GZSECRETARY’S PAGEimages.akc.org/pdf/SecyPages_July2015_correx.pdf · Lowchen, Schipperkes, Shiba...

A K C G A Z E T T E •1 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5

ATTENTION DELEGATESNOTICE OF MEETINGThe next meeting of the Delegates will

be held at the Doubletree Newark AirportHotel on Saturday, September 12, 2015,beginning no earlier than 10:00 a.m. It willfollow the 9:00 a.m. Delegates Forum.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONPyrenean Shepherd Club of America,

Inc.

DELEGATES CREDENTIALSHarry Booker, Bala-Cynwood, PAKennel Club of Philadelphia Gale Gordon, Marlborough, MA,Framingham District Kennel ClubKathleen Gregory, Garrison, NY, PortChester Obedience Training ClubKathy Hawkins, Springfield, MO,Ozarks Kennel ClubStanley Saltzman, Westport, CT,Longshore-Southport Kennel ClubRichard Su, Elberon, NJ, Keeshond Clubof America

Proposed Amendment toRules Applying to Dog ShowsChapter 16, New Section 1 –ChampionshipsAKC Staff has proposed the following

amendment to Chapter 16, Section 1, ofthe Rules Applying to Dog Shows, to bevoted on at the September 12, 2015Delegates Meeting.

Chapter 16

SECTION 1. Dogs placing first in eachof the individual Puppy Classes (as definedin Chapter 3, Section 4) in each of the indi-vidual breed/varieties and sexes will beawarded points towards the Certificate ofMerit (CM) title based on the total numberof dogs of their sex that competed in theindividual class according to the schedule ofpoints established by the Board ofDirectors.Upon completion of the CM title a dog

may continue to compete in the regularclasses so long as they are eligible. The CMsuffix title is an introductory title to AKCconformation events and will be superseded

by the CH title when it is earned. TheCertificate of Merit title requires 15 pointsawarded in accordance with the followingpoint structure. Points earned in the PuppyClasses, Miscellaneous Class competition,Four-to-Six Month Competition, and FSSOpen Shows will also count towards theCM title.CM Schedule of Points, effective January

1, 2016

Dogs Competing Points1-2 13-4 25-8 39-12 413 or more 5

The CM title initials will be followed bya numerical designation indicating thequantity of times the dog has met therequirements of the CM title as definedabove, e.g., 30 CM points = CM2.Any dog earning a CM title will also be

awarded one (1) Championship point.Only one Championship point will beawarded to a dog for earning the CM title

(This is a new section 1 which will allowthe awarding of CM points in the regularpuppy classes. All other sections will be renum-bered accordingly.

Dogs that earn a CM title will be awardedone point toward its CH title.)

CONFORMATION JUDGESAs a result of the October 2010 Board

Meeting, publication notice in theGazette was combined into one notice,therefore the judging approval processcontinues to include an opportunity forthe fancy to respond to each permitjudge.Letters concerning judges and permit

judges should be addressed to the JudgingOperations Department at PO Box900062, Raleigh, NC 27675-9062. Lettersconcerning Agility, Obedience, Rally,Tracking, and VST applicants should beaddressed to the Companion EventsDepartment in North Carolina.The American Kennel Club will, at the

request of a judge or judge applicant, pro-

MISSION STATEMENTThe American Kennel Club is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its Registry,promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Foundedin 1884, the AKC and its affiliated organizations advocate for the purebred dog asa family companion, advance canine health and well-being, work to protect therights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog ownership.

SECRETARY’S PAGEGZ

®

8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27617260 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016

NC Customer Call Center.............................(919) 233-9767NY Telephone...............................................(212) 696-8200Fax...............................................................(212) 696-8299Website ...........................................................www.akc.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORSRONALD H. MENAKER, CHAIRMANCARL C. ASHBY, III, VICE CHAIRMAN

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

VICE PRESIDENTS

MICHAEL BASONETechnology

GINA DINARDOAssistant Executive Secretary

MARK DUNNRegistration &

Customer Development

DOUG LJUNGRENSports & Events

DAPHNA STRAUSBusiness Development

WILLIAM ADAMSComputer Operations

KEITH FRAZIERAudit & Control

MARI-BETH O’NEILLSport Services

DENNIS B. SPRUNGPresident

Chief Executive Officer

JAMES P. CROWLEYExecutive Secretary

JOSEPH V. BAFFUTO, JR.Chief Financial Officer

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENTS

Class of 2016PATRICIA M. CRUZWILLIAM J. FEENEY

THOMAS S. POWERS, ESQ.

Class of 2017LEE ARNOLDCARL C. ASHBYALAN KALTER

HARVEY M. WOODING

Class of 2018JAMES R. DOK

DR. J. CHARLES GARVINRONALD H. MENAKER

Class of 2019DR. CARMEN L. BATTAGLIADR. THOMAS M. DAVIES

STEVEN D. GLADSTONE, ESQ.

TRIAL BOARDS

APPEALS TRIAL BOARDRALPH DEL DEO, ESQ.,

CHAIRMARTHA FELTENSTEIN, ESQ.BARBARA W. MIENER, ESQ.

TRIAL BOARD CHAIRSLAURIE RAYMOND, ESQ.DANIEL SMYTH, ESQ.RITA BIDDLE, ESQ.

THERESA DOWELL, ESQ.JAN RITCHIE, ESQ.

TRIAL BOARD MEMBERSDR. KLAUS ANSELMCHARLES FOLEYROGER HARTINGERMEDORA HARPERDR. ROBERT MYALLBERNARD SCHWARTZ

BETTY-ANNE STENMARKJAMES WHITE

DENNIS B. SPRUNG, Ex Officio

PERFORMANCE TRIAL BOARDDAVID HOPKINS, ESQ., CHAIR

TIM CARWILE, ESQ.JOHN RUSSELLALTERNATESMIKE NECAISEBILL TEAGUE

http://www.akc.org

http://www.akc.org

http://www.akc.org

A K C G A Z E T T E •2 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5

GZ secretary’s page

vide that individual with copies of lettersreceived by AKC concerning their quali-fications. As a result, it should be under-stood that any such correspondence willbe made available, upon request, to thejudge. It is the responsibility of all

Conformation and JS judges to notifythe Judging Operations Department ofany changes or corrections to theiraddress, phone, fax or emails. Thesechanges are very important because theyaffect your judges’ record, the web siteand the Judges Directory. Please notifyJudging Operations at (919) 816-3593 oremail, [email protected].

PERMIT JUDGESThe following persons have been

approved on a Permit basis for the des-ignated breeds in accordance with thecurrent judging approval process. Theymay now accept assignments and thefancy may still offer comments toJudging Operations.

NEW BREED JUDGESMs. Molly Bogan (98193) TX(903) [email protected] Retrievers

Ms. Patricia Ann Flanagan (98961)OH(330) [email protected] Retrievers, Skye Terriers

Mr. Theophilus (Phil) Jaspers(98971) MA(617) [email protected] Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers

Ms. Kathy Kocher (98963) MN(612) [email protected]

Dr. Marion T. McNeil (99007) CT(860) [email protected]

Ms. Joyce Siddall (98695) CO(303) [email protected] Shepherds

Ms. Kristie L. Wheeler (98767) WA(509) [email protected] Hounds, Chihuahuas, BostonTerriers

APPROVED BREED JUDGESMr. David Bolus (35586) TN(423) [email protected] Eskimo Dogs, BichonsFrises, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs,Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chows,Coton de Tulear, Dalmatians, FinnishSpitz, French Bulldogs, Lhasa Apsos,Lowchen, Schipperkes, Shiba Inu,Tibetan Spaniels

Ms. Marge B. Calltharp (17384) CT(860) [email protected], Portuguese PodengoPequenos, Affenpinschers, BrusselsGriffons, Chihuahuas, MiniaturePinschers, Pomeranians, YorkshireTerriers

Mrs. Carrie A. Chase (36690) WV(304) [email protected] Cattle Dogs, BelgianMalinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, BelgianTervuren, Border Collies, CanaanDogs, German Shepherd Dogs,Icelandic Sheepdogs, SwedishVallhunds

Mrs. Carole Corbin (94673) PA(570) [email protected] Bulldogs, Collies, GermanShepherd Dogs

Mr. Hector Hector (95831) FL(954) [email protected], JS-Limited

Mrs. Meredith Hector (95832) FL(786) [email protected], JS-Limited

Mrs. Elaine J. Lessig (7626) NJ(908) [email protected], German WirehairedPointers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers,Curly-Coated Retrievers, GoldenRetrievers, Nova Scotia Duck TollingRetrievers, Gordon Setters, Irish Redand White Setters, Field Spaniels,Sussex Spaniels, Welsh SpringerSpaniels, Vizslas, Wirehaired Vizslas

Dr. A. Todd Miller (96991) MO(217) [email protected], Borzois, Ibizan Hounds, IrishWolfhounds, Salukis, ItalianGreyhounds, JS-Limited

Mrs. Erika K. Moureau (31655) TX(713) [email protected] Terriers

Mrs. Marilyn Y. Pipes (29634) TX(254) [email protected] Water Spaniels, BoykinSpaniels, Clumber Spaniels, CockerSpaniels, Field Spaniels, SpinoneItaliano

Mr. Del Richards (16761) CA(408) [email protected], Portuguese Water Dogs,Siberian Huskies, AmericanStaffordshire Terriers, BedlingtonTerriers, Bull Terriers, Miniature BullTerriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers

Mr. Robert L. Robinson (6039) AZ(602) [email protected], Alaskan Malamutes, AnatolianShepherds, Chinook, Komondorok,Kuvaszok, Rottweilers, Samoyeds

Mrs. Joan V. Savage (7479) OR(503) [email protected] of Sporting Group (LagottoRamagnolo, Chesapeake BayRetrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers,Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers,American Water Spaniels, BoykinSpaniels, Clumber Spaniels, SussexSpaniels, Spinone Italiano, WirehairedVizsla)

Mrs. Janice K. Schreiber (17450) WA(253) [email protected] Italiano, Wirehaired PointingGriffons, English Foxhounds, Harriers

Mr. Joseph Smith (95833) GA(678) [email protected], Anatolian Shepherds,Rottweilers, Siberian Huskies

JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP JUDGESMr. Ryan Blanker (99063) MA(413) [email protected]

Ms. Martha A. Congleton (98917)KY(859) [email protected]

Mr. Michael A. Silva (24924) NJ(908) [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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ADJUNCT JUDGESMr. John F. Booth (6914) TX(210) [email protected] Picard

Mrs. Lori McClelland (98967) NV(775) [email protected] American Shepherds

PERMIT ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETEDThe following persons have com-

pleted their Permit Judging assignmentsin the breeds listed, and their names havebeen added to the list of regularapproved judges.

NEW BREED JUDGESMr. Joey Vaughn Johnson (97689) AL(256) [email protected]

Ms. Sandra London (95561) TX(817) [email protected] Retrievers

Mrs. Jodi P. Martin (95935) GA(770) [email protected] Retrievers

Ms. Johanna Primeaux (93271) CA(408) [email protected], Poodles, ShetlandSheepdogs

Mr. John Schoeneman (98359) NC(704) [email protected] Pinschers

APPROVED BREED JUDGESMr. Howard Atlee (2835) MD(410) [email protected] Shepherds, Newfoundlands,Rottweilers, Keeshonden

Ms. Joy S. Brewster (5904) CT(203) [email protected] Griffons, Cavalier KingCharles Spaniels, Chihuahuas, ChineseCresteds, Havanese, Pekingese, SilkyTerriers, Yorkshire Terriers, BorderCollies, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs

Mr. John Constantine (26418) PA(215) [email protected], Alaskan Malamutes, BerneseMountain Dogs, Boxers, Doberman

Pinschers, German Pinschers, GreatDanes, Newfoundlands, Rottweilers,Siberian Huskies, Miniature Pinschers,Boston Terriers

Dr. Norbert Dee (31419) VA(703) [email protected] Retrievers

Mrs. Donna Ernst (91808) OH(440) [email protected], Curly-Coated Retrievers,Labrador Retrievers, Nova ScotiaDuck Tolling Retrievers, Smooth FoxTerriers, Wire Fox Terriers

Mr. Michael H. Faulkner (5709) VA(202) [email protected] Hounds, Basset Hounds,Beagles, Borzois, Dachshunds,Greyhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks,Whippets, Australian Cattle Dogs,Australian Shepherds, Beaucerons,Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs,Belgian Tervuren, Berger Picard,Border Collies, Bouviers des Flandres,Canaan Dogs, Cardigan Welsh Corgis,Finnish Lapphunds, IcelandicSheepdogs, Miniature AmericanShepherds, Norwegian Buhunds,Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Pulik,Pyrenean Shepherds, SwedishVallhunds

Ms. Grace Fritz (21887) KS(913) [email protected], Bernese Mountain Dogs,Boxers, Bullmastiffs, DobermanPinschers, Giant Schnauzers, GreatDanes, Mastiffs, Portuguese WaterDogs, Rottweilers, Saint Bernards,Samoyeds, Siberian Huskies, StandardSchnauzers, JS

Mrs. Sue Goldberg (6502) NJ(908) [email protected] of Non-Sporting Group(American Eskimo Dogs, ChineseShar-Pei, Chow Chows, Coton deTulear, Finnish Spitz, Keeshonden,Norwegian Lundehund, Shiba Inu,Xoloitzcuintli)

Mr. Wayne F. Harmon (18525) MN(612) [email protected] Terriers, Chihuahuas,Papillons

Mr. Bradley Jenkins (7469) AR(870) [email protected] Water Spaniels, BoykinSpaniel, English Springer Spaniels

Dr. Steve Keating (6065) TX(214) [email protected] of Herding Group(Bergamasco, Berger Picards,Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, FinnishLapphunds, Miniature AmericanShepherds, Norwegian Buhunds,Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Pulik,Spanish Water Dogs, SwedishVallhunds)

Ms. Gloria Kerr (17561) AZ(520) [email protected], Bulldogs, Chinese Shar-Pei,French Bulldogs, Schipperkes,Xoloitzcuintli

Mrs. Marianne C. Klinkowski (7135)CA(408) [email protected] Hounds, Greyhounds, IrishWolfhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks,Scottish Deerhounds, ItalianGreyhounds, Norwegian Lundehund

Mr. Jeffrey Langevin (93425) NH(207) [email protected] Pinschers

Dr. Kenneth H. Levison (7476) AZ(520) [email protected] Foxhounds, Black and TanCoonhounds, Bloodhounds, Borzois,Greyhounds, Ibizan Hounds, IrishWolfhounds, Otterhounds, PharaohHounds, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds

Mrs. Joan Luna Liebes (6515) TX(281) [email protected] of Herding Group(Bergamasco, Berger Picards,Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, FinnishLapphunds, Icelandic Sheepdogs,Miniature American Shepherds,Norwegian Buhunds, Polish LowlandSheepdogs, Pyrenean Shepherds,Spanish Water Dogs, SwedishVallhunds)

Ms. Diane L. Malenfant (1431) AZ(928) 442-3629dmalenfant@att,betBalance of Sporting Group (LagottoRamagnolo, American Water Spaniels,


A K C G A Z E T T E •4 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5

Boykin Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniels,Spinone Italiano, Wirehaired Vizsla)

Mr. Dale A. Meyer (6655) WI(715) [email protected] Cattle Dogs, Bouviers desFlandres, Cardigan Welsh Corgis

Mr. Bradley K. Odagiri (94657) HI(808) [email protected], Yorkshire Terriers

Mr. Allen L. Odom (5448) CO(303) [email protected] Shar-Pei, Chow Chows,Dalmatians, French Bulldogs,Keeshonden, Poodles

Mrs. Monika Pinsker (6522) BC(604) [email protected], Rottweilers, SiberianHuskies

Mrs. Dana B. Read (16874) NC(919) [email protected] Eskimo Dogs, Finnish Spitz,Norwegian Lundehund, Schipperkes

Ms. Barbara C. Scherer (58838) IL(630) [email protected]

Dr. Clyde E. Shaw (6083) TX(903) [email protected], Chinese Cresteds,Papillons, Pugs, Shih Tzu

Ms. Jan C. Sigler (7526) KS(913) [email protected] Eskimo Dogs, ChineseShar-Pei, Finnish Spitz, NorwegianLundehund, Shiba Inu

Mr. Fredrick R. Stephens (2156) OR(503) [email protected] of Toy Group (Affenpinschers,Brussels Griffons, English Toy Spaniels,Italian Greyhounds, Toy Fox Terriers)

Mrs. Pamela Waldron (56812) WA(360) [email protected], Yorkshire Terriers

Mrs. Deborah J. Wilkins (18907) MN(952) [email protected] of Working Group (Boerboel,Chinook, Leonbergers, NeapolitanMastiffs, Saint Bernards, TibetanMastiffs)

BEST IN SHOWThe following persons, having success-

fully completed the required GroupAssignments in the first Variety Groupfor which they are approved, have beenadded to the list of judges eligible forapproval to judge Best In Show.Ms. Nancy Jean Gallant (25394) MI(269) [email protected]

Ms. Lew Olson (24173) TX(713) [email protected]

Dr. Alan C. Santos (73979) TX(504) [email protected]

Mrs. Patricia A. Sosa (45766) LA(504) [email protected]

REINSTATED JUDGEThe Judging eligibility of the follow-

ing person has been reinstated.Ms. Diane Young McCormack(20415) NV(530) [email protected]

BREEDS REINSTATED Ms. Catherine L. Cargo (16668) VA(540) [email protected] Sheepdogs

EMERITUS CONFORMATION JUDGEMrs. Mabel (Jinx) M. GunvilleMr. Ronald P. Steen

DECEASED CONFORMATION JUDGESMr. Donald J. ForalMr. Frank L. McCarthaMr. Chuck Winslow

PROVISIONALOBEDIENCE/RALLY/TRACKING JUDGESCOMPLETEDThe following persons have completed

their Provisional Judging assignments andtheir names have been added to the list ofregular approved judges.Mr. Thomas Igiel (18999) NY(716) [email protected] Obedience – Utility

Ms. Carla Ogert (95493) IL(630) [email protected] – TD/TDU

Dr. Pamela C Regan (39716) CA(310) [email protected] – Novice

PROVISIONALOBEDIENCE/RALLY/TRACKING JUDGESThe following persons have been

approved as a judge on a Provisional basisfor the class/test indicated in accordancewith the Provisional judging system.Theymay now accept assignments.Ms. Ellen E Beasley (93281) NC(919) [email protected] – Utility

Mr. Lee Brannum (59612) NV(702) [email protected] – All

Mr. Walter O’Brien (98901) GA(404) [email protected] – All

Ms. Stephanie Podejko (82518) CA(315) [email protected] – Utility

DECEASED OBEDIENCE JUDGESMrs. Donna Ward (2392) CA

APPLICATION FOR BREED-SPECIFICREGISTERED NAME PREFIXThe following applications for a breed-

specific Registered Name Prefix havebeen submitted toThe American KennelClub. Letters in regard to these applicationsshould be addressed to James P. Crowley,Executive Secretary:AMOUR – Berger Picard – Beverly H.ConroyBAYSIDELABS – Labrador Retrievers –Debra L. ZieglerBOONEFIELD – Labrador Retrievers –Peggi Brogan & David BroganCK –Vizslas – Ron L. ChenowethEVER-READY – Labrador Retrievers –James A.Trotter & Mary F.TrotterFRYSKE POINT – Staybyhoun – AliceLee BrewerGRANDVICTORY – Beagles – ChadCurranRACEBROOK – Dachshunds – SharonL. BudnickRINGSIDE – Bulldogs – James RaglandRIVER ROCK – Canaan Dogs –Christina C.MillerSUGARLOAF – Cavalier King CharlesSpaniels –Verla M. Kinsey


A K C G A Z E T T E •5 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5

REGISTERED NAME PREFIXES GRANTEDThe following applications for a breed-

specific Registered Name Prefix havebeen granted:BAYSIDE– ManchesterTerriers –Dianna L.TexterBEWITCHY – Poodles – Sheryl D.BleichBILGAY – BelgianTervuren – LynneWetherellBLUESTONE – Great Danes – CaronM.HoneckCAMASAN – Bulldogs – Jose J. Santiago& Arelis SantiagoCASA DERANCHO – SpanishWaterDogs – Sheryl M.Gaines & Samantha B.GainesHOPS-N-HOUND – IrishWolfhounds– Julie Schaeffer & Christopher HowardSchaefferINTEGRITY – Chinese Shar-Pei –Michelle E. Clark-Salib & Dianna L.TexterSCOTCH-N-VIOLET – CairnTerriers– Roberta J. Goforth & Steve M.GoforthSOUTHERN STAR – Staffordshire BullTerriers – Sonya L.MooreSOUTHERN STAR – MiniatureAmerican Shepherds – Leslie PeckhamSTONEBRIDGE – CairnTerriers –Dayle ReynoldsSUNFALL – American Eskimos –Barbara E. BeynonTHORNCREEK – Bernese MountainDogs – Dr.Nancy P.MeloneVON HOFFNUNG – GermanShepherd Dogs – Elizabeth L. Kohl

BOARD OF DIRECTORSJune 8 – 9 2015

The Board convened on Monday, June8, 2015 at 12:50 p.m.All Directors werepresent except Mr.Arnold and Mr.Powers.Also present were the ExecutiveSecretary, and the Assistant ExecutiveSecretary.Mr. Powers participated bytelephone conference, but in accordancewith the AKC Bylaws, he was not per-mitted to vote.The April 2015 Boardminutes, copies of which were madeavailable to all Directors, were discussed.They were amended to reflect that onthe vote to reconsider a decision torescind breeds from Mr. Bengtson, Dr.Davies had abstained. Upon a motion byMr. Gladstone, seconded by Dr. Battaglia,the April 2015 minutes were approvedand amended.

PRESIDENT’S REPORTBoard Action ItemsMr. Sprung gave a status report on previ-ous Action Items and included Staffreports provided by Michael Basone,Stephen Pessah, Keith Frazier, and MarkDunn.Economic Benefit of AKC Events The Board reviewed a report that cov-

ers the findings from an online quantita-tive survey conducted by the AKC dur-ing a one month period from April 10 toMay 11, 2015.The objective of this study was to

gather current and relevant informationto assess the benefits of AKC events toregional economies.This information willbe used to help clubs illustrate the valuethat AKC dog event participants bring tolocal communities through significantspending on such services and products aslodging, food, transportation, etc.Just over 84,000 surveys were

emailed.A total of 14,288 respondentswho have attended an AKC dog eventin the past 12 months completed thesurvey for a response rate of 17%. Ofthose respondents, 3,516 say they havechaired an AKC event (25% of the totalrespondents).

The survey results show that AKCEvents generate significant dollars inspending by both Exhibitors and Clubs.

• Events in the Midwest can generateup to $370 million annually to theMidwest region.• Events in the Northeast can generateup to $309 million annually to theNortheast region.• Events in the Southeast can generateup to $285 million annually to theSoutheast region.• Events in theWest can generate upto $271 million annually to theWestregion.• Events in the Southwest can generateup to $271 million annually to theSouthwest region.

In total AKC events have the potentialto generate over $1.5 billion in spendingnationwide every year.WOOFtaleMichael Basone, Steve Pessah,AKC

staff, and Jay Cahill, from BluefinTechnology Partners were present for thisportion of the meeting.Mr. Cahill gavethe Board an update on the status ofWOOFtale.IT ConversionMichael Basone,AKCVice President

ofTechnology, presented a full set of rec-ommendations, budget, and timeline forAKC’s InformationTechnology resources.His ultimate goal is to reduce the overallcost of our information technology oper-ations while providing the level of serv-ices that AKC requires both today and inthe future.There was a discussion on the

expanded Online CompetitionManagement System (OCMS).Mr.Basone indicated that additional resourceswere needed in a supplemental IT budgetin order to complete OCMS, so that itcould be made available to clubs.Following a motion by Mr. Kalter, sec-

onded by Ms. Cruz, it wasVOTED(unanimously; absent Mr.Arnold,Mr.Powers) to approve an additional$360,000 to complete the OCMS proj-ect.Mr. Basone explained work that had to

be done to maintain the current legacysystems while carrying out the migrationto the Cloud technology. He indicatedthat this would require 2015 expenditureof two million dollars in a supplemental2015 IT budget.


A K C G A Z E T T E •6 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


Following a motion by Mr.Menaker,seconded by Ms. Cruz, it wasVOTED(affirmative:Mr.Menaker,Ms. Cruz,Mr.Ashby,Mr. Kalter, Dr. Battaglia, Dr.Garvin,Mr. Dok, Dr. Davies,Mr.Wooding,Mr. Feeney; absent:Mr.Arnold,Mr. Powers; abstaining:Mr. Gladstone) toapprove an expenditure of two milliondollars in 2015 in the supplementalbudget, to initiate the migration andmodify the current legacy systems.Real Estate CommitteeMr. Sprung reported on a survey of

AKC’s Real Estate Committee (REC)and management that has been com-pleted regarding the anticipated spaceneeds for the future.The REC willreceive recommendations from CBRE,the real estate firm AKC has contracted,and the REC will be making a recom-mendation to the AKC Board.Registration DevelopmentMark Dunn,AKC staff, participated in

this portion of the meeting.There was a report on the status of the

roll out of the new BredWithH.E.A.R.T (BWH) program.The AKCgoal is to encourage breeders to work intandem with AKC’s commitment to doghealth, breeder education and dog welfarethrough health testing of breeding stockand our care and conditions policy result-ing in a responsible breeding community.The Breeder of Merit (BOM) and theBWH programs are an important part ofour breeder outreach and complementone another.These programs constitutethe only programs in the United Stateswhich are aimed at the responsible breed-ing of purebred dogs and provide thetools to do so. BOM and BWH bothrecognize and support breeders who cer-tify that applicable health screens are per-formed on their breeding stock as rec-ommended by the Parent Club.AKC Canine Health FoundationMr.Ashby,Vice Chairman, reported

that AKC and the AKC Canine HealthFoundation agreed to an executedMemorandum of Understanding toreplace the previous which had expired.The Board had previously voted to pro-vide a matching grant of up to $500,000for new money raised in 2015 under thesame conditions that applied in 2014.This grant was contingent upon the exe-cuted Memorandum of Understanding.The terms of the grant are that:AKC will provide a 1 to 1 dollar-

amount match for any cash contribution

collected from a new donor in 2015 upto $500,000.AKC matching dollars willbe only used for grants, however, regard-less of the type of donation made by thenew donor.A new donor is defined as adonor who has not contributed to AKC-CHF in the past 2 calendar years (i.e.2013 and 2014) including their immedi-ate family members or corporations orfoundations for which they control or areon the board of.AKC will only matchcash contributions or amounts that arereadily convertible to cash within 30days.The funding will be based on quarterly

statements to AKC with payments madeeach time as soon as possible, except forthe last statement which is funded afterthe KPMG confirmation with a listing ofnew donors who qualify for the match asof December 31, 2015 together with areport from KPMG verifying the match-ing criteria was met for the year isreceived. Costs related to such servicewill be borne by AKC-CHF.AKC Pension PlanDr. Garvin, Chairman of the Pension

Committee reported on an amendmentto the Pension Plan. It would provideindividuals, who are neither retired andreceiving a pension benefit nor stillemployed by AKC, but who are vested ina future pension benefit, with the optionof taking an immediate lump-sum cashpayment in lieu of monthly payments atsome future date.Affected individuals willbe contacted with the specifics of thisoption.This was approved in principle at the

April 2015 meeting with final approvalcontingent upon agreeing to the actualwording.Following a motion by Dr. Garvin,

seconded by Dr. Davies, it wasVOTED(unanimously; absent:Mr.Arnold,Mr.Powers) to adopt the amendment to theAKC Employees Retirement Plan.

The Board Adjourned at 5:25 p.m.

Meeting reconvened onTuesday, June9, 2015 at 8:00 am.All Directors werepresent except for Lee Arnold andTomPowers.Mr. Powers participated by tele-phone conference, but in accordancewith the AKC Bylaws, he was not per-mitted to vote.Also present were theExecutive Secretary and the Assistant

Executive Secretary.

The discussion on the BredWithHeart program continued.When fully implemented, BWH will

support AKC’s continued commitmentto canine health as well as help the gen-eral public identify the most responsiblebreeders from which to buy a family pet.

New Management EmployeesThe Board were introduced to the fol-

lowing new management employees,Aimee Ritell, Director of MarketingBrandi Hunter, Director of PublicRelations

Elie Orgel,Marketing Manager

Judging Approval ProcedureThere was a discussion on proposed

revisions to the Judging Approval Process.The Board discussed the final version

of the proposed Judging ApprovalProcess.This version incorporateschanges resulting from the April 2015comment period.Following a motion by Mr. Gladstone,

seconded by Dr. Battaglia, it wasVOTED(affirmative:Mr. Gladstone,Mr.Menaker,Dr. Battaglia,Mr. Kalter,Mr.Ashby,Mr.Dok, Dr. Davies; opposed:Mr. Feeney,Mr.Wooding,Ms. Cruz, Dr. Garvin;absent Mr.Arnold,Mr. Powers) to adoptthe revised Judging Approval Processattached to these minutes.The revised policy becomes effective

September 2015.Staff was directed to prepare a report

for the Board so that the effect of thenew policy could be measured. Staff willadminister the tracking report and pro-vide the results to the Board on anannual basis. Prior to the start of the newprocess, staff will provide the benchmarknumbers to the Board for each of the fivemeasurements, and the sourcing data usedto arrive at these benchmarks. Four ofthe items are statistical, while the secondwill require establishing a survey andmethodology.The report, based on anannual survey and in-house date, is totrack any changes to the followingmatrixes on a year-to-year basis:•What percentage of the judges arejudging what percent of the dogscompeting.•What is the perception of judgingcompetency among exhibitors.•What is the number of unique dogshow entries.

A K C G A Z E T T E •7 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


•What Component Educational Units(CEU’s) are being used by applicantsand which are not being used.

Invitations to ApplyPat Cruz pointed out that under the

previous judging approval policy therewas a provision for extending invitationsto individuals to apply for additionalbreeds.A moratorium had been placedon that provision which was still in place.Following a motion by Ms. Cruz, sec-

onded by Mr.Menaker, it wasVOTED(unanimously; absent:Mr.Arnold,Mr.Powers) to remove the moratorium as theprovision no longer exists in the judgingapproval process.

CONSENTFollowing discussion, there was a

motion by Mr.Ashby, seconded by Mr.Gladstone, it wasVOTED (unanimously;absent Mr.Arnold,Mr. Powers) toapprove the following Consent Items:• Delegate and Club Approvals• Agility Premier Class Regulations• Eligibility to Judge CAT• Employee Participation in the Sports• Recognizing GCH Levels as Titles• Concurrent Group and All-BreedEvents• Changes to Rules Applying to DogShows,Obedience Regulations,Rally Regulations andTrackingRegulations to Allow for ElectronicDocuments

Delegates ApprovedKaren J. Clausing, El Dorado, KSTo represent Miniature Pinscher Club

of America

Josephine De Menna,Wilton, CTTo represent Progressive Dog Club

Mark A. Essary, Edmond,OKTo represent Oklahoma City Kennel

Club

Mary E. Gauthier-Teeling, Cofu, NYTo representTonawandaValley Kennel

Club

Julie M. Lux, Kearny,MOTo represent Heart of America

Kennel Club

Richard Nosiglia, Romulus, NYTo represent Saint Bernard Club of

America

Agility Premier Class Regulations The BoardVOTED to approve the

recommended regulations for a newhigher level class in agility called thePremier class.The class provides moredifficult challenges than is currentlyoffered in the AKC agility program.Clubs may start applying to hold the

Premier Class after July 1, 2015. Clubsmay start running the Premier class attheir agility trials effective October 1,2015.

AGILITY REGULATIONS NEW Chapter 11Premier Championship ClassesSection 1. Purpose. These optional titlingclasses are designed to challenge dogs andhandlers at an increased speed and skilllevel above those set for the Master levelclasses. Handlers/dogs will need to nego-tiate courses that require varied approachangles, spacing, and obstacle discrimina-tions to be successful in these classes.These classes are offered as separate titlingtracks and are not part of theMACH/PACH Championships.The classes may be offered once per dayas an additional class or classes. Clubs may,but are not required to offer PremierStandard and Premier Jumpers withWeaves on the same day.Section 2. Eligibility. Dogs with an AXtitle are eligible to enter PremierStandard Regular. Dogs with an AX orAXP title are eligible to enter PremierStandard Preferred. Dogs with an AXJtitle are eligible to enter Premier Jumperswith Weaves Regular. Dogs with an AXJor AJP title are eligible to enter PremierJumpers with Weaves Preferred. Dogswith Regular titles may crossover to thePremier Preferred level as noted above.

Section 3. Performance Standards• Minimum allowable score required toqualify = 100. • The course must be completed beforethe dog reaches the Maximum CourseTime (MCT).• Additional Non-Qualifying faults(beyond those listed in Chapter 5,Sections 5 and 6).-Any Course FaultMaximum Course Times (MCT)Premier Standard Regular:- 55 seconds for the 20 and 26 inchRegular jump heights.- 60 seconds for the 16 and 24 inch

Regular jump heights.- 65 seconds for the 8 and 12 inchRegular jump heights. Preferred:- 60 seconds for 16 inch Preferred jumpheight.- 65 seconds for 12 and 20 inch Preferredjump heights.- 70 seconds for 4 and 8 inch Preferredjump heights.Note: For timing purposes all PremierStandard classes may have timer set forMCT of 70 seconds.

Premier Jumpers With WeavesRegular:- 40 seconds for 20 and 26 inch Regularjump heights.- 45 seconds for the 16 and 24 inchRegular jump heights.- 48 seconds for the 8 and 12 inchRegular jump heights.

Preferred:- 45 seconds for 16 inch Preferred jumpheight.- 50 seconds for 12 and 20 inch Preferredjump heights.- 53 seconds for 4 and 8 inch Preferredjump heights.Note: For timing purposes all PremierJumpers With Weaves classes may havetimer set for MCT of 53 seconds.

Minimum Obstacle Requirements:• Quantity = 19-21• Obstacles required, allowed, and notallowed will be the same as the Masterlevel courses as noted in Chapter 6,Section 5 for Standard; and Chapter 7,Section 5 for Jumpers With Weaves,except that both classes will have a maxi-mum of three tunnel passes and Standardwill not have a table.• In both classes the viaduct jumps, asdescribed in Chapter 13, Section 9, canbe substituted for the panel jump or aspread jump, as long as the viaduct jumpcan be set for all heights.

Section 4. Obstacle and Jump Positions.Shall generally follow the requirementsset forth in Chapter 4, Section 4, withthe following exceptions:A Distance of 25 – 30 feet between twoobstacles may be approved up to twotimes on a course.Distances of greater than 30 feet betweenobstacles may be approved to allow forturns between obstacles as necessary.

A K C G A Z E T T E •8 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


There may be one bi-directional tunnelor bar/single bar jump on the course.

Section 5. Approach Angles. Shall gener-ally follow what is stated in Chapter 4,Section 5, except as detailed in the AKCAgility Judges Guidelines for the PremierClass.

Section 6. Titles. To earn the PremierAgility Dog (PAD), Premier Agility DogPreferred (PADP), Premier Jumpers Dog(PJD) or Premier Jumpers Dog Preferred(PJDP) titles, a dog must earn 25 qualify-ing scores with five qualifying scoresearned for placing in the top 25% of thedogs that competed in their jump height.

Dogs that are absent or withdrawn willnot count toward the number of dogscompeting in the jump height. The 25%calculation will be rounded down todetermine the number of 25% place-ments in each jump height. In the case ofa tie for the last 25% placement, a run-offwill be held per Chapter 5, Section 2. If aclass has two or three dogs competing,the 1st place dog will be awarded a top25% placement qualifying score If onlyone dog competes in the jump height,there will be no top 25% placementearned in that jump height.

Lifetime Achievement titles (bronze, sil-ver, gold and century ) will be awardedfor each additional 25 qualifying scoresearned in the Premier class.

Eligibility to Judge Coursing Ability Test(CAT) The BoardVOTED to approve

changes to Sections 7 and 8 of theCoursing AbilityTest (CAT) Regulations.This is a modification to the eligibilityrequirements regarding who may judgeCoursing AbilityTests.Changes to Section 7 (underlined) per-

mit anyone with three or more years ofexperience in the sport of Lure Coursingto judge a Coursing AbilityTest (CAT).Section 7.All AKC approved Lure Coursing

event judges are approved to judge aCoursing AbilityTest. People who are notLure Coursing judges may be approvedto judge a Coursing Ability Test providedthey meet the following minimumrequirements: (1) Must be in good stand-ing with the AKC and are at least 21years of age, and (2) Have a minimum of

three years of experience in the sport ofLure Coursing. It is the responsibility ofthe hosting club to assure these require-ments are met.

Changes to Section 8 (underlined) shiftthe responsibility for a safe course designfrom the judge to the event committee.Section 8. Course Design.The course shall be designed with

safety for non-sighthound breeds as a pri-mary consideration.There shall be noturns more acute than 90 degrees.Thetotal length of the course shall be no lessthan 600 yards and should be as close to600 yards as possible.The lure will consistof plastic strips. Depending on the sizeand type of dog, the dog will run eitherthe full course or a 300 yard course.The300 yard distance shall be clearly marked.Safety is of utmost importance.Many ofthe dogs running the Coursing AbilityTest will not possess the agility of asighthound and this must be a considera-tion in the design of the course.The event committee is responsible for

the safety of the course by ensuring theyhave experienced, knowledgeable indi-viduals in course design at the event. Thejudge is responsible for walking thecourse prior to the start of the event inorder to look for hazards.

Employee Participation in AKC SportsThe BoardVOTED to amend the pol-

icy on AKC employee participation inthe sport.The intent of this change is to give the

AKC staff the opportunity to participatein AKC’s many event types, providingthem a broader understanding of ourevents and their role in fulfilling our mis-sion.The changes enableVice Presidents,AssistantVice Presidents and Field Staff tocompete in events for which they haveno administrative responsibilities.Employees will be able to compete for aGrand Championship title, but not forthe Gold, Silver, or Platinum levels.Employees will be able to judge anyAKC non-titling event.The new policyfollows:Many employees are attracted to the

AKC because of their love for dogs.Employees and members of their house-hold are encouraged to compete at AKCevents provided their job responsibilitiesdo not result in a potential conflict ofinterest.

Dogs owned or co-owned by anemployee or household members may beexhibited at AKC events unless one ofthe following conditions apply.

1. Field staff in Conformation,Companion Events and PerformanceEvents and employees who are involvedin the judging approval process, andhousehold member of any of thesegroups, may not exhibit in the sport(s) forwhich they have administrative responsi-bilities. Dogs owned or co-owned byfield staff or their household memberslikewise may not be exhibited in thesesports. Employees and their householdmembers may exhibit at sports outsidetheir responsibility. However, exhibitingmay only take place at events in whichthe employee is not officially assigned.

2. Dogs owned or co-owned by anemployee or household members, may beexhibited until such time as they achievea title or titles, through the highest titlelisted below in each category:Conformation ..............Grand Champion(but not including Bronze, Silver, Gold,and Platinum)Obedience ..............................ObedienceTrial Champion(OTCH)Tracking......................ChampionTrackerPerformance...............................FC,AFCHuntingTests ....................Master HunterHerdingTrials............Herding ChampionLure Coursing ................Field ChampionEarthdog ........................Master EarthdogAgility .........................Agility Champion(MACH1/PACH1)Rall ......Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE)

After the highest title is achieved in asport, dogs owned or co-owned maycontinue to be exhibited in non-regularclasses in that sport.

3. Executive Officers and their house-hold members may not exhibit at AKCevents. CMC members involved inadministering a Sport and their house-hold members may not exhibit dogs in aSport they administer, but may exhibit inany Sport outside their area of responsi-bility. CMC members not directlyinvolved in administering events, as wellas members of their household mayexhibit in any AKC event with the samerestrictions as apply to all employees.

4. Juniors who live in the same house-

A K C G A Z E T T E •9 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


hold as an employee may enter AKCevents as a Junior Handler. However,exhibiting may only take place at eventsin which the employee is not officiallyassigned.

5. Employees may only judge at non-titling AKC events e.g. sanctioned events,sweepstakes, Futurities, Non-RegularClasses, and, if invited, at events held out-side of the United states.

6. Unusual situations may occur. Theseshould be brought to the attention of theCMC member in charge of the depart-ment, who will address the situation inconsultation with the head of the HumanResources department.

Any questions or concerns regardingthis policy should be referred to a mem-ber of the Human Resources professionalstaff.

Recognizing GCH Levels as TitlesThe BoardVOTED to modify the

Grand Champion program so that theadditional achievement levels are recog-nized as titles.The designations will beGCHB (Bronze), GCHS (Silver), GCHG(Gold), and GCHP (Platinum).This willrequire an amendment to Chapter 16,Section 7, of the Rules Applying to DogShows (new wording underlined below)and must be approved by the Delegatebody. It will be read at the SeptemberDelegate meeting and voted at theDecember Delegates meeting. If approvedby the Delegate, it will become effectiveon April 1, 2016.

SECTION 7.Any champion whichshall have won twenty-five points shallbecome a Grand Champion ofRecord, if nine or more of said pointsshall have been won at three showswith a rating of three or more GrandChampionship points each and underthree different judges, and some oneor more of the balance of said pointsshall have been won under some otherjudge or judges than the three judgesreferred to above and at least oneChampion was defeated at threeshows.A dog becomes a GrandChampion when it is so officiallyrecorded byThe American KennelClub and shall be entitled to a GrandChampionship certificate.

Any Grand Champion which shallhave won 100 Grand Championshippoints shall become a GrandChampion Bronze (GCHB). AnyGrand Champion which shall havewon 200 Grand Championship pointsshall become a Grand ChampionSilver (GCHS). Any Grand Championwhich shall have won 400 GrandChampionship points shall become aGrand Champion Gold (GCHG). AnyGrand Champion which shall havewon 800 Grand Championship pointsshall become a Grand ChampionPlatinum (GCHP). After earningGrand Champion Platinum title, foreach additional 800 GrandChampionship points earned theGrand Champion Platinum titleinitials will be followed by a numericdesignation indicating the quantity oftimes the dog has met therequirements of the Grand ChampionPlatinum title as defined above, e.g.,1,600 Grand Championship points =GCHP2. The AKC will identify dogsqualifying for these titles by theappropriate designations precedingtheir AKC name in all official AKCrecords. In each case, the higher titlewill supersede the preceding title in allofficial AKC records such that thehighest title will be listed.

The change will be retroactive to thebeginning of the Grand Champion pro-gram and the dog’s titled name will bemodified to reflect the highest GCH titlethey have earned.These dogs have alreadybeen awarded an achievement certificateand a medallion for each level previouslyearned, therefore, a title certificate willnot be issued as part of the implementa-tion. Dogs that earn a GrandChampionship title after the implementa-tion will receive a standard title certifi-cate. Medallions will continue to beissued for winning the Grand Championtitle as well as the advanced GrandChampion titles.

Concurrent Group and All-Breed EventsThe Board VOTED to approved the

Concurrent Group and All-Breed EventsPilot program as described below. It isapproved with effective dates of July 1,2015 – December 31, 2016. Staff willmonitor these events and come back tothe Board with a recommendation forthe future of the program after the 18-

month Pilot program.Concurrent Group and All-Breed EventsPilot ProgramGroup and All-Breed events may be

held concurrently with the followinglimitations:1. Permission must be obtained from

the all-breed club in order to apply.2. The events must be held on the

same grounds (i.e., the samephysical address).

3. Ownership of the correspondingdate must be agreed upon inwriting and submitted with theevent applications prior to eventapproval.

4. The breed judging in the all-breedevent must be held prior to thebreed judging in the group event inorder to avoid delays in groupjudging in the all-breed event.Likewise, the group judging for theall-breed event must be held priorto the group judging in the groupevent.

5. Any judge who is shared by thetwo clubs involved is limited to 100breed entries (for the two eventscombined) for the day plus anygroup or Best in Show assignments.

6. Evening or concurrent specialtiesare permitted for breeds that arenot part of the group that isholding an event concurrently withthe all-breed event.

7. All-breed events must offer groupand Best in Show competition.Group events must offer groupcompetition.

8. The use of multiple group rings isencouraged.

9. Junior Showmanship competition isallowed.

10. Obedience and Rally competitionsare allowed, and encouraged, butmust have their own ring(s) forcompetition.

Requests for multiple group events onthe same day and site of an all-breedevent will be evaluated on a case-by-casebasis.

Changes to Rules Applying to DogShows, Obedience Regulations, RallyRegulations and Tracking Regulations toAllow for Electronic DocumentsThe BoardVOTED to approve

changes to Rules Applying to Dog ShowsChapter 4, Section 2; Chapter 7, Section

A K C G A Z E T T E •10 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


12; and Chapter 12, Sections 1, 3, 4, and6; to allow for publication of electronicdocuments at the club’s discretion.This recommendation would be read

at the September Delegates meeting andvoted at the December Delegates meet-ing to be effective January 1, 2016.TheBoard alsoVOTED to approve thechanges to the Obedience RegulationsChapter 1, Sections 3 and 26,RallyRegulations Chapter 1, Section 3 and 20,and Tracking Regulations Chapter 1,Section 18, contingent upon theDelegates approval of the change to RulesApplying to Dog Shows effective January 1,2016.

EXECUTIVE SECRETARYHeather McManus Senior Attorney,

participated in this portion of the meet-ing, and Sheila Goffe,AKC Staff, partici-pated in this portion of the meeting byvideo conference.Delegate Eligibility – “Professional”JudgeThe Board reviewed a proposal that

was submitted on behalf of the DelegateBylaws Committee.The Delegate BylawsCommittee is proposing an amendmentto ArticleVI, Section 5 of the Bylaws ofThe American Kennel Club that would per-mit Delegate Judges to charge a fee of upto $150 per assignment over and aboveactual expenses.Following a motion by Mr. Gladstone,

seconded by Dr. Garvin, it wasVOTED(affirmative:Mr. Gladstone, Dr. Garvin,Mr. Kalter,Mr.Menaker,Mr. Feeney,Mr.Ashby,Ms. Cruz, Dr. Davies,Mr.Wooding,Mr. Dok, opposed: Dr.Battaglia; absent:Mr.Arnold,Mr. Powers)to approve the addition of the followingunderlined wording to the first paragraphof ARTICLEVI, SECTION 5 of theBylaws ofThe American Kennel Club:

SECTION 5.Any person in goodstanding with the AKC who is aresident citizen of the United States,its territories or possessions, or haspermanent resident alien status asdefined by the Immigration andNaturalization Act, shall be eligible tobecome or remain a Delegate,providing this person meets thecriteria for occupational eligibilitygiven herein. No person is eligible tobecome or remain a Delegate if he orshe (a) is a professional handler ortrainer of dogs, professional judge of

purebred dog events, a professionaljudge defined as one who charges afee of more than an amount of $150in excess of actual expenses, (b) isengaged in trade or traffic in dogs,which includes commercial breedersor brokers of dogs for resale, (c) isemployed full time in the manufactureor sale of dog food or dog supplies, (d)is a publisher or other person whopromotes show dogs/kennels throughsolicitation or acceptance ofadvertisements in commercial dogpublications, dog show superin-tendents or his or her employees. (e)has a significant interest in a dogregistry, dog event-giving organizationor any organization deemed to be incompetition with AKC or in conflictwith its objects. Significant interestwould include but not be limited to,ownership in, employment by, adirectorship of, and holding office in.

This proposed change will be read atthe September Delegates meeting andvoted upon at the December Delegatesmeeting.2016 and 2017 Meeting CalendarIn April 2015, the BoardVOTED to

base the 2016 and beyond calendar onthe secondTuesday of the month withthe exception of February (WestminsterKennel Club dog show) and December(AKC/Eukanuba NationalChampionship).The Bylaws require thatthe Delegate Meetings be held in March,June, September, and December orJanuary (based on AKC/Eukanuba beingin either month).The Bylaws also require that there be

at least eight regular Board meetings in ayear. Beginning in 2016, the Board meet-ings are to be held in the eight monthswhere there are no Delegate Meetings.The Board reviewed the projected 2016and 2017 calendars for both the Boardand Delegates meetings. Following amotion by Dr. Battaglia, seconded by Mr.Dok, it wasVOTED (affirmative: Dr.Battaglia,Mr. Dok,Mr.Menaker,Mr.Ashby,Ms. Cruz,Mr. Kalter, Dr. Davies,Dr. Garvin,Mr. Feeney,Mr. Gladstone;opposed:Mr.Wooding; absent:Mr.Arnold,Mr. Powers) to approve the 2016and 2017 dates indicated with theFebruary 2017 dates contingent on thedates of theWestminster Kennel Clubdog show.

AKC Bylaw Amendment - Term LimitsThe Board reviewed a proposal sub-

mitted by the Clarksville Kennel Club toamend ArticleVII, Section 1 of theBylaws of the American Kennel Club toeliminate term limits for members of theBoard of Directors. It was reported thatthe Delegate Bylaws Committee voted toendorse and to co-sponsor this amend-ment.This will be discussed further at the

July Board meeting.Nominating CommitteeThe Nominating Committee for the

March 2016 election must be appointedby August 15, and its report must bereceived no later than October 15, 2015.The Board was reminded that as there isno August 2015 Board meeting, theappointment must be made at the July2015 meeting to meet the requirementsof the AKC Bylaws.Canine Legislation Position on PredatoryPet Leasing SchemesThe Board was given a recommenda-

tion to update the Canine LegislationPosition Statement on Protection for PuppyPurchasers to include the issue of com-mercial leasing/rental arrangements fordogs as pets. It recommends the inclusionof a statement of opposition to predatorypet leasing arrangements in whichprospective owners make hefty monthlypayments for their pet, but are not givenlegal ownership of their pet. In recentyears, a predatory new model of pet pos-session has emerged. Predatory pet leasingschemes will lease pets as companionsover a multiple-year term for a monthlyfee. Even after paying many times thevalue of the pet, the lessee may not ownthe pet.In one model, the leasing company

provides open-ended leases that includehealthcare, food and other supplies at thediscretion of the lessor in exchange for amonthly fee for the life of the pet.Another model provides a lease for the

pet only, which terminates after severalyears, at which time the individual mayhave the option to then purchase the pet.In either case, even after paying manytimes the value of the pet, the lessor maynot, and may never, own the pet.The AKC strongly believes that acqui-

sition of a pet should be a commitmentby a future owner for the lifetime of thepet.As legal property, pet “ownership”provides legal rights, responsibilities andliabilities that that are valuable to both

A K C G A Z E T T E •11 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


consumers and society, and may not beotherwise available.Predatory pet leasing agreements allow

the leasing company to obtain a signifi-cantly higher profit margin while poten-tially avoiding regulatory oversight andconsumer protection laws.At least onestate attorney general has looked into thepractice after receiving complaints to itsconsumer protection unit. Lessees canend up making interest payments thatmay be as much as three times the priceof the pet while giving up property rightsand consumer protections usually associ-ated with purchase and ownership of apet.The AKC strongly believes that acqui-

sition of a pet should be a commitmentfor the lifetime of the pet.AKC supportsa ban on predatory pet leasing schemes,which victimize potential owners, under-mine a lifetime commitment to a pet, anddo not confer the rights and responsibili-ties concomitant with pet ownership.This will be discussed further at the Julymeeting.Litigation Against DiscriminatoryLegislationBased on a request from the Board,

Staff presented information on becomingmore aggressive in litigation against “dis-criminatory laws,”meaning laws thatpotentially may harm or discriminateagainst certain dog owners such as breed-ers, owners of certain breeds of dogs, orindividuals with disabilities utilizing aservice dog. It might also include issuesrelated to AKC and/or dog owners’interests such as regulation of pet sales,the role of animals as legal property, andother issues.This will be discussed further at the

July 2015 meeting.Importation and Interstate Transport ofDogs for Retail RescueBased on a request from the Board,

Staff provided a report detailing the prob-lems surrounding the importation andinterstate transportation of dogs for retailrescue (also known as “dog trafficking”)and resulting public health concerns, anddiscussed potential public policy solutionsto better protect the public health andbreeders’ interest.State governments, particularly those

most impacted in New England, havebegun looking at the influx of importeddogs and responding to the challengewith regulations requiring quarantinesand health examinations of dogs and reg-

istration or licensing of rescue groups thatimport them.State federations remain concerned

with the impact public health has on dogtrafficking, and the lack of public fundingavailable to enforce animal importationlaws and regulations.The Board discussed the fact that

opportunities exist for states to betteraddress issues related to dog trafficking.Solutions could be pursued through leg-islative and regulatory advocacy effortsspearheaded by AKC, state federations,and other allied organizations.This will be discussed further at the

July 2015 meeting.Legal Status ReportingMs.McManus, Senior Attorney, pre-

sented a status report on pending litiga-tion and other legal activities for themonths of April and May 2015.

EXECUTIVE SESSIONThere was an Executive Session to dis-

cuss personnel matters with nothingreported out of this session.

CLUBSBest Practices for Recruiting ClubMembershipThe Board reviewed a memo from

Staff that provides best practices forrecruiting membership into AKCclubs/events.These best practices includeinput from the All-Breed Clubs andCompanion Events DelegateCommittees.The All-Breed Clubs Delegate

Committee conducted a survey of all-breed club presidents, secretaries and del-egates. They received 879 responses.Thesurvey’s primary findings are:

1. 7% of the all-breed clubs do notdesire to increase membership.

2. 65% of the clubs said they have aproblem attracting new members.

3.The two primary reasons peoplejoin clubs are to socialize and learnabout dogs.

4.The four best ways to retainmembers are to:• Hold regular meetings• Hold social activities• Engage members to work atevents

• Offer educational activities5.The four best ways to attract newmembers are to:• Offer educational activities

• Hold training classes• Develop and keep up-to-date aclub website

• Use social media to spread theword

After review of the survey, the All-Breed Clubs Committee compiled a listof best practices for recruiting and retain-ing membership.The complete list willbe posted to the AKC website followingtheir June meeting.

The Companion Events DelegateCommittee has assembled a list of bestpractices based on the committee mem-ber’s experience. Further, they have beenelaborating on some of the best practicesand are posting these on the AKC web-site so they are available to all clubs.(www.akc.org/clubs/promote)

The CE Delegates Committee’s sug-gestions for clubs to attract new membersand retain existing members are:

1. Hold social activities2. Develop a mentorship program for

new club members3. Offer fun matches the night prior

to an event4. Offer CGC classes and testing5. Post training videos on club

website and social media6. Actively solicit youth organization

participation7. Spread information about the club

through a club website, socialmedia and a club brochure

8. Hold novice only trials, offer freelunch

9. Offer educational seminars,matches, show-and-go events

10. Conduct post-event surveys to gainfeedback on what can be donebetter

COMPLIANCEProposed Breeder Assistance ProgramThe Board was given a Staff report on

a proposed program that would assistbreeders in need of rehoming dogs. Sucha program would benefit those who,because of illness, resources, natural disas-ters, etc., are unable to care for their dogsand who seek a discreet and confidentialprogram through which to rehome theirdogs.

The following AKC Management

http://www.akc.org/clubs/promote

A K C G A Z E T T E •12 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


actions were reported:(Final Board Disciplinary actions are

reported on the Secretary’s Page.)

CONFORMATIONDoug Ljungren,Alan Slay,Tim

Thomas, Glenn Lycan,Mari-BethO’Neill, and BriTesarz,AKC Staff, par-ticipated in this portion of the meetingvia video conference.Defibrillators at Shows The Board discussed the question of

having defibrillators at all-breed andgroup shows. Currently,AKC requiresthat group and all-breed clubs have aqualified Emergency Medical Technician(CPR certified) in attendance from onehour prior to the start of judging untilcompletion of all judging at group andall-breed conformation events.WhileEmergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)are trained in the use of defibrillators, it isnot required that they provide one onsite.It should be noted that if the event isheld in a public facility (physical struc-ture), these facilities likely will haveAEDs onsite in order to be in compli-ance with state regulations.Requiring superintendents to provide

and operate an AED would necessitatethe training of employees, the purchaseand maintenance of equipment, andcompliance with state requirements foreach state where their services are pro-vided.Given the EMTs’ availability, their

training, their ongoing need to maintainthe AED device and their familiarity withlocal laws, it is the staff ’s recommendationthat the EMTs should be the onesresponsible for providing the AED.Clubs holding AKC events are

required to complete a Disaster andEmergency Plan as part of their applica-tion.This provides a vehicle to conveythe importance of AED devices.Following a motion by Mr. Kalter, sec-

onded by Dr. Garvin it wasVOTED toapprove two changes to the Disaster andEmergency Plan effective September 1,2015.

1)The following wording will be addedto the cover letter of the Disaster andEmergency Plan as recommendationnumber 99. Clubs holding group and all-breedconformation events in publicfacilities must identify the location ofall onsite automated external

defibrillators (AED). If the eventlocation does not have onsite AEDs,it is recommended that the clubrequest the EMT in attendanceprovide an AED.

2) On the Disaster and Emergency Planform itself, the following questionwith a checkbox should be added:For group and all-breed shows, doesthe show location have automatedexternal defibrillators onsite?

This is a modification to Board policy.

Low-Entry BreedsThe Board continued to discuss ways

to assist low-entry breeds with regards toearning Championship points. It wasagreed that any recommendations shouldbe based upon verifiable statistical infor-mation.Limited Status Junior Judges, Eligible toJudge Group ShowsThe Board reviewed a recommenda-

tion to allow an individual with LimitedStatus approval for Junior Showmanshipfor all breeds in a group, to be eligible tojudge Junior Showmanship at a GroupShow.This proposal is made by staff atthe request of the Delegate Dog ShowRules Committee.This will involve, ifapproved, revisions to the ConformationJunior Showmanship Regulations,Sections 2 and 4. If approved by the AKCBoard, the effective date will be October1, 2015.The Board will discuss this further at

the July meeting.Junior Showmanship, Master ClassCriteriaThe Board reviewed a Staff proposal to

revise the eligibility criteria for the JuniorShowmanship Master Class. Staff is pro-posing the criteria for the Master Classbe revised to 10 Best JuniorWins withcompetition. If approved, the new criteriawill be effective on October 7, 2015.TheBoard will discuss this further at the Julymeeting.Addition of the Pee Wee Class to the Listof Special Attractions with StandingApprovalThe Dog Show Rules Committee

proposed the addition of a PeeWee Classas a pre-approved Special Attraction. Staffhas worked with the committee to estab-lish the Procedures and Guidelines forconducting the class.There was still con-cern among Board members regarding

liability issues associated with the classand they were not prepared to consider itas a pre-approved Special Attraction. Staffwas directed to seek advice from AKC’sinsurance carrier before approving it at allon a case-by-case basis.

PEEWEE CLASS SPECIALATTRACTION

Procedures and Guidelines

The PeeWee Class will be added tothe list of approved Special Attractions.

The PeeWee Special Attraction is apre-Junior Showmanship class.ThePeeWee class is geared for children 5–9 years of age. Safety is a primaryconcern.

Each PeeWee unit consists of thechild, his/her parent, guardian, orresponsible adult, and the dog.Onlyone PeeWee unit is in the ring at atime.This is not a competitive class,but rather a fun, learning experiencefor the child and the adult.

At an All-Breed Event the judge mustbe an AKC approved All Breed JuniorShowmanship Judge.A Group Club orSpecialty Club may have a LimitedStatus Junior Showmanship Judge thatmeets the criteria.The Judge MUSTlike children, be patient, kind, and havea sense of humor!

This Special Attraction must be listedas such in the premium list and in anypublic announcements which willinclude the following information:• A dog must be at least four monthsof age to enter the PeeWee class.• Bitches in season will not beallowed to participate. If pre-entered, a dog may be substitutedthat meets the eligibilityrequirements as specified by theclub.• All dogs entered must have theproper lead and collar.• A responsible adult must bepresent with the child both insideand outside the ring.• At a Group or Specialty ClubShow the dogs must be of thebreed(s) eligible for the event.• At an All-Breed event, all AKCfully recognized and MiscellaneousClass breeds must be allowed to

A K C G A Z E T T E •13 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


enter, including dogs with a PALlisting.• At an All-Breed event, it is up tothe host club to decide if FSSbreeds not in the MiscellaneousClass and All-American dogs areallowed to enter.• It is up to the host club to decideif a dog must be registered toparticipate.• How entries will be accepted is upto the host club. Clubs may takeday-of-show entries if they wish.• The entry fee, if any, shall bespecified.• Clubs may specify a limit on thenumber of dogs allowed to enterthe class.

The safety of both the dogs andJuniors inside and outside the ring is aprimary concern.An additional lead,provided by the Club, should be at theJudge’s table.At the Judge’s discretionbased upon the size of the child andthe dog, for safety purposes the adultmay be asked to attach a safety lead tothe dog so both child and adult willwalk the dog together.

It is essential that the club hosting thisSpecial Attraction provide the supportand time to greet the participants andmake them feel welcome and be ableto answer any question that may arise.There should be a minimum of threeclub members to assist participants,monitor the ring for safety, and onemay act as the steward. Club membersmust be patient, pleasant, and willingto dedicate as much time as needed tocreate a pleasant experience for theyoung Junior and his/her adult.THISISVITALTOTHE SUCCESS OFTHIS PROGRAM.

Each of these club members assistingshould make themselves familiar withthe Junior ShowmanshipConformation Regulations, Guidelinesfor Judging Juniors in Conformation,Juniors in Performance EventRegulations booklet. It isrecommended that these Regulationsbe available to those junior entrants atthe show along with the PeeWee classprocedures and guidelines. (The clubmay download the PDF of the bookletor order from the Order Desk.)

Although the word “judge”will beused, this is designed to be a learningand mentoring experience—no Juniorwill be “judged” but rather will bementored with the age-appropriateamount of information to help preparethem for what they will be expectedto know about AKC regular JuniorShowmanship once they reach 9 yearsof age. Obviously, the older childrencan absorb more detail than theyounger ones.The children will bementored one child, their adult, anddog in the ring at a time. Each childwill receive a participation ribbon orrosette to commemorate theexperience.The club may select thecolor of the ribbon and may wish toadd a small gift for the child or thedog to take home. It would be anadded plus if the Judge were to beavailable for individual photographswith the show or club photographerwhich would serve as a memento andreminder to both the child and theadult of the fun experience andremind them to return again nextyear!

The Judge should explain the processof showing the dog to the Junior andthe responsible adult in the ringincluding breed specific presentation.Depending on the size of the dog andthe child, the adult may be asked to lifta table breed on or off the table, or theClub may mandate that the adultshould do it regardless. Neither theyoungster nor the adult should beasked to show the bite.

Consider either holding the PeeWeeSpecial Attraction at lunchtime, whichwould give the child and theresponsible adult time to get to theshow; or the Club may wish toschedule this before the groups, whenrings may be available. It is importantto maximize spectator attendance asthis is a huge crowd pleaser! Ideally, adesignated ring for this SpecialAttraction would allow more time forone-on-one mentoring for each childand adult. If that is not possible, then aring that is vacant would do, preferablycentrally located (perhaps near theClub tent) for maximum viewing bythe greatest audience.

Some clubs offer a pizza party or cake

in a separate location after the classesare over for the children and adults tomake new friends and share this newcommon interest.

Concurrent MatchThe Board asked Event Operations

staff to look into the possibility ofmatches being held concurrently withdog shows as part of the initiative toattract new participants.After discussingthe pros and cons of the idea, staff pre-sented an alternative to holding a concur-rent match.A way to provide a stress-free experi-

ence for new exhibitors would be for aclub to offer a show-and-go ring.Ashow-and-go ring could serve threefunctions during the event.At the start ofthe event the ring could be used for theNew Exhibitor Briefing.This wouldallow an appropriate segregated locationto introduce new exhibitors to the event.For the majority of the day the ringcould be used by exhibitors to practicewith their dogs. Having practice ringswas brought forward by the ExecutiveField Staff as a positive for exhibitorsbased on their experience at events thatprovide practice rings. Exhibitors wouldhave the opportunity to work their dogin an event-type environment withoutthe pressure associated with point com-petition. Lastly, clubs could offer set timeframes throughout the day to providementoring; sign-up could occur at theNew Exhibitor Briefing and throughoutthe day as time and slots remain available.Knowledgeable club members would staffthe show-and-go ring to assist newexhibitors.The mentoring option alsoprovides the club an opportunity toincrease their event revenue if theychoose, by offering mentoring at a smallfee or donation. Executive Field Staffpointed out that some shows setting uppractice rings kept a donation box at thering entrance.The goal of the show-and-go ring is

to provide an opportunity for newexhibitors to obtain an understanding ofthe conformation procedure that isunavailable during regular class judging.Members staffing the ring do not have tohave specific breed knowledge but par-ticipation knowledge to assist with thebasics: armbands, lead and collar (couldbe breed specific), stacking, movementpatterns, table or not table, basic groom-ing tips. Additionally this will provide a

A K C G A Z E T T E •14 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


focal point for new exhibitors to meetother like-minded individuals. Promotingthe set-up of a practice ring and mentor-ing ring at events would have a positiveimpact on AKC conformation events byexposing new dog owners to a user-friendly training experience. Providing aone-on-one opportunity for a newexhibitor can potentially lead to a mem-orable positive experience with theirdog. Some will be inspired to enroll theirdogs in classes and become future com-petitors and potentially future clubmembers.Without objection, staff will begin to

promote the set-up of show-and-gopractice rings at events and the use ofthese rings by clubs to provide NewExhibitor Briefings and stress-free men-toring experiences.This option could beimplemented quickly by clubs, givingthem the ability to provide a better eventexperience for new exhibitors.This willbe discussed at the July 2015 meeting.

COMPANION AND PERFORMANCEDoug Ljungren, Pam Manaton, and

Carrie DeYoung,AKC Staff, participatedin this portion of the meeting via videoconference.Allowing Deaf Dogs to Participate inAgility, Rally and Tracking EventsThe Board reviewed a recommenda-

tion from the Agility AdvisoryCommittee and the Sports and EventsDepartment to allow deaf dogs to partici-pate in Agility, Rally andTracking events.All Agility Advisory Committee rec-

ommendations were provided to thefancy for comment and polling.With 952participants in the poll, the recommenda-tion to allow deaf dogs to participatereceived the highest approval rating ofany recommendation (93% love it/like itrating).Input from the Companion Events

Delegate Committee will be sought inJune.This will be discussed further at theJuly meeting.Allow Group and Specialty Clubs to HoldAll-Breed Obedience/Rally A Matches The Board reviewed a recommenda-

tion from the Companion EventsDepartment to clarify the MatchRegulations to allow Group andSpecialty clubs to offer all-breedSanctioned A Matches at their option.The obedience and rally regulationsallow Group and Specialty clubs the abil-ity to offer all-breed licensed trials at

their option.The Match Regulationsallow Group and Specialty clubs to offerall-breed Sanctioned B Matches for obe-dience and rally at their option. However,the Match Regulations do not mentionSanctioned A Matches.The ClubRelations Department has interpretedthis as meaning Sanctioned A Matchesheld by Group and Specialty clubs mustbe restricted to their breeds only.The purpose of Sanctioned A obedi-

ence/rally matches is to ensure a club iswell prepared to run a licensed eventprior to becoming licensed. Allowing aclub to offer an all-breed Sanctioned AMatch will only further prepare them toproduce the required event materialscorrectly by having more entries andadditional repetition of processes at theirSanctioned A events.The Companion Events Department is

requesting that the Match Regulations beclarified by adding a provision thatspecifically states the Obedience andRally Sanctioned A Matches may beopen to all breeds.These sports are governed by

Regulations and may be modified by avote of the Board. If approved, thechange would become effectiveSeptember 1, 2015.This will be discussedby the Board further in the July meeting.What Motivates People to Participate inDog SportsThe staff presented a memo that out-

lines information from two reports; onethat looked intoWhat Motivates Peopleto Participate withTheir Dogs inSporting Events and a second study dis-cussed the multiple roles of individualswithin dog clubs and the factors relatedto their involvement.The majority of dogsport participants are motivated by thegratification they receive from the activi-ties associated with developing their skillsand their dog’s skills, achieving their per-sonal goals and the pleasure of socialinteractions associated with a sport.Thedegree of involvement is limited by thecosts associated with their participation.Why Do People Participate in AgilityThe Board reviewed a memo that out-

lined the major findings of a survey con-ducted to gain insight into the ques-tion—Why do people participate inagility? Six motivational factors werenoted. • Building a Relationship with theirDogs• The Challenge of Improvement

• Physical/Mental Activity• Social Interaction• Participant Feels a Sense of Control– less subjectivity than obedience orconformation.• Recognition

It wasVOTED to adjournTuesday,June 9, 2015 at 1:00 pm.AdjournedAttest:

James P. Crowley, Executive Secretary

A K C G A Z E T T E •15 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


Judging Operations DepartmentPO Box 900062

Raleigh, NC 27675-9062919-816-3570

[email protected]

AKC Board of DirectorsJudging Approval Process

Effective: September 1, 2015

This newly stated judging approvalprocess (the Policy) replaces any and allprior policies, practices and requirementsthat are inconsistent with any of itsterms and conditions. This Policy relieson the prospective judge fulfillingmandatory as well as optional require-ments chosen by the prospective judgeto request Permit status. It is intendedto simplify and quantify the processwhile giving significant objective guid-ance to all who desire to be approved tojudge at AKC conformation events. It isrecognized that education in each breedis an ongoing process but differs for thenewly approved judge or the long timeexperienced judge.

The progression process is designed toconsider the experience of the judgeand to provide flexibility in whichoptional requirements (QualifyingComponents) may be chosen to achievePermit and ultimately group status. It isintended to assure an even playing fieldwith clear guidelines for those aspiringto judge.

THE REQUIREMENT MATRIX

Below is a Judge EducationComponent Requirements Chart thatshows the requirements both for the firsttime applicant and additional breed appli-cants. The Chart is divided into 4 sec-tions:

1. The first section is required of allapplicants to obtain their first breed

2. The second section has themandatory requirements for judgesdepending upon the number ofgroups they currently judge for both

regular and low entry breeds. (Forpurposes of this Policy a Low EntryBreed (LEB) is defined to be one inwhich fewer than 3,500 entries ofthat breed were made at AKCLicensed and Member Dog Showsthroughout the United States duringthe preceding calendar year. TheJudging Operations Department(hereafter: the Department) shallpublish a list of LEB annually).

3. The third section contains thespecific breed QualifyingComponent education experiencesfrom which the applicant can choosein order to qualify for Permit status.Each Qualifying Component isassigned a Component EducationalUnit (CEU) weighted pointallotment shown in the Chart.

4. The fourth section defines themaximum number of breeds forwhich an applicant may hold Permitstatus at any given time, based uponthe number of groups the judge isapproved to judge. Application tojudge an additional breed may bemade when the number of Permitbreeds an applicant is then approvedto judge is equal to or less than thismaximum, so that the number ofPermit breeds may equal but notexceed this maximum.

The columns in the Judge EducationComponent Requirements Chart deter-mine the number of CEU’s an applicantmust present, per breed, based upon theapplicant’s group approval status. Themore groups the applicant is approved tojudge, the fewer CEU’s per breed theapplication must present.

FIRST TIME APPLICATION TO JUDGENEW JUDGES

12-5-4 Method

Individuals applying as New Judges mustmeet the following minimum criteria:• Have 12 or more years’ experienceexhibiting in conformation in at leastone breed applied for.•Must be a member of a householdwhere five or more litters in eachbreed applied for have been bred andwhelped.• Qualifying litters must have beenwhelped and raised on applicant’spremises.

• Qualifying litters must haveproduced four or more champions.• Criteria compliance may be withAKC events and registered dogs orwith events and registrations of aforeign kennel club whose registry isrecognized by the AKC. If foreign, itshall be the applicant’s responsibilityto adequately document the criteriacompliance.

New Breed Alternate Method

If an applicant does not meet the litterand/or champion criteria in the initialbreed(s), he/she may apply under theNew Breed Alternate Method. Applicantsmust have 15 or more years’ experiencein conformation in at least one breedapplied for and must be able to documenthaving accomplished any combination offour of the following components in eachinitial breed:• Bred at least two champions in thebreed requested.• Bred and raised four litters in thebreed requested on his or herpremises.• Breeder of Merit earned in the breedrequested.• Owned or maintained for theduration four dogs in the breedrequested that earned championshipsor grand championships whileresiding at applicant’s home.• Personally exhibited four uniquedogs in the breed requested to theirchampionship, earning all 15 pointsand both majors, or grand champi-onship, earning all 25 points, threemajors and defeating a special onthree occasions. (This requirement isthe same for owners and professionalhandlers).• Personally exhibited two dogs in thebreed requested as specials for aminimum of two years or approxi-mately 60 shows. (This requirementis the same for owners and profes-sional handlers).• Owned at least one dog in the breedrequested that sired four champions.(Dog must have resided at applicant’shome while used at stud)• Document 25 years of experienceexhibiting dogs in Conformationevents.• Criteria compliance may be withAKC events and registered dogs orwith events and registrations of a

mailto:[email protected]

A K C G A Z E T T E •16 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


foreign kennel club whose registry isrecognized by the AKC. If foreign, itshall be the applicant’s responsibilityto adequately document the criteriacompliance.

Individuals with extensive experienceand abilities beyond those points listedabove will be given due consideration.

All New Judge applicants must:

1. Pay a $25 per breed application fee.2. Pass the Breed Standard Testdescribed in this Policy.

3. Pass Anatomy and Procedure test.4. Be interviewed satisfactorily by anAKC Executive Field Representativeas described in this Policy.

5. Pass a wicket or scales testadministered by an Executive FieldRepresentative if a breed applied foris a measurable breed.

6. Attend an authorized AKC BasicJudging Institute prior to requestingregular status but not earlier thantwo years prior to submission ofinitial application.

Permit and Regular Status

The designation of a judge as approvedon Permit status is intended to adviseexhibitors that the judge has beenrecently approved for the breed. ThePremium List for all shows shall indicatewith the use of an asterisk for eachPermit breed that the Judge is on Permitstatus for that particular breed as of thetime of AKC’s last approval of the judgingpanel. A judge has completed Permit sta-tus for a breed after completing 3 assign-ments. The judge shall notify theDepartment upon completion of Permitstatus for each breed and shall be desig-nated as being approved with RegularStatus thereafter. An “assignment” is anapproval by the AKC to judge a breed ata conformation show offering champi-onship points. The number of breeds forwhich a judge may be approved uponPermit status is limited in accordancewith the Matrix, Part 4.

Application to Judge Additional Breeds

The Judge Education ComponentRequirements Chart provides for anadvancement protocol that is experiencedbased. Judges approved for multiplegroups will be expected to submit appli-

cations with fewer CEUs per breed thanthose with approval for fewer groups. Anapplication for an additional breed maybe submitted upon completion of theCEU requirements for that breed, subjectto the limit set forth in Section 4 of theMatrix.

Specific Breed Education Requirements

In addition to the mandatory require-ments outlined in sections 1 and 2 of theJudge Education ComponentRequirements Chart, each prospectivejudge must complete optional require-ments. The number of CEU’s for eachbreed necessary to be completed toobtain Permit status varies dependingupon the experience level of the judge. Ajudge completing the first group must,when applying for additional breeds,complete more CEUs per breed than ajudge already approved for a multiplegroups. Applicants must keep records todocument the fulfillment of the CEUrequirements for each breed.

After a judge has been granted regularstatus on all of the breeds approved onthe initial application, an application tojudge an additional breed may be pre-sented to the Department when theapplicant has completed the number ofCEU requirements for said breed as setforth in the Matrix, or as otherwise per-mitted in this Policy. The application shallbe accompanied by the appropriate sup-porting documentation to demonstratecompliance with the CEU requirementsfor the applicant and the breed.Part 4 of the Matrix establishes a maxi-

mum number of breeds that an applicantmay have on Permit status at any onetime. Applications for breeds in excess ofthat maximum will not be accepted.

An applicant for an additional breedshall:

1. Pay a $25 per breed application fee.2. Pass the Breed Standard Testdescribed in this Policy.

3. Be interviewed satisfactorily by anAKC Executive Field Representativeas described in this Policy.

4. Pass a wicket or scales testadministered by an Executive FieldRepresentative if the breed appliedfor is a measurable breed, except that

an applicant who has passed a similartest in the past 5 years withouthaving received a negativeprocedural observation report on thedevice during that time need notagain be tested.

5. Complete at least all of the CEU’srequired for the breed for theapplicant’s level, or as required bythis Policy.

It is the intent of this policy to removebarriers from becoming approved formore breeds and groups. In order to pro-vide the mentoring and guidance when ajudge who is not regularly approved forall of the breeds in a group submits anapplication for additional breeds the fol-lowing process is followed:

The Department assembles and reviewsthe judge’s Judge Breed Commentary(JBC) reports (described later in thisPolicy), all procedural reports, the inter-view report and any other materials itmay have available to it. It is anticipatedthat if the applicant has completed therequired CEU’s, passed the relevant testsand breed interview, and had educationalbased JBC discussions which followed theintent of this policy virtually all appli-cants will be approved for the breeds forwhich they have applied.

If, however, upon such review theDepartment is of the opinion that thejudge should continue his or her educa-tion in the breeds for which they are cur-rently approved, rather than beingapproved for some or all of the additionalbreeds, the following shall occur: TheDepartment shall advise the judge of theadditional breeds which are approved, itsopinion that further education is neededin specific breeds and that the applicationfor those breeds is not approved, and theexact reasons for the opinion providingall documentation upon which that opin-ion is based. The judge may agree towithdraw the pending application for theunapproved breeds. The applicant willreceive a credit for any fee paymentmade for breeds withdrawn. It shall bethe Applicant’s responsibility to documentany credit that he or she might be enti-tled to upon presentation of a later appli-cation. The applicant may apply again forany breeds after such withdrawal at suchtime as the judge chooses. If the applica-tions for the breeds in question are not

A K C G A Z E T T E •17 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


withdrawn, the denial of the applicationfor that breed shall be subject to theautomatic review described later in thisPolicy.

Final Approval

The process includes giving the Fancyan opportunity to be aware of and com-ment on the judge’s application. Once allof the above has been completed theapplicant’s name and the breed(s) forwhich an application is pending will bepublished once in the next available pub-lication of the on-line Gazette. Any suchresponse shall be provided the judge.Upon the review of any responsesreceived the applicant will be advised ofany questions or concerns that arise andprovided the opportunity to respond.

Once the requisite posting in the on-line Gazette and comments received thejudge will be considered for Permit status.Only if the comments bring to the atten-tion of the Department significant causeto withhold approval shall the judge notbe approved once they reach the publica-tion stage. If in the opinion of theDepartment approval should be withheldas a result of the publication process theDepartment shall notify the applicant ofsuch opinion, the reasons for the opinionand provide all of the documentation theDepartment is relying upon for suchopinion. The denial of the applicationshall be subject to the automatic reviewdescribed later in this Policy.

Component Educational Units(CEU)

There are many opportunities for anapplicant to obtain education in a breed.The most common are included in theJudge Education ComponentRequirements Chart. (The Matrix) Thepassage of time does not eradicate aneducational experience. The date of com-pletion of a Qualifying Component isimmaterial. A Breed Mentor is a personapproved by the parent club or theDepartment as such or who has judgedthe National Specialty of the breed.Exhibitors with 12 years’ experience or ajudge of the breed for at least 12 years arepresumed to be Breed Mentors.

Qualifying Components:

1.Attend Parent Club National Specialty.Attending a National is one of thebest ways to learn a breed anddevelop confidence in one’sunderstanding of that breed. Total of6 CEU possible. Attend parent clubnational specialty – 2 CEU. Attendparent club judges’ educationprogram held with national specialty– 1 CEU. Ringside observation witha Breed Mentor: 1 CEU (Maximum2 CEU with different mentors).Ring Steward for a day in theregular conformation class judging ata parent club national specialty – 1CEU.

2. Attend Approved Seminar/Workshop.a. Seminar and workshop (ifapplicable) must meet AKCcriteria for credit.

b. Seminar/workshop host isresponsible for ensuring allrequirements are met to ensureattendees receive proper credit.

c. Guidelines are available on theAKC website or by contactingthe Judging OperationsDepartment.

d. Total of 5 CEU possible:i. Attend seminar with hands-on workshop – 3 CEU or

ii. Attend seminar withouthands-on workshop - 2 CEU

iii. Additional seminar &workshop with differentpresenter – 2 CEU orseminar only with differentpresenter – 1 CEU(Maximum 2 additionalCEUs)

iv.Comparison seminars – willbe accepted for those breedsapproved by the department.Must meet AKC criteria forcredit. CEU value will be thesame as above for each breedpresented.

3.Mentors, tutors and kennel visits.Creditreceived for documented educationalexperience with parent club mentoror individual meeting AKC’s criteria(12 years as approved judge or 12years exhibiting breed). (Withrespect to Low Entry Breeds theDepartment may accept Mentorsand Tutors other than those qualifiedas above.)a. Total of 5 CEU possible.

i. Mentor – 2 CEU – ongoing,long-term relationship

ii. Kennel visit/tutoring session– 2 CEU - one-timeexperience with in-depthdiscussion of breed, its salientcharacteristics, and examinedand discussed examples of thebreed.

iii. Additional mentor, tutor orkennel visit – 1 CEU each

4.Attend Major Entry show.Theapplicant judge must participate inRingside Observation with a BreedMentor at an AKC show where amajor in one sex has been entered. ABreed Mentor may exhibit at theshow but should be available fordiscussion during the major entry –3 CEU. (1 additional CEU for eachadditional attendance andmentoring, maximum of 5 CEU).The additional mentoring andattendance may be at the samecluster or weekend circuit.

5. Sweepstakes or Futurity judging at aSpecialty or Parent Club Supportedevent for the Breed – 3 CEU. (Only1 additional CEU for additionaljudging).

6.ApprenticeTraining. 3 CEU. (1additional CEU for each additionalApprentice Training completed,maximum 6 CEU). (AdditionalApprentice Training sessions may beat the same weekend, cluster orcircuit but must be under differentMentor Judges.) The additionalbreed applicant may accompany theMentor Judge during the judging ofa breed as a Judge Trainee. Theremust be a major entry entered. Thesession must be scheduled prior tothe opening of the show, and theconsent of the Show Chairman andMentor Judge must be obtained.Prior to the first Apprentice Trainingsession of each breed the

Trainee must complete and pass thebreed standard open book testreferenced in this Policy and pay therequired application fee. No furthertest for approval of that breed shallbe required thereafter, unless thebreed standard is amended after thepassing of the test. In that case acurrent test will be required at the

A K C G A Z E T T E •18 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


time of application but no furtherfee shall be required. It shall be theApplicant’s responsibility todocument any credit that he or shemight be entitled to upon presen-tation of a later application. TheMentor Judge may discretelycomment to the Trainee Judge abouthis or her thought process as theclasses are judged. The Mentor andTrainee Judge shall discuss the entrytogether, alone and in confidence,after judging and the Mentor mustcertify that the Trainee was preparedand conversant in the breed’s charac-teristics. Judges who are requested toact as a Mentor Judge should onlyagree to act as such for breeds inwhich they have been approved tojudge the breed for at least 12 yearsor an approved judge with 12 ormore years' breeding and/orexhibiting experience in that breed.Visiting Judges may act as a MentorJudge when appropriate.

7.Attend a Performance Event. 2 CEUwhen applying for a performanceevent breed and where the breed ispresent at the performance event. 1additional CEU for attending asecond performance event, with thebreed present, which may be on thesame weekend or in the same cluster.

8. Judge the breed a total of 3 timescumulatively; in the Group at anAKC show, in Best in Show, in theMiscellaneous Class, as a substitutejudge at an AKC point show, at anAKC sanctioned Match, at aDepartment designated SpecialAttraction, NOHS, or 4-6 monthclass– 2 CEU. One additional CEUfor each additional 3 times to amaximum of 3 total CEUs. (TheDepartment shall publish a list of thetypes of Special Attractions that shallbe accepted under this section of thisPolicy.)

9. Judge an NOHS group at threeevents – 1 CEU in each breedapplied for. 1 additional CEU ineach breed applied for, for eachadditional 3 NOHS Groups. Max 3CEU. NOHS group judging shall beeligible for use in calculating CEU’sin only one application cycle. Oncecredit is used for having judged agroup that judging is no longereligible for future applications.

10.Non-AKC Events.A judging

assignment of an entry of theapplied for breed, which wouldqualify as a 3 point major for AllOther Breeds in any AKC zone inthe continental United States, at anevent other than an AKC event(domestic or foreign) – 3 CEU’s.For significantly larger entries theCEU value would be consistentwith the size and breadth of thejudging assignment. All verificationdocumentation and information,translated to English as necessary,must be submitted to theDepartment with the application.

11. Breeding and Exhibiting Experience.An applicant who has bred orpersonally exhibited to theirchampionships four or more dogsof the breed applied for shall begranted – 3 CEU. An applicant,who has bred or personally run tothe highest AKC Field Trial titleavailable to non-professionals in thebreed, four or more dogs of thebreed, shall be granted 3 CEU. AnAKC Field Trial is any AKC Eventgoverned by the Rules of theAmerican Kennel Club as adoptedby the Delegates.

12. With respect to a Low Entry Breedonly, an at length phone tutoringsession with a breed expert will beaccepted if the Departmentdetermines that insufficienteducational opportunities areavailable – 2 CEU.

13. With respect to a Low Entry Breedonly, attending a show where thebreed is exhibited, examining thedogs present and discussing thebreed with the exhibitor(s) – 1CEU. 1 additional CEU for eachadditional attendance. (Entries of 3or less dogs cannot be repeated byadditional attendance where thesame dogs are entered.) Maximum3 CEU

14. Breeding a litter keeps judgesinvolved in the heart and soul ofthe sport.1 CEU in each breedapplied for when a judge applyingfor additional breeds has bred andraised a litter on his or her premiseswithin the year immediatelypreceding the application.

Other educational experiences that anapplicant believes should be considered aQualifying Component and earn CEUs

should be detailed in writing and dis-cussed with the Judging Operations staff.

Breed Examinations

Successful completion of an open bookbreed examination shall be required ofeach applicant for each breed for whichPermit status is requested or for whichgroup approval is requested withoutbreed approval. An application fee of $25per breed shall be required of each appli-cation. In the event that Permit status fora breed is not granted, any fee paid shallbe a credit for any future breed applica-tion.

The examination answer sheet and feeshall be submitted with each applicationfor each breed or Group. Link to breedexams: http://www.akc.org/judges/guides/

Two or more missed questions or miss-ing one DQ question is considered failingan exam. The judge will be advised toretake the breed exam. If the exam is notpassed on the second attempt it will resultin the denial of the breed application forsix months. Judges may apply for approvalof affected breed(s) after six months and arealistic effort to educate themselves.

The Executive Field Representative

The Executive Field Representativesrepresent AKC interests at conformationshows. AKC interests include, but are notlimited to, judge approval, show commit-tee assistance, and presentations that pro-mote goodwill. Ultimately, exhibitors atconformation events are considered theirpriority. Their role is to serve as the liai-son between the fancy and the AKC.

Executive Field Representatives are thefirst resource for judges to approach withquestions regarding AKC rules, policies,procedure or potential conflicts at AKCevents. Discussion of breed judging withan Executive Field Representative onbreeds with which the Executive FieldRepresentative is a Breed Mentor isencouraged. Executive Field

Representatives will act as mentors andtrainers for judges in order to help pre-pare judges for additional breed judgingexpertise and shall work with breed spe-cialty clubs to assure education and train-ing of judges in the fine points of a breed.

http://www.akc.org/judges/guides/

A K C G A Z E T T E •19 • J U L Y 2 0 1 5


The Executive Field Representative isthere to coach, mentor and support alljudges but in particular first group judgesand to assure they enter the judging pro-fession with the skills needed to furtherthe sport of purebred dogs..

There are three key roles the ExecutiveField Representative plays in the JudgingApproval Process:

1. New and Additional BreedInterview

2. Judge’s Breed Commentary (JBC)Report

3. Procedural Observation

1) Executive Field Representative BreedInterview

An Executive Field Representative willinterview each applicant applying for anybreed. The purpose of the interview is toassist and ensure that the judge has a clearunderstanding of the breed they areapplying to judge and to discuss anypotential issues or questions that thejudge may have.All interviews must be scheduled by an

appointment booked through the JudgingDepartment. Every effort will be made toconduct the interview at a show local towhere the applicant resides or at one atwhich the applicant will otherwise beavailable.Alternatively applicants are welcome to

have their interview conducted in theNorth Carolina office by prior appoint-ment.

The interview will consist of a breedspecific discussion for each breed applied.First time judging applicants will also dis-cuss proper procedure, rules, conflicts ofinterest, the gray areas of the sport,demeanor, special attractions and expecta-tion of judges.Individuals applying for measurable

breeds (height and/or weight as a disqual-ification or condition of class) will berequired to pass the applicable wicketand/or scales exam.Additional breed applicants tested on

the same apparatus in the five years pre-ceding the submission of the applicationwill be exempt from this requirementexcluding those who have received anegative observation report on measuringprocedure or failed the applicable wicketand/or scales test during the five year

period.

Interviews for first time applicantsshould be approximately 30 minutes inlength. Additional breed applicants shouldexpect interviews to be approximately 5 -10 minutes per breed. The applicant ispermitted to use pictures and may consultthe breed standard during the interview.

Upon request the applicant may sched-ule the initial interview with a differentExecutive Field Representative.

2) Judge’s Breed Commentary

A Judge’s Breed Commentary (JBC) isa joint effort of a judge and an ExecutiveField Representative. The JBC provides adialogue opportunity for the newer judgeand the Executive Field Representative. Itis a mentoring opportunity for new andbeginning judges and is intended to assistthem in evolving their skills as a judgeboth in adjudicating their entry as well astheir procedural skills.

The ultimate purpose of the JBC is toguide and document a conversationbetween the judge and the ExecutiveField Representative at the conclusion ofa breed judging assignment. The intent isfor an Executive Field Representative toobserve the judging of a breed and tofacilitate a discussion along a prescribedformat where the judge describes anddocuments the choices made during thejudging as well as discusses any proce-dural or other issues that may haveoccurred. It is not the Executive FieldRepresentative’s role to express opinionsabout the placements made. Rather, theExecutive Field Representative shouldhelp the judge describe the dogs judged,the factors which contributed to the par-ticular awards and placements made, theestimated quality of the entry and theoverall impressions of the entry all inbreed specific language.The JBC process will be as follows:

1. A Judge not approved for all of thebreeds in a group will check in withthe Executive Field Representativein the morning of the judgingassignment. The Executive FieldRepresentative will advise the Judgeof the breed(s) which will beobserved and a JBC form for eachbreed to be observed will be

provided to the Judge. Followingjudging the Judge will fill in theCommentary section of the JBCform by describing the entry as awhole and noting any strengths andweaknesses observed in the exhibits.The judge should describe the dogsawarded (or of which special notewas made), the factors whichcontributed to the particular awardsand placements made, the estimatedquality of the entry and the overallimpressions of the entry, all in breedspecific language.

2. On a separate form the ExecutiveField Representative will also fill inthe Commentary section of the JBCform by describing the entry as awhole and noting any strengths andweaknesses observed in the exhibits.The Executive Field Representativeshould describe the dogs observed,the estimated quality of the entryand the overall impressions of theentry, all in breed specific language.Just as with the Judge, the ExecutiveField Representative will providetheir critique of the entry usingbreed specific language asappropriate.

3. Once both have completed theappropriate JBC form sections, thediscussion shall center on thesalient/hallmark characteristics ofthe breed and the level of the entrythat day. Notes regarding thediscussion, based upon the Judge’sand Executive Field Representative’sobservations and post-assignmentdiscussion, will be added to the thirdsection of the Executive FieldRepresentative’s JBC form usingbreed specific format as above. Therewill be no grade assigned to thereport nor is this a “pass/fail”discussion. It is intended to help thenew judge to consider the entry andhave the opportunity to exchangeideas, as there is no right or wrongdue to the subjective nature ofjudging through one’s interpretation.

4. A JBC may be completed in anybreed for any judge not approved tojudge all of the breeds in a group.The entry of the breed for which aJBC will be completed should besufficient to allow a meaningfulcomparative discussion of the meritsof the dogs in competition. Whensuch an entry exists and an

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Executive Field Representative isavailable all efforts should be madeto complete a JBC. Although nominimum requirements for thecompletion of JBC’s for a judge areimposed, the more often a newerjudge has an opportunity to engagein a JBC with an Executive FieldRepresentative, the more value theJBC will have as an educational tool.The classes in which the dogs incompetition are entered areimmaterial.

5. The JBC completion shall be at thediscretion of the Executive FieldRepresentative, but a judge mayrequest an Executive FieldRepresentative to conduct a JBCcompletion. A judge may make notesduring the breed judging and itshould be recognized by all that a bitmore time for judging the breed isappropriate.

6. The Executive Field Representativeand Judge will sign and date thereports. The Executive FieldRepresentative will scan the reportsand provide the Judge a copy. TheExecutive Field Representative willfile the completed JBC with theDepartment.

7. If a Judge believes an Executive FieldRepresentative has gone beyond theintent of this policy during theJudge’s Breed Commentary, thatbelief may be reported to theExecutive Secretary of the AmericanKennel Club. Any such report mustcontain the specific instance(s)where a policy violation is alleged tohave occurred and how it had anadverse impact on the JBC for theJudge. Upon receipt of such acomplaint the Executive Secretaryshall compile a response to thecomplaint from AKC staffand submit the complaint, theresponse and all other relevant factsto the Board Appeals Committee forreview and disposition. The BoardAppeals Committee may take anyaction it deems appropriate withrespect to the JBC at issue.

3) Executive Field RepresentativeProcedural Observations

Adherence of a judge to basic require-ments in the ring is essential. AKC

Executive Field Representatives willobserve a judge in accordance with thisPolicy to educate as necessary and assurethat the judge is adhering to suchrequirements.

A Procedural Observation Report filedby the Executive Field Representativeand provided to the judge shall documentthe observation.Judges approved for less than a com-

plete group can expect to be observedwhile all judges will be subject to peri-odic procedural observation. The currentPolicies with respect to Fitness to Judgeand Judges Unable to Perform areapproved and continued.Procedural observations shall focus on

the basic criteria below:

1) Professional and courteous conductto all participants

2)Compliance with the RulesApplying to Dog Shows

3) Proper, efficient and safe ringprocedure

4)Timeliness of Judging5)The physical and mental ability toadequately perform the duties ofJudge

Judges found to be deficient in suchProcedural Observation Reports shall begiven the opportunity to be mentoredand trained in correcting such deficien-cies. In the event that the Departmentbelieves that such deficiencies continue itmay advise the judge of such belief andthat the judge will be required to attendan AKC approved training session (AKCBasic Institute or similar course) withinsix months following the notice. Shouldthe Department make such determina-tion, the Executive Field Representativereports detailing such deficiencies and therecommendations of the Department forcuring such identified problems shall beforwarded to the judge. Such a determi-nation shall be automatically presented tothe Judges Review Committee forreview and confirmation.

Should a judge who is approved for abreed or breeds which may be weighedor measured receive a procedural reportidentifying a deficiency in the weighingor measuring of an entry during judging,the judge shall be required to be inter-viewed by a different Executive FieldRepresentative and demonstrate profi-

ciency in the use of scales or a wicket, asapplicable. If that Executive FieldRepresentative believes the judge has notadequately demonstrated such proficiencythe judge may be asked to demonstratethe proficient use of scales or wicket, asapplicable, with another Executive FieldRepresentative. If that Executive FieldRepresentative also finds that the judge isnot proficient in the use of the scales orwicket the judge’s approval to judge anybreed in which a scale or wicket, as appli-cable, may be used in the ring shall besuspended until such time as an ExecutiveField Representative agrees that the judgehas demonstrated the required profi-ciency.

Removal of Breed Approval

Should the Department determine thata judge’s approval to judge a particularbreed should be removed for cause, afternotice to the judge and an attempt to re-educate the judge, the Department maypetition the Board of Directors to removesuch approval. Such a Petition shall besubmitted to the Judges ReviewCommittee and any determination ofthat committee shall be submitted forfinal action to the Board of Directors.The Board of Directors may set anyterms it deems appropriate for the rein-statement of the judge’s approval to judgeany such breed for which approval hasbeen removed.

Best In Show

Best In Show approval:•Must have current approval for onefull Group on regular status.•Must have judged the group 5 times.• A non-refundable $25 fee required.

Conformation Group Approval

Individuals approved to judge breedsconstituting 80% of the entries in thatgroup from the previous year may requestapproval to judge the group competition.

1. Group approval would be for nomore than three years, dating fromthe first group assignment.

2. May not be assigned breeds notcurrently approved constituting thebalance of the group.

3. Group status would be removed after

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the three-year period if the judgehas failed to gain approval for thebalance of the breeds within thegroup by completing the appropriatenumber of Qualifying Componentsin accordance with the JudgeEducation ComponentRequirements Chart. The Judge mayapply for the breeds constituting thebalance of the group without regardto having Permit status in otherbreeds, subject to the limitationscontained in Section 4 of theMatrix.

4. Judges granted Group status underthis policy are required to pass thebreed exam and submit a $25 fee forany newly recognized breeds whosedate of full recognition falls withinthe three year period to maintainGroup status.

Miscellaneous Class Judging Approval

Any judge eligible to judge a Groupon regular status may also be approved tojudge the Miscellaneous Class.

Newly Recognized Breeds

Once a new breed enters a Group, alljudges eligible to judge the Group areautomatically granted the breed afterpassing the appropriate breed standardtest and submitting a $25 per breed fee.

Failure to pass the breed standard testin two (2) attempts and/or submit the$25 fee will result in the removal ofGroup approval status. An Affected judgemay continue to judge the Group onpending panels only and additionalassignments will not be approved for anyaffected Group until such time as thebreed has been approved. Judges mayapply for approval of affected breed(s)after six months and a realistic effort toeducate themselves.

Reinstatement/Reactivation

All judges who voluntarily request res-ignation must submit a letter to JudgingOperations.• Judges who become AKC employees(and members of their immediatehousehold) will be placed on inactivestatus and need not submit a letter toJudging Operations; additionally,

judges who have not been heardfrom for five years or more andcannot be located are also placed oninactive status.• Judging Operations Department willpublish the names on the Secretary’sPage in the next available Gazette.• Judges requesting reinstatement oftheir judging privileges must do so inwriting and successfully meet thecurrent criteria. AKC Staff willreview and validate the request andthe Board will be notified at its nextmeeting. The judge’s name andapproved breeds/groups will bepublished as Reinstated on theSecretary’s Page of the next availableGazette.• Current employees (and members oftheir immediate household) whohave letters on file “resigning” theirjudging privileges are considered tobe on inactive.• A $25 fee is required forreinstatement.

Criteria:

• Judges who have been onresigned/inactive status for less thanone year would receive automaticreinstatement/reactivation.• Judges who have been onresigned/inactive status for more thanone year may not need to reapplyunder the current system if they candocument continuous in-depthactivity in the sport (see Note).• Judges who have been onresigned/inactive status for more thanone year must reapply under thecurrent system if they cannotdocument continuous activity in thesport (see Note).• Eligibility and the reason forreinstatement/reactivation must bereviewed and validated by Staff.• All individuals resigned/inactive formore than one year must beinterviewed on current Rules,Regulations, Policies, Guidelines andBreed Standards; pass a ProceduralExamination, Anatomy Test, andmeet current requirements.• Only previously approvedbreeds/groups may bereinstated/reactivated. In the case of aGroup(s) with a newly recognizedbreed(s), breed standard test(s) must

be passed and a non-refundable $25fee required for each newlyrecognized breed.• Requests received fromresigned/inactive judges meeting alleligibility requirements wouldreceive automaticreinstatement/reactivation from AKCstaff for all previously approvedbreeds/groups.

Note: Continuous in-depth activitymay include but not be limited to: judgeswho resigned to exhibit dogs onbreed/group level; employment withAKC; licensed superintendent; dog foodsalesperson or solicitor; publisher of a dogpublication; other occupation or involve-ment at Conformation events on aweekly or monthly basis.

Parent Club’s Recommendation for AKCApproval on a member of their club tojudge their breed

• Parent Club is invited to submitrecommendations, not to exceedthree members each year.• Submit certified copy of meetingminutes at which action was taken bythe Parent Club Board.

Requirements from Applicant/Judge

• All Recommendations by ParentClubs must include 20 years in thebreed by applicant withbreeding/exhibiting success.•Must include 10 years membershipin Parent Club.•Must be occupationally eligible.•Must be 21 years of age.• Procedural and anatomy test requiredand if applicable, scale and wicket testrequired.• If for the first breed, pass proceduralinterview with AKC Executive FieldRepresentative.•Must pass breed standard test• A $25 per breed fee is required.

Specialty Clubs by request may inviteeligible individuals for approval to judgetheir events.

Requirements for Applicant/Judge

• Any eligible individuals including,but not limited to, professionalhandlers may be approved on a case-

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by-case, event-by- event request fromthe Specialty Club for approval tojudge their Parent Club National orParent Club Regional events.•Must be 21 years of age.•Must be occupationally eligible,except that professional handlers maybe approved under this policy.• Should be knowledgeable, withsuccess inbreeding/exhibiting/handling in thebreed for 15 years or more.• Procedure and anatomy test requiredand if applicable, scale or wicket testrequired.• A $25 per breed fee is required fornon- approved judges.

Visiting Judge Policy

• Visiting judges who do not trade ortraffic in dogs may be eligible tojudge at AKC events, any breed(s) forwhich they are approved by an AKCrecognized registry as listed in AKC'sSpecial Registry Services.• Judges from countries in which theAKC recognized registry registersbreeds recognized by the AmericanKennel Club may judge all breedsand groups for which they areapproved by their home kennel clubto award championship points(including CC’s or CAC’s).• Visiting judges who are invited tojudge (breeds and) groups, whichcontain breeds not registered in theircountry of origin, may apply for, takethe test for and pay a $25.00 fee foreach breed. Upon successfulcompletion of this process, suchjudges will be approved by theAmerican Kennel Club to judgethose breeds in the future. Visitingjudges who decline to apply underthis process may continue to beapproved for such groups as theywere previously approvable under theterms, conditions, agreements andunderstanding under previous policy,provided that they judge breedsconstituting at least 80% of theannual entries in that group at thetime they are first approved for thatgroup, based on the previous year’scount of entries.• Visiting group judges where theAKC group contains breedsregistered in their country, but whichare not within their corresponding

group and for which they are notapproved to judge, may be approvedfor such group(s), provided that theyjudge breeds constituting at least 80%of the annual entries in that group atthe time they are first approved forthat group, based on the previousyear’s count of entries.• Visiting judges from an AKCrecognized registry may be approvedto judge up to eight All Breedassignments in one calendar year.• Individual breed judges may beapproved to judge that breed at anunlimited number of AKC specialtyshows and no more than eight AKCAll-Breed shows if they are approvedto judge that breed in their owncountry and by an AKC recognizedregistry regardless of their residency.• Negative Procedural ObservationReports may result in denial ofcontinued approval to judge AKCevents, or the necessity to pass aprocedural examination.• Visiting Judges are not eligible forapproval to judge Jr. ShowmanshipClasses at AKC events.• A visiting judge who has establishedresidence in the U.S. will only beapproved as a visiting judge for twoyears, after which they will berequired to apply under the AKCsystem.• Visiting judges must documentresidency if U.S. mailing address issubmitted.

We invite visiting judges into our sys-tem. Visiting judges who wish to judgemore than eight All-Breed shows per yearmay apply under AKC's visiting judges'approval process as follows:

Individuals must have judged at AKCshows for over eight years and have beenan approved judge for ten years in theirown country.Visiting judges who have judged the

breeds requested on the initial applicationat least eight times in the U.S. over thepast three years will not be required tomeet the match show judging and stew-arding requirements or to judge Permitassignments.The following information is applica-

ble to the visiting judge's initial AKCjudging application:

• Applicant may apply for up to

fourteen breeds based on therequired background and experience.• Applicant must complete the judgingapplication for submission to AKCJudging Operations Department andbe published in the AKC Gazette.• Applicant must successfully completeall Anatomy and Procedural “open-book” exams.• Applicant must speak and readEnglish OR arrange for aninterpreter when judging at AKCevents.• Educational background andpreparation in country of residencewill be considered for the breedsrequested.• Three assignments in the U.S. mustbe completed before being eligible tosubmit a second application, whichwill be processed under the currentAKC system.• Judges applying under this processmust conform to AKC's occupationaleligibility and Conflict of Interestrules and guidelines.• Visiting judges choosing AKCapproval will no longer be approvedto judge AKC events using theirprevious visiting judging qualifi-cations.

Visiting Judge Exempt List

Visiting judges on the Exempt list willbe approved to judge unlimited assign-ments in the United States. The Board ofDirectors shall approve the addition of allpersons to the Exempt list.

Judges Review Committee of the Boardof Directors

The Board of Directors shall appoint aJudges Review Committee consisting ofthree of its members who are, when pos-sible, approved judges. The JudgesReview Committee shall oversee theimplementation and administration ofthis Policy and regularly report to the fullBoard on its progress.

The denial by the Department of anyapplication to judge a breed shall auto-matically be presented to the JudgesReview Committee for review and con-firmation. The Judges ReviewCommittee may determine to grant ordeny any application for a breed pre-sented to it. If the Judges Review

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Committee upholds the Department’sdenial of the breed application the appli-cant may appeal to the Board AppealsCommittee as outlined later in this Policy.A credit for any application fee paid byan applicant for any breed applicationthat is denied shall be given the appli-cant. It shall be the Applicant’s responsi-bility to document any credit that he orshe might be entitled to upon presenta-tion of a later application.

Appeal Process

If an applicant is aggrieved of a deci-sion of the Department in implementingor administering this Judging ApprovalPolicy, other than an application forwhich an automatic review is providedherein, such applicant must state, in writ-ing, to the Department, exactly the deter-mination with which he or she disagreesand the reasons for the disagreement.TheDepartment shall consider the position ofthe applicant and shall respond appropri-ately, in writing, within 15 days of receiptof the applicant’s notice that he or shedisagrees with its prior determination. Ifthe applicant remains dissatisfied with theaction of the Department, the applicantmay, within 15 days of the receipt of thedetermination of the Department, andupon payment of a $50 Appeal Fee,appeal the Department’s determination tothe Judges Review Committee.Within 15days of receipt of the appeal theDepartment shall compile all documentsrelevant or connected to the matter, alongwith all documents and statements theapplicant determines, and submit theappeal to the Judges Review Committee.The Committee will determine the issuewith the documentary submissions andadvise the Department and applicant of itsdecision within 30 days. If still aggrieved,the applicant may, within 15 days of thenotice, appeal to the Board AppealsCommittee which will hold a hearing onthe issue.The Board of Directors shallfinally determine all appeals. No appeal ofany issue shall delay or reverse anyapproval to judge any breeds not involvedin the appeal.The burden of demonstrat-ing the compliance with this Policy shallbe on the Department.

Forms

The Department shall prepare appro-priate forms for use by Applicants inmaking application under this Policy, toevidence each Qualifying ComponentCEU, Executive Field Staff ProceduralObservations, the JBC and to effectuateany appeal. Forms may be digital and allsubmissions may be made in digitalmedia. Every form or request for infor-mation proposed for use to implementand administer this Judging ApprovalPolicy shall be submitted to the Board ofDirectors.

Should the Department believe that aninterpretation of this Policy is required itshall present a request for such interpreta-tion to the Board of Directors.

AKC CODE OF SPORTSMANSHIP

PREFACE: The sport of purebred dogcompetitive events dates prior to1884, the yearof AKC’s birth. Shared values of thoseinvolved in the sport include principles ofsportsmanship. They are practiced in all sectorsof our sport: conformation, performance andcompanion. Many believe that these principlesof sportsmanship are the prime reason why oursport has thrived for over one hundred years.With the belief that it is useful to periodicallyarticulate the fundamentals of our sport, thiscode is presented.

• Sportsmen respect the history,traditions and integrity of the sportof purebred dogs.• Sportsmen commit themselves tovalues of fair play, honesty, courtesy,and vigorous competition, as well aswinning and losing with grace.• Sportsmen refuse to compromisetheir commitment and obligation tothe sport of purebred dogs byinjecting personal advantage or

consideration into their decisions orbehavior.• The sportsman judge judges only onthe merits of the dogs and considersno other factors.• The sportsman judge or exhibitoraccepts constructive criticism.• The sportsman exhibitor declines toenter or exhibit under a judge whereit might reasonably appear that thejudge’s placements could be based onsomething other than the merits ofthe dogs.• The sportsman exhibitor refuses tocompromise the impartiality of ajudge.• The sportsman respects the AKCbylaws, rules, regulations and policiesgoverning the sport of purebreddogs.• Sportsmen find that vigorouscompetition and civility are notinconsistent and are able toappreciate the merit of theircompetition and the effort ofcompetitors.• Sportsmen welcome, encourage andsupport newcomers to the sport.• Sportsmen will deal fairly with allthose who trade with them.• Sportsmen are willing to sharehonest and open appraisals of boththe strengths and weaknesses of theirbreeding stock.• Sportsmen spurn any opportunity totake personal advantage of positionsoffered or bestowed upon them.• Sportsmen always consider asparamount the welfare of their dog.• Sportsmen refuse to embarrass thesport, the American Kennel Club, orthemselves while taking part in thesport.

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