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The AKC: Registration, Conformation, and So Much More

Most anyone who knows anything about dogs knows that the American Kennel Club offers registration papers, certifying that a dog has a purebred heritage. Many also know that conformation shows (those that pit dogs against an ideal breed standard) are often sanctioned by the AKC. But did you know about all of the other things this organization has to offer?

Information Resource

The AKC website has articles on purebred dog registration, responsible dog ownership, breeders of merit, and breed rescue, as well as a public education section that helps people become Canine Ambassadors. These ambassadors are most often members of local breed clubs who travel around their local area, educating children about safety around dogs and other topics of interest.

Each of the 170 recognized breeds is given its own page, where prospective owners can find a brief description of the breed and its history, things to consider before buying a dog of that particular breed, and the all-important breed standard, used for judging dogs in the conformation show ring.

For breeders, the AKC offers online litter registration, breeder classifieds, and online record-keeping services, as well as a guide to breeding and a breeder newsletter. For newer breeders, the AKC sponsors symposia at veterinary colleges across the United States.

If you're a dog owner, you can expect to find information on homeowners' insurance for homes that include dogs, disaster preparedness when there are dogs in the home, and information about all of the events sponsored by the AKC. In addition, you can find information on local breed clubs and breed rescue organizations in your area.

Lastly, in recognition of the fact that many people prefer mutt-i-gree dogs to pedigree dogs, the AKC has established its Canine Partner program for mixed breed dogs. Enrolling your dog in the Canine Partners program allows you to enter him in AKC-sanctioned events, excluding conformation shows.

Conformation Shows

The most well-known events sponsored by the AKC are, of course, conformation shows. These shows, such as the Westminster Kennel Club Show held every February, feature dogs from just about every recognized breed. Smaller dog shows are also held throughout the country, with local breed clubs sponsoring the events. In some cases, only one breed or one group of breeds will be shown. An All Breed event, as the name suggests, allows dogs of every breed to enter.

Each dog is judged against the breed standard as to coat color and texture, body size and shape, temperament, and even eye and nose color. Because there are no breed standards for mixed breed dogs, conformation shows include only purebreds.

The dog found to be closest to the breed standard wins Best of Breed and is advanced to the Best in Group competition, kind of a semi-final round. Each of the breed winners competes against others in their Breed Group (i.e. Hounds, Terriers, Working Dogs, Herders, Non-Sporting Dogs, Sporting Dogs, and Toys). One dog is chosen from each group as the best representative of his own breed standard and advances to the finals - the Best in Show ring. Again, the finalists are judged, each against his own breed standard, to find the one dog that best exemplifies its own breed.

Although the money prizes at conformation shows aren't very large, the dogs who win consistently are much sought after for breeding. It is anticipated that a dog who is a great example of a particular breed will have progeny who will also conform well to the breed standard and can be shown and/or bred, continuing the cycle. Because a dog who has been spayed or neutered cannot subsequently be used for breeding, altered dogs are not permitted to enter conformation shows.

Agility is just one activity the AKC features.

Agility

Agility contests are often featured on television and have become somewhat more accessible to the average person. In these contests, an obstacle course of sorts is set up, and each dog must run through, over, or under each obstacle, with the winner being the dog who achieves the best time with the fewest number of faults. A fault occurs when a dog either refuses to complete an obstacle, runs the obstacles in the wrong order, or does not correctly complete an obstacle.

For example, on the teeter-totter, the dog must place at least one foot on the colored portion at each end of the board. Failure to touch the colored portion results in a fault, which will lower the dog's final score

Just as in conformation shows, dogs who compete in Agility are given points based on their performance at small shows throughout the country. When a certain number of points are earned, the dog is declared an agility champion. The top competitors may be invited to the National Agility Championships in early April.

Obedience

Although any reputable breeder or dog-information site such as doggies.com recommends that you obedience-train your dog as soon as possible after bringing him into your family, the AKC-sanctioned obedience events are something entirely different. In obedience trials, dogs who have been trained and conditioned to be obedience stars are rewarded for their hard work with championship points.

Dogs compete in the Novice, Open, or Utility class, depending on their skill level. For beginners, novice competitions require the dog to heel on leash and do a figure eight, heel off-leash, stand still while the handler walks a short distance away and the judge does a hands-on examination of the dog, come on command, sit still for one minute and lie still for 3 minutes while the handler is across the ring.

The open class introduces obstacles which require the dog to jump over height or distance to retrieve an object on command. The dog must also perform a 3-minute sit and a 5-minute down with the handler out of sight.

The utility class, the highest level of competition, tests the dog's ability to respond to hand signals rather than voice commands, as well as to discriminate among various scents to find something that belongs to his owner.

Rally

Rally events provide dogs with a stepping stone to the more rigorous agility or obedience competitions. Once a dog has received certification as a Canine Good Citizen (an award that signifies a dog has basic good manners and the owner is a responsible pet owner), Rally might be the next step taken to introduce an element of competition.

Depending on the level of competition, 10 - 20 stations are designated for the competition. The handler walks the dog to each station and performs the skill shown on a card at the station. Handlers may use any combination of verbal and hand signals to get the dog to perform the various skills, although the handler may not touch the dog to make physical corrections.

The point of a Rally competition is to get the dog accustomed to following the handler's lead through a competitive event, and to get the handler used to providing positive reinforcement for the dog's performance.

Performance Events

Performance events are those shows that let each dog do whatever he or she does best. There are field trials for hunting and sporting dogs, lure coursing events for sight hounds, herding competitions, and earthdog trials.

Each event has its own rules and registration requirements, and purebred status is generally required.

Although there are other sanctioning bodies for many of the events offered by the AKC, there are few, if any, organizations that offer an equivalent breadth and depth of opportunities.