Performance & honors
In the ring and on the field.
Gottabe dogs are bred to do it all: show ring, agility, herding, obedience, coursing, barn hunt and, above all, family life.
What they do
Eight ways a Mini American shines
Conformation
The show ring: judged on how closely a dog matches the breed standard. Winnie, Ivy, Jordie, Bowie and Phaedra are all champions or major winners.
Agility
Jumps, tunnels, weave poles and the A-frame against the clock. Our first litter produced an OTCH MACH7.
Herding
The work the breed was made for. Winnie started herding lessons and is going back to it.
Obedience & Rally
Heeling, recalls and a course of signs. Gottabe dogs have Obedience Trial Champion and Rally titles.
Lure coursing & Fast CAT
Running flat out after a lure. Winnie holds CA and Fast CAT titles.
Barn hunt
Finding the rat (safe in a tube) in a straw-bale maze. Sterling earned his RATI; Jordie may try it next.
Tricks & good manners
Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog titles: the everyday stuff that makes a great house dog.
Family companion
The job that matters most. Most Gottabe dogs live as much-loved pets across the US and in the UK.
Agility
Fast, clean and fun
Jumps, a tunnel, twelve weave poles, the A-frame and the tire, against the clock. Our very first litter (2000) produced OTCH MACH7 Gottabe’s Sparkling Cider, a Master Agility Champion seven times over and an Obedience Trial Champion too.
Ivy did some agility until Lori’s knees decided to rebel; Winnie’s spunky, can-do attitude makes her up for anything.
Honors
Ribbons, titles and firsts
AKC Breeder of Merit
Awarded to Gottabe by the American Kennel Club.
AKC judge for the breed
Lori: the first MAS breeder with permanent-status approval, 2016.
BISS
Ivy: Best in Specialty Show, UKC champion.
Three-way champion
Winnie: AKC Champion, UKC Grand Champion, International Champion.
OTCH MACH7
Gottabe’s Sparkling Cider, from our very first litter (2000).
Champions down the line
Bowie, Jordie, Phaedra, Sam and Ava: UKC, NAMASCUSA and MASCA champions.
In the ring
Wins worth framing
Tap a photo to see it larger.
- Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex, Reno Kennel Club, 2023
- Ivy’s major, Skyline Dog Fanciers of San Mateo County
- Ivy’s win at Shasta Kennel Club, 2019
- Phaedra’s first AKC points
- In the ring
- Bowie with Lori
- Agility
- In the herding arena
- Rosettes
Title decoder
What do all those letters mean?
Show names collect titles at both ends. Pick a dog to light up the titles in its name, or browse the list.
Read a show name:
Pick a dog to light up the letters in its name.
- CH
- Champion. Conformation: earned enough points in the show ring, judged against the breed standard. AKC and UKC each award their own.
- GRCH
- Grand Champion (UKC). A champion who went on to beat other champions.
- GCH
- Grand Champion (AKC). A champion who went on to beat other champions at AKC shows.
- INT CH
- International Champion. Champion at international-format shows.
- BISS
- Best in Specialty Show. Top dog of the whole show at a show for this one breed.
- CGC
- Canine Good Citizen. The AKC’s good-manners test: friendly with strangers, calm around other dogs, walks nicely on a loose lead.
- TKN
- Trick Dog Novice. AKC trick title: ten tricks done on cue.
- CA
- Coursing Ability. AKC lure coursing: chased an artificial lure around a field course with enthusiasm.
- DCAT
- Fast CAT, 500 points. AKC Fast CAT is a timed 100-yard dash after a lure; points come from speed.
- FCAT
- Fast CAT, 1,000 points. The next Fast CAT title after DCAT.
- FDC
- Farm Dog Certified. AKC test of a calm, controllable dog around livestock, gates, fences and farm noise.
- RATI
- Barn Hunt Instinct. Barn Hunt Association: found the (safely tubed) rat hidden in a straw-bale maze.
- OTCH
- Obedience Trial Champion. The AKC’s top obedience championship.
- MACH
- Master Agility Champion. The AKC’s top agility championship. MACH7 means it was earned seven times over.
- CAER
- Eye exam (CAER). Eyes examined by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and recorded with the Companion Animal Eye Registry.
- OFA
- Hips (OFA). Hip X-rays graded by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals: Excellent, Good or Fair all pass.
- N/N
- DNA clear. Two normal copies of the gene: the dog can’t pass that disease on.
Thinking about a Gottabe puppy?
Tell Lori a little about you and your plans. She’ll get back to you, litter or not.