Registering your dog with AKC

Registering your dog with the AKC gives your dog official recognition and access to AKC events and programs.

Key Steps:

1. Eligibility: Your dog must be a purebred from AKC-registered parents, or qualify through an alternate program (like Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) or Canine Partners for mixed breeds).
2. Get the Paperwork:
   • From the breeder: You’ll receive an AKC registration application or certificate.
   • For PAL or Canine Partners: You’ll need to submit photos and proof of spay/neuter (if required).
3. Complete the Application:
   • Online at akc.org or by mail.
   • Include your dog’s name, sex, color, birthdate, and your contact info.
4. Pay the Fee: Varies by service level and registration type.
5. Receive AKC Registration Certificate: Once processed, you’ll get your dog’s official certificate with a unique AKC number.

Benefits: Access to AKC sports, titles, health programs, and a permanent record in the AKC database.

Obedience

AKC Obedience is a sport offered by the American Kennel Club (AKC) that tests a dog’s ability to perform a variety of trained behaviors with precision and responsiveness. The goal is to demonstrate the teamwork, training, and bond between a dog and its handler.

Key Points:

• Purpose: Showcase well-trained dogs that follow commands reliably and cheerfully.
• Levels: Includes several titling classes like:
  • Beginner Novice (BN title)
  • Novice (CD title)
  • Open (CDX title)
  • Utility (UD title)
  • Advanced titles include UDX and OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion)
• Exercises: Vary by level but may include heeling, recalls, stays, retrieving, jumping, and scent discrimination.
• Scoring: Dogs are scored out of 200 points per class; a qualifying score is typically 170 or above.

Rally

AKC Rally is a companion dog sport offered by the American Kennel Club that combines elements of traditional obedience with a more relaxed, interactive style.

Key Points:

• Purpose: Test teamwork and communication between dog and handler through a course of obedience stations.
• Course Style: Teams navigate a course with 10–20 signs, each with a specific obedience task (like sit, turn, or heel).
• Levels: Includes:
  • Rally Novice (RN)
  • Rally Intermediate (RI)
  • Rally Advanced (RA)
  • Rally Excellent (RE)
  • Rally Master (RM)
• On-Leash/Off-Leash: Lower levels are on-leash; upper levels are off-leash.
• Scoring: Judged out of 100 points; 70 is a qualifying score.

Rally emphasizes fun, teamwork, and positive interaction, making it a great entry-level sport for beginners while still offering challenges for experienced teams.

Agility

AKC Agility is a fast-paced, competitive dog sport where dogs navigate a timed obstacle course guided by their handler.

Key Points:

• Purpose: Test a dog’s speed, agility, and teamwork with its handler.
• Obstacles: Include jumps, tunnels, weave poles, A-frames, dog walks, and seesaws.
• Courses: Designed with varying layouts and challenges; each run is judged on speed and accuracy.
• Levels:
  • Novice
  • Open
  • Excellent
  • Master
• Jump Heights: Divided by dog size to ensure fairness.
• Titles: Dogs earn titles (like NA, OA, MX) by qualifying in events; top dogs may earn MACH (Master Agility Champion).

Agility is exciting, physically engaging, and strengthens the bond between dog and handler through fun and athletic teamwork.

Scent Work

AKC Scent Work is a dog sport that mimics professional detection dog tasks, where dogs use their powerful sense of smell to locate hidden scents and alert their handlers.

Key Points:

• Purpose: Showcase a dog’s natural scenting ability in a fun, structured way.
• Scents Used: Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress (introduced progressively by level).
• Search Elements:
  • Container – find the scent hidden in boxes or luggage
  • Interior – search indoor spaces
  • Exterior – search outdoor areas
  • Buried – locate scent hidden beneath sand or water
• Levels: Novice, Advanced, Excellent, Master and Detective
• Titles: Earned by qualifying in each element at each level

Scent Work is suitable for all breeds and ages and builds confidence, focus, and teamwork between dog and handler.

Tracking

AKC Tracking is a sport that showcases a dog’s natural scenting ability. Dogs follow a human scent trail and locate articles dropped along the way. Unlike obedience, dogs work off-leash and the handler follows behind, encouraging but not directing.

How titles are earned:

• TD (Tracking Dog) – Dog follows a 440–500 yard track with 3–5 turns, at least 30 minutes old, and finds 1 glove/article.
• TDU (Tracking Dog Urban) – Similar to TD, but the track is laid in an urban environment (on pavement, sidewalks, etc.).
• TDX (Tracking Dog Excellent) – More complex track: 800–1,000 yards, 5–7 turns, aged 3–5 hours, with cross-tracks and 4 articles.
• VST (Variable Surface Tracking) – The most advanced, requiring dogs to track over mixed surfaces (grass, asphalt, concrete, etc.) with 4 articles.
• CT (Champion Tracker) – Earned when a dog has TD (or TDU), TDX, and VST titles.

Tracking titles progress TD/TDU → TDX → VST → CT, proving a dog’s increasing skill at following scent across tougher and more varied conditions.