What do all of those letters I see in front of or behind a GSD's name mean??? It can be confusing (and intimidating) when shopping for a puppy if you are not familiar with the abbreviations used.
Here is a list of some (nowhere near all) of the abbreviations you may see in a GSD's name and their meanings:
“a” 1 HD normal - the best hip rating possible from the SV
“a” 2 HD fast normal - near normal hips
“a” 3 HD noch zugelassen - hips are still acceptable for breeding
"a"-Ausland Hip D certification was passed in another country rather than Germany.
ZW Zuchtwert (Ger.) Estimated Breed Value based on Hips. 100 is typical, less than 100 is desired.
ZB Zuchtbewertung (Ger.) = show rating.
VA Vorzüglich Auslese (Ger.) = Excellent Select - Show rating only awarded at the Sieger show in working class.
V Vorzüglich (Ger.) - Excellent - Show rating awarded in working class only. Also a SchH rating awarded to dogs who score 96 points or more out of 100 in SchH trail/competition.
SG Sehr Gut (Ger.) - Very Good. Is the highest possible show rating a dog can obtain in Youth Class or Young Dog Class. Also a SchH rating awarded to dogs who score 90-95 points out of 100 in SchH trail/competition.
G Gut (Ger.) - Good (Show or working rating)
A Ausreichend (Ger.) - Sufficient (Show or working rating)
VP VP - Very Promising (the highest rating awarded in Puppy Classes)
P Promising (awarded in Puppy Class)
NP Not Promising (awarded in Puppy Class)
vom = von der (Ger.) From the
SchH Schutzhund (Ger.) or IPO = Protection Dog. There are 3 levels: SchH I, SchH II, SchH III. SchH equivalents are ZVV, SVV, IPO, VH, and others.
AD Ausdauerprüfung (Ger.) - an endurance test performed by gaiting approximately six - ten miles per hour for about 12 miles with a ten minute rest halfway and a simple obedience test at the end. AD is a prerequisite for a Korung evaluation.
BH Begleithunde (Ger.) Prerequisite for Schutzhund. Consists of an obedience test and a traffic/temperament test.
Körung SV Breed survey. The purpose of breed survey is to select from the breeding registry a number of dogs that in their character, performance, and anatomical construction appear suitable for the conservation and improvement of the breed.
Kkl Körklasse - Breed Survey class (Kkl1 or Kkl2) In order to be breed-surveyed a dog must have a SchH, HGH or IPO title, must also have approved hips, pass an AD, and have a show-rating of G or better.
Kkl1 Kkl1 - the dog is especially recommended for breeding
Kkl2 Kkl2 - the dog is still suitable for breeding (Variations from the breed standard in conformation, such as too small or too large, a missing tooth, structural or protection work fault, etc., are issues that can cause a dog to be Kkl2 rather than Kkl1).
Here is a list of some (nowhere near all) of the abbreviations you may see in a GSD's name and their meanings:
“a” 1 HD normal - the best hip rating possible from the SV
“a” 2 HD fast normal - near normal hips
“a” 3 HD noch zugelassen - hips are still acceptable for breeding
"a"-Ausland Hip D certification was passed in another country rather than Germany.
ZW Zuchtwert (Ger.) Estimated Breed Value based on Hips. 100 is typical, less than 100 is desired.
ZB Zuchtbewertung (Ger.) = show rating.
VA Vorzüglich Auslese (Ger.) = Excellent Select - Show rating only awarded at the Sieger show in working class.
V Vorzüglich (Ger.) - Excellent - Show rating awarded in working class only. Also a SchH rating awarded to dogs who score 96 points or more out of 100 in SchH trail/competition.
SG Sehr Gut (Ger.) - Very Good. Is the highest possible show rating a dog can obtain in Youth Class or Young Dog Class. Also a SchH rating awarded to dogs who score 90-95 points out of 100 in SchH trail/competition.
G Gut (Ger.) - Good (Show or working rating)
A Ausreichend (Ger.) - Sufficient (Show or working rating)
VP VP - Very Promising (the highest rating awarded in Puppy Classes)
P Promising (awarded in Puppy Class)
NP Not Promising (awarded in Puppy Class)
vom = von der (Ger.) From the
SchH Schutzhund (Ger.) or IPO = Protection Dog. There are 3 levels: SchH I, SchH II, SchH III. SchH equivalents are ZVV, SVV, IPO, VH, and others.
AD Ausdauerprüfung (Ger.) - an endurance test performed by gaiting approximately six - ten miles per hour for about 12 miles with a ten minute rest halfway and a simple obedience test at the end. AD is a prerequisite for a Korung evaluation.
BH Begleithunde (Ger.) Prerequisite for Schutzhund. Consists of an obedience test and a traffic/temperament test.
Körung SV Breed survey. The purpose of breed survey is to select from the breeding registry a number of dogs that in their character, performance, and anatomical construction appear suitable for the conservation and improvement of the breed.
Kkl Körklasse - Breed Survey class (Kkl1 or Kkl2) In order to be breed-surveyed a dog must have a SchH, HGH or IPO title, must also have approved hips, pass an AD, and have a show-rating of G or better.
Kkl1 Kkl1 - the dog is especially recommended for breeding
Kkl2 Kkl2 - the dog is still suitable for breeding (Variations from the breed standard in conformation, such as too small or too large, a missing tooth, structural or protection work fault, etc., are issues that can cause a dog to be Kkl2 rather than Kkl1).