15/09/2025
AKC FIT DOG
September 2025
By Nancy Strohmaier
The California Airedale Club purpose is to encourage and promote the quality breeding of pure-bred Airedale Terriers. In addition, our club is an AKC recognized FIT DOG club. As such, our club promotes fitness for our beloved dogs (all breeds welcomed) and their humans by sponsoring several organized dog walks throughout the year. It’s a fun way to socialize with club members and meet other like-minded dog owners while getting a little bit of exercise.
Did you know that your dog can earn FIT DOG titles? The AKC FIT DOG titles which are part of the AKC Family Dog Program have been designed to provide noncompetitive, structured and individualized fitness plans that you and your dog can do together. There are three levels of AKC fitness titles: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level requires a certain number of points from at least two categories. For Bronze: 5 points; Silver: 10 points; and for Gold: 20 points. There are six different categories with multiple activities to choose from for each of the three levels:
A. AKC FIT DOG Course
B. Runs (community runs such as Turkey Trot, Spring Scurry, etc., and virtual runs)
C. Walks and hikes (Independent or Group)
D. Unique to You and Your Dog (e.g. swimming. Parkour, etc.)
E. AKC Title that is fitness related (e.g. FAST CAT, agility, etc., including virtual titles)
F. AKC Parent Club Performance Titles (E.g. pack dog, sledding, etc.)
The CATC organized club walks qualify under category H as a group walk. For the Bronze level, that would be 3 points for one group walk of the 5 points total! Wow! EZ-Peezy! The Silver level requires two additional groups walks (6 of 10 points total). The Gold level requires two additional group walks (12 of 20 points total). Alternatively, you may partake in independent walks or hikes with your dog for a specified duration (75 minutes for Bronze or 150 minutes for Silver and Gold) for a period of 8 weeks.
We submitted documentation to AKC using their online Title Application Portal (TAP): https://www.apps.akc.org/title-application-portal/ for our dog, Isaac for the Bronze and Silver levels to date. The TAP allows you to submit the checklist (Bronze/Silver/Gold), documentation form, exported data (from an app, smart phone or wearable fitness device), send a video (if necessary) and pay the required fee to attain the FIT DOG title certificate.
We submitted a list of our routine walks on the Walk/Run Documentation Form (Category C) and sent a copy of his AKC Fetch Novice title (Category E) for the required 5 points for the AKC FIT DOG Bronze. For the Silver, we submitted a hunting video with a bird retrieve (Category D) and a couple virtual group walks (Category C) for the required 10 points. We are working on the AKC FIT DOG Gold level with plans to submit a video of Isaac swimming and our Walks/Run Documentation form with screen shots by doing the upcoming AKC Turkey Trot, an annual virtual 5K walk/run, and the CATC Dog Walk in November.
The AKC FIT DOG Titles Participant & Evaluator Guide, the checklists and documentation forms can be found at https://www.akc.org/.../akc-family-dog-program/akc-fit-dog/
Many of you already do so many varied activities with your dog and family, this is a fun way to receive AKC recognition for all the fitness activities your versatile Airedale Terrier partakes in.
By Nancy Strohmaier
Isaac, Windancer Master of the Royal Mint BCAT FITS FTI
1. Isaac goes airborne on an AKC Fast CAT run (J. AKC Title - BCAT)
2. Isaac bird retrieves, Upland Game, (D. Unique to You - Hunting)
3. AKC FIT DOG Bronze Certificate
