizontal with it (flat-withered).

Dew claws: Additional toes on inside of the leg above the foot and making no contact with ground. Many puppies are born without them on the rear legs.

Cow hocked: The dog stands and moves with the point of hock turned inwards.

Croup: The pelvis together with covering of muscle and coat.

Entire: Having both testicles in the scrotum.

TT: Temperament Tested.

TC: Temperament Certified.

OFA: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (Hip Certification in U.S.).

OVC: Ontario Veterinary College (Hip Certification in Canada).

CGC: The dog has a Canine Good Citizen certificate.

Penn HIP: Developed at University of Pennsylvania (USA) The procedure measures hip joint laxity; it does not grade a passing or failing score. Loose hips are more prone to developing degenerative joint disease. (See OVC, OFA, “a stamp”).

SV Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde: (German Shepherd Dog Club) The original GSD breed club and breed registry, based in Germany.

TSB Triebveranlagung: fighting drive.

ZW Zuchtwert: ZW-value – Zuchtwert evaluation – is a Breed Value Assessment – a number assigned that gives an indication of the genotype of the dog for breeding purposes.

KKLI: Korklasse I, Breed surveyed recommended to breeding- Koer Class rating which states that the dog has been breed surveyed and found to be breeding quality.

KKLII: Korklasse II, Breed surveyed suitable for breeding.

Lbz – Lebenszeit: Lifetime rating.

German Hip Ratings

“a” – Zuerkannt: Certified hips that fell within the following three categories:

  • “a” -1 Normal – Certified Normal Hips
  • “a” -2 Fast Normal – Certified Near Normal Hips
  • “a” – 3 Noch Zugelassen – Certified still permissible Hips