|
June 2026 Update to Clubs
|
|
|
Competitive Non-Regular Conformation Classes
|
|
At its June 2026 meeting, the Delegate body approved the proposed amendment to Chapter 3, Section 12 of the Rules Applying to Dog Shows. The amendment codifies the AKC Board of Directors’
May 2025 clarification that event committees may not offer competitive non-regular classes when castration or spaying is required for class eligibility.
This amendment does not remove a club’s option to permit castrated dogs or spayed bitches to compete in single-entry non-regular classes at independent
specialties or All-Breed dog shows with no competition beyond Best of Breed.
|
|
|
|
Reminder – Event Service Fee Adjustment – Effective January 1, 2027
|
|
As previously announced, the event service fee will increase by one dollar per entry for all sport types that currently incur a fee, effective
January 1, 2027. Competitions that have not been subject to a fee, such as Junior Showmanship, Sweepstakes, and Obedience Non-Regular classes, will remain fee-free.
|
|
|
|
Event Kit Reminder and Schedule
|
|
As previously communicated, starting in November 2024 and phased in for most sports throughout 2025, AKC transitioned from mailing event kits
for each event to one annual kit per year for each sport a club is active in. Below is the mailing schedule for affected sports:
|
-
January: Spaniel Field Trials and Hunt Tests
-
February: Earthdog and Lure Coursing
-
April: Herding
-
May: Conformation
-
June: Obedience
-
July: Rally
-
August: Agility
-
September: Retriever Field Trials and Hunt Tests
-
October: Pointing Breed Field Trials and Hunt Tests
-
November: Basset Hound Field Trials, Dachshund Field Trials, and Tracking
|
|
Clubs who use a superintendent for all aspects of their Conformation events will not receive a Conformation event kit.
Clubs can download most forms from the AKC website by clicking
here.
If assistance is needed or to obtain additional printed materials clubs may contact
even...@akc.org.
|
|
|
|
Screw Worm - Advise to Exhibitors
|
|
Exhibitors planning to travel across state lines with dogs to compete in AKC-sanctioned events are strongly encouraged to carefully check and follow New World Screwworm (NWS) rules for
your home state, any states you will pass through, and your destination—and also for your return trip. You can find links to each state’s requirements on
GR’s
NWS webpage.
What will be required depends on your specific situation. Requirements may include getting advance approval, having your dog examined by an accredited veterinarian and documented on
a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), and giving parasite treatments. These rules may apply if you are traveling from or through areas with confirmed cases or higher risk—such as infested or surveillance zones, affected counties or neighboring countries,
or states trying to prevent NWS from entering.
We would also recommend you check the GR’s
NWS screw worm alert information page, which is updated daily (or more often as needed).
|
|
|
|
AKC Event Operations Blog
|
|
The AKC Event Operations team maintains a blog that contains these, as well as other, updates to clubs. The blog is a useful resource of information
and can be found
here.
|
|
|
|
|
Please contact the Event Operations department at
even...@akc.org
with any questions.
|
|
|
|
|
