Breeder Partnership
A breeder may partner with a qualified Brain First™ behaviorist or other approved Brain First™ professional who supports the breeder’s dogs, puppies, families, and developmental program.
Crown & Collar Institute™ supports ethical dog breeder recognition through breed-specific health testing, canine health documentation, and a transparent breeder recognition program. Recognition spans individual dogs, dog breeding pair review, breeders, and programs — built on responsible dog breeding, education, and canine philanthropy rather than a single universal checklist.
Recognition Categories
INDIVIDUAL DOG AWARD
Bronze Crown Recipient™
Recognition for an individual dog whose documentation, DNA testing, and breed-appropriate review meet the Bronze standard.
BREEDING PAIR AWARD
Bronze Crown Pairing™
Recognition for a thoughtfully documented breeding pair reviewed under Crown & Collar pairing standards.
BREEDER / PROGRAM RECOGNITION
Silver Crown Breeder Recognition™
Recognition for a breeder or program documenting layered health testing, ethical practice, and continued education.
Recognition Categories
CATEGORY ONE
Crown Recipient Recognition™
Dogs may earn titles such as Bronze Crown Recipient™, Silver Crown Recipient™, Gold Crown Recipient™, Platinum Crown Recipient™, Platinum Plus Crown Recipient™, or Legacy Crown Recipient™ based on documented health, identity, temperament, development, achievements, and contribution.
CATEGORY TWO
Breeding Pair Recognition
Approved pairings may earn titles such as Bronze Crown Pairing™ when the pairing has appropriate breed-specific health documentation, DNA/genetic review, compatibility review, and breeder-submitted documentation.
BRONZE CROWN PAIRING™ — DOCUMENTATION
- Both dogs have DNA/genetic screening on file.
- Pairing review completed.
- May include genetic COI review.
- May include projected litter COI review.
- Breed-relevant genetic health review completed.
- Additional breed-specific health testing documented as appropriate for the breed.
- Documentation submitted and reviewed.
CATEGORY THREE
Breeder / Program Recognition
Breeders or programs may earn recognition such as Silver Crown Breeder Recognition™ when their program demonstrates documentation, ethical breeding practices, health testing, transparency, education, and contribution to healthier dogs.
PLEASE NOTEA dog recognition, pairing recognition, and breeder/program recognition are separate distinctions. One does not automatically guarantee the others.
IMPORTANT NOTE
DNA testing is an important tool, but it does not replace veterinary evaluations, orthopedic testing, cardiac testing, eye testing, temperament evaluation, or other breed-specific health requirements where applicable. Health testing requirements are breed-specific — not every breed requires the same number or type of tests.
Recognition Levels
Each Crown & Collar recognition level requires appropriate documentation, review, and health testing. The first recognition level begins with DNA testing. Each higher level requires one additional appropriate health test, screening, or review. Platinum level and above also requires philanthropy, public education, mentorship, or community contribution that promotes healthier dogs, ethical breeding, responsible ownership, or canine welfare.
Bronze
FOUNDATIONAL LEVEL
Requires DNA testing or appropriate breed-specific genetic screening, identity documentation, and review of basic dog information.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Foundation-level recognition. This begins with DNA or appropriate genetic screening and basic documentation review.
Silver
BUILDS ON BRONZE
Requires Bronze-level documentation plus one additional appropriate health test, screening, or veterinary-supported review.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Builds on Bronze with one additional appropriate health test, screening, or review.
Gold
BUILDS ON SILVER
Requires Silver-level documentation plus one additional appropriate health test, screening, or veterinary-supported review.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Builds on Silver with one additional appropriate health test, screening, or review.
Platinum
ADDS CONTRIBUTION
Requires Gold-level documentation plus one additional appropriate health test, screening, or veterinary-supported review, plus documented philanthropy, public education, mentorship, or community contribution.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Builds on Gold with one additional appropriate health test, screening, or review, plus documented philanthropy, education, mentorship, or community contribution.
Platinum Plus
EXPANDED CONTRIBUTION
Requires Platinum-level documentation plus expanded philanthropy, public education, mentorship, service, or long-term contribution to healthier dogs, ethical breeding, responsible ownership, or canine welfare.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Advanced recognition for expanded contribution, service, public education, mentorship, or long-term impact.
Legacy
LIFETIME RECOGNITION
Reserved for dogs, pairings, breeders, or programs with extraordinary long-term impact, documented contribution, mentorship, education, philanthropy, breed stewardship, or community service.
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Reserved for extraordinary long-term influence, breed stewardship, education, philanthropy, mentorship, or community impact.
PLEASE NOTEHealth testing requirements may vary by breed. Crown & Collar Institute™ uses appropriate breed-specific documentation rather than requiring the exact same test for every dog or breed.
BREEDING PAIR RECOGNITION
Bronze Crown Pairing™
A Bronze Crown Pairing™ recognizes a reviewed breeding pair, not just an individual dog.
REQUIREMENTS MAY INCLUDE
- DNA/genetic screening on file for both dogs
- Breed-relevant genetic health review
- Genetic COI review when available
- Projected litter COI review when available
- Compatibility review between the two dogs
- Additional breed-specific health testing documented as appropriate for the breed
- Breeder-submitted documentation reviewed by Crown & Collar Institute™
IMPORTANT NOTEDNA testing is an important tool, but it does not replace veterinary evaluations, orthopedic testing, cardiac testing, eye testing, temperament evaluation, or other breed-specific health requirements where applicable.
Recognition Pathway Order
Crown Recipient Recognition™ follows this ascending pathway.
- LEVEL 1Bronze Crown Recipient™
- LEVEL 2Silver Crown Recipient™
- LEVEL 3Gold Crown Recipient™
- LEVEL 4Platinum Crown Recipient™
- LEVEL 5Platinum Plus Crown Recipient™
- LEVEL 6Legacy Crown Recipient™
This pathway shows Crown Recipient Recognition™ levels. Pairing recognition and breeder/program recognition are separate distinctions.
CROWN & COLLAR INSTITUTE™
Health Testing Philosophy™
Crown & Collar Institute™ recognizes that responsible health testing is not one-size-fits-all.
Different breeds face different health risks, genetic concerns, and screening recommendations. Because of this, Crown & Collar Institute™ uses a breed-specific approach to health documentation and recognition.
Some breeds may require DNA testing as an appropriate first step. Other breeds may require orthopedic evaluations, cardiac screening, eye examinations, temperament review, veterinary assessments, or other health documentation.
Recognition levels are based on documented progression of appropriate health testing and review rather than requiring the exact same tests for every breed.
The goal is to encourage healthier dogs, informed breeding decisions, transparency, education, and long-term breed stewardship.
HIGHLIGHTED NOTEHealth testing requirements may vary by breed and by individual dog. Crown & Collar Institute™ reserves the right to review documentation using breed-appropriate standards.
Why Pursue Recognition?
Crown & Collar Institute™ recognition is designed to encourage healthier dogs, informed breeding decisions, transparency, education, and responsible stewardship.
RECOGNITION MAY HELP DOCUMENT
- Health testing efforts
- Breed-specific screening and evaluation
- Educational participation
- Documentation and transparency
- Mentorship and community involvement
- Philanthropic contribution
- Commitment to healthier dogs and responsible breeding practices
Recognition is intended to celebrate documented achievement, encourage continual improvement, and support a culture of education and accountability within the dog community.
HIGHLIGHTED STATEMENTRecognition is earned through documentation, review, and demonstrated commitment to healthier dogs and responsible stewardship.
Recognition Standards FAQ
Continue Exploring Crown & Collar
Health Testing Education™
Learn how DNA, orthopedic, cardiac, eye, and breed-specific testing support healthier dogs.
ExploreBreeding Pair Education™
Understand pairing review, eCOI, disease-risk prediction, and Bronze Crown Pairing™.
ExploreBreeders in Review
View breeders and programs currently in Crown & Collar review or recognition pathways.
ExploreCommunity Heroes™
Explore recognition for service, education, philanthropy, and community contribution.
ExploreMembership
Membership classes, voting rights, and how members participate in recognition pathways.
ExploreYouth Ambassadors
Youth leadership, dog education, and supervised community service pathway.
ExploreMember Concierge™
A private concierge resource for approved Crown & Collar Institute™ members.
Visit Concierge →Crown & Collar Institute™ recognition is an educational and documentation-based recognition pathway. It is not a replacement for veterinary care, registry requirements, breed club requirements, legal advice, or professional evaluation.
BRAIN FIRST™ QUALIFICATION
Brain First™ Qualification
Brain First™ is a professional philosophy and designation system — not an award or honorary title. Learn what Brain First™ is.
Crown & Collar Institute™ recognizes that lifelong canine success depends on more than genetics, health testing, or responsible breeding. A dog’s development, environment, behavior, and family education must also be considered.
For Silver Recognition and higher, the Brain First™ qualification may be fulfilled in any of the following ways:
Individual Dog Qualification
A person applying for recognition for an individual dog or a proposed Crown Pairing™ may work directly with a qualified Brain First™ behaviorist or approved Brain First™ professional, even when the breeder is not participating in the Brain First™ program.
Qualified Applicant
A breeder, dog owner, handler, trainer, or behaviorist who personally holds the required Brain First™ qualification may fulfill the requirement directly, without forming a separate partnership.
The qualification belongs to the recognition pathway being evaluated. It does not require every breeder connected to a dog’s pedigree to participate.
This allows Crown & Collar recognition to work fairly for:
- recognized breeders and breeding programs
- individual dogs
- proposed breeding pairs
- dog owners and handlers
- dogs from breeders who are not Crown & Collar or Brain First participants