An AKC obedience trial is a competitive dog sport event hosted under American Kennel Club rules where dogs execute a precise set of trained exercises in a ring while handlers are evaluated on accuracy, teamwork, and control.
Core Objectives & Eligibility
- Purpose: To evaluate a dog’s willingness and ability to obey its handler in the home, in public, and around other dogs.
- Scoring: Each team begins with a perfect score of 200 points, with deductions made for errors like loose positioning or extra commands. A score of 170 or higher (with >50% points on every exercise) earns a qualifying score.
- Eligibility: Open to dogs at least 6 months old that are physically sound and registered through the AKC, Canine Partners (mixed breeds), or the Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program.
Competition Levels & Titles
Competitors advance through progressive tiers of difficulty:
- Novice (Title: CD – Companion Dog): Performed on- and off-leash, including heeling, figure-8 patterns, standing for a physical examination by the judge, stays, and the recall.
- Open (Title: CDX – Companion Dog Excellent): Performed entirely off-leash, adding challenges like drops on recall, flat and jump retrieves, and a broad jump.
- Utility (Title: UD – Utility Dog): The highest standard level, featuring scent discrimination, hand-signal-only exercises, and directed jumping.
- Advanced & Peak Honors: Combining titles leads to advanced honors like the UDX and the prestigious OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion).
Medina Kennel Club holds obedience trials at our training center two weekends per year—week 20 and week 48 on the AKC calendar.
Holiday Classic
Saturday November 28, 2026
Event # 2026093041 and 2026093042
(2 trials to run concurrently)
Sunday November 29, 2026
Event # 2026093043 and 2026093044
(2 trials to run concurrently)
The Premium may be found here: December 2026 premium
A MAY Zing Obedience Trial
