POPULAR DALMATIAN AKC SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
CONFORMATION
A conformation dog show class is where a judge evaluates breeding stock for how well the dogs conform to the breed standard. To earn the title of Champion of Record and add CH in front of its name, a dog must win at least 15 points at AKC shows, with at least two majors (3 to 5 point wins). While the maximum number of points awarded at an event is five, each class carries a different point value, depending on the number of dogs competing of one sex at any show and the AKC Schedule of Points set in each area of the United States. Dogs earn points by defeating other dogs of the same sex in their breed.
ROAD DOG TRIALS
A Dalmatian Road Trial is a field trial, or "performance event", for Dalmatians. Dalmatians were once bred to follow the horse; they were called "coach dogs". A Road Trial is designed to test the Dalmatian ability to follow a horse and obey commands from the rider who is on horseback or in a horse-drawn vehicle .
FASTCAT
FastCAT is a timed 100-yard dash where a dog chases a lure. Their time is then converted into miles per hour and then converted into points earned towards a title. The event is a fun and healthy activity for dogs and their owners to enjoy in the outdoors. Dogs must be 12 months of age or older to compete, and be registered or listed with the AKC.
DOG AGILITY
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. Consequently, the handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and coordination of the handler.
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN / TRICK DOG
The AKC Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program provides a perfect framework for training your dog to become a polite member of society. Based on you and your dog’s training needs, you have multiple options to get started.
You can teach your dog the 10 CGC skills yourself, work with a CGC trainer or attend a CGC training class where the test is given at the end of graduation.
Trick Dog titles and requirements can be found on the AKC website, always a good reference!
BARN HUNT
Dogs and their handlers work together to locate rats (which are always safe in tubes) hidden in a maze of straw or hay bales. Barn Hunt events are a pass/fail sport, though ranked by timing. Courses become increasingly difficult by adding more obstacles, diversions and an increased number of rats to find. There are several types of Barn Hunt titles your dog can earn.
SCENT WORK
The sport of Scent Work is based on the work of professional detection dogs (such as drug dogs), employed by humans to detect a wide variety of scents and substances. In AKC Scent Work, dogs may search for cotton swabs saturated with the essential oils of Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. Learn more on the AKC website.
RALLY
AKC Rally, also known as Rally Obedience, is a competitive dog sport sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It combines elements of traditional obedience with agility, focusing on the teamwork between dog and handler. In a Rally event, the team navigates a course with 10 to 20 stations, each displaying a sign with instructions for a specific exercise, such as turns, sits, and stays. Unlike traditional obedience competitions, handlers can encourage and communicate with their dogs throughout the course. The sport is designed to be fun and accessible, promoting positive interactions and obedience training in a supportive, structured environment.