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Farm Dog Certified (FDC): 12 Farm Exercises, Zero Herding

Farm Dog Certified answers the question: how does your dog handle itself on a farm? Not herding — there's no herding involved at all. It's about self-control, confidence, and trust around livestock, machinery, strange surfaces, and farm chaos.

The test is 12 exercises that mirror real farm life: walking past penned livestock without losing it, jumping up on a hay bale and staying, crossing weird surfaces, staying calm for strange noises, letting the handler examine them for burrs afterward. It's a working-dog aptitude test, and it's open to all breeds.

Dogs must be at least 9 months old with an AKC number, and — like Fetch and ATT — you need to pass twice under two different judges to earn the title.

Earning this title? Create your free ThePetAdvisor account — log it, track your dog’s progress, and find testing near you.

Requirements

• Eligibility: at least 9 months old; AKC registered, FSS, PAL, or Canine Partners number. Females in season may not enter. Dogs with physical challenges may enter at the judge's discretion.
• Test 1 – Greet the judge: calm and patient on a loose leash during introductions — no jumping, aggression, or excessive shyness.
• Test 2 – Walking pattern: walk a prescribed pattern on a loose lead around farm objects (equipment, feed stacks, barn aisles) and past a seated stranger.
• Test 3 – Jump on hay/straw bale: jump up on the bale on cue and stay until released.
• Test 4 – Walk by farm animals: pass penned livestock (cows, pigs, sheep, horses, chickens — whatever's present) on a loose lead without reacting.
• Test 5 – Unusual surfaces: walk over three unusual surfaces — plywood, tarps, metal grating, mud, etc.
• Test 6 – Supervised separation: wait calmly in a crate or kennel while the handler leaves sight (1–2 minutes depending on the test version).
• Test 7 – Pass through a gate: wait while the handler opens a gate, pass through on cue, wait while it closes.
• Test 8 – Handler feeds livestock: stay tethered and calm while the handler feeds animals in an enclosure.
• Test 9 – Reaction to another dog: remain still on a loose lead while another dog passes twice.
• Test 10 – Noise distraction: stay composed for two common farm sounds (hammering, leaf blowers, tractor engines).
• Test 11 – Approach livestock: walk up to penned stock on a loose lead — no lunging, fear, or aggression.
• Test 12 – Physical exam: stand for the handler to check ears, eyes, mouth, coat, and toes for debris — like after a day's work.
• Pass/fail, all on leash. Each element may be attempted twice. Two passing tests under two different judges earns the FDC suffix.

Test items can be updated by AKC — confirm the current list with your evaluator before test day. Source: AKC official page.

How to earn it

1. Step 1: Build the foundations: solid loose-leash walking, a reliable stay, and calm neutrality around animals and novel stimuli.
2. Step 2: Find an FDC test — kennel clubs and farm venues host them; entries are usually first-received and capped.
3. Step 3: Enter with your dog at least 9 months old and an AKC number. Bring a flat buckle collar and 6-foot leash.
4. Step 4: Pass all 12 exercises. Then do it again under a different judge.
5. Step 5: Submit both passing score sheets with the AKC title application. Your dog earns “FDC.”

Frequently asked questions