AKC® Tracking Judging Requirements and Approval Process
Judges requesting an observation, please send requests to cejdgobs@akc.org.
Apprentice Judging Program: Permission to apprentice must be obtained from the test giving club and both judges. Only one apprentice judge will be allowed at each test. Apprentice judges must attend both the day of plotting and the day of the test. Apprentice judges must submit copies of the plotted tracks and a copy of the apprentice document with their application to receive credit. Apprentice judging forms are located on the AKC website at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/events/tracking/guidelines_apprentice.pdf.
To qualify as an applicant for TD or TDX judging - you must have:
1. Personally owned, trained and handled two (2) dogs that have been awarded an AKC Tracking Dog title (TD); (if applying for Tracking Dog)
OR
2. Personally owned, trained and handled a dog that has been awarded an AKC Tracking Dog Excellent Title (TDX) and title at least one other dog to a Tracking Dog (TD) title; (if applying for Tracking Dog Excellent)
3. Been active in the sport a minimum of six (6) consecutive years;
4. Observed tracking judges in planning and plotting tracks by:
a. Serving as a tracklayer for a minimum of ten (10) TD tracks or six (6) TDX tracks at an AKC member or licensed tracking tests, whichever you are applying for. Must submit completed charts of at least two (2) tracks of which you served as a tracklayer.
b. Apprentice judge under two (2) judges. The apprentice assignments must be at two (2) different TD or TDX test, whichever you are applying for, and the judge may not be a member of the apprentice’s household or immediate family.
5. Attended an AKC tracking seminar within the last three (3) years.
To apply as a Provisional Judge:
Forward completed application, questionnaire and Part I (open book test consisting of two questions) to the Companion Events Department, PO Box 900068, Raleigh, NC 27675-9068 to begin the approval process.
The application, questionnaire and Part I may be found at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/masterform.cfm.
Following the initial screening to determine that the applicant meets all minimum requirements and receives a "pass" on the Part I test, the applicant's name will be published on the Secretary's Page of the first available issue of the GAZETTE as a Tracking Judging Applicant. This provides all interested persons the opportunity to comment on the applicant's judging qualifications.
Provisional Approval:
All applicants are required to pass a written test consisting of multiple-choice questions, followed by a personal interview with one of the Tracking Field Representatives. The Companion Events Department will schedule a mutually convenient test appropriate tracking test site where the test and interview may be held with the applicant and representative.
Applications are reviewed at the first available monthly meeting of the Judges Approval Committee for final determination. Following review, applicants will receive written notification of the Committee's action. If approved, the applicant's name will be published on the Secretary's Page of the first available issue of the GAZETTE as a Provisional Tracking Dog, Tracking Dog Excellent or Variable Surface Tracking Dog judge. The judge may then accept judging assignments for the class approved.
As a provisional Tracking Dog or Tracking Dog Excellent judge, they must judge a minimum of four (4) tests with at least three (3) different judges, only one of which may be a spouse. In addition, a satisfactory observation judging at the provisional level must be completed within one year prior to the request for regular status. The provisional judge must inform the Companion Events department when judging assignments are accepted, for ease in scheduling the observation send dates of assignments to cejdgobs@akc.org.
Regular Approval:
Upon completion of the assignments and satisfactory observation, the provisional judge must contact the Companion Events department to request regular status.
The TD form can be found at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/Regular_Tracking_Dog.pdf
The TDX form can be found at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/Regular_Tracking_Dog_Excellent.pdf
The Companion Events staff will review the request for regular status. In some cases, additional assignments or observations may be requested with approval delayed until the completion of same. In others, however, approval will be granted and the judge's name will be published on the Secretary's Page of the first available issue of the GAZETTE as Provisional Tracking Judging Completed.
To Apply for an Additional Class:
The regular judge must judge a minimum of two (2) additional tests and have a satisfactory observation within one year prior to the request for next level by a Tracking Field Rep. These are in addition to the four (4) judged to obtain provisional status. If meeting these requirements, an application for the next test level may be submitted and procedures are followed as explained above.
Overview of Procedures:
- Complete requirements for TD
- Send in applications and Part I Test
- Name published as applicant
- Take written test and interview with Field Rep
- Name published as provisional judge
- Judge a minimum of four (4) tests as a provisional judge, one (1) satisfactory observation by a Field Rep
- Request regular status
- Judge a minimum of two (2) tests, one (1) satisfactory observation by a Field Rep, or Judge a minimum of six (6) tests as a provisional judge, two (2) satisfactory observations, one (1) of which must have been within the last year.
- Complete requirements for Tracking Dog Excellent
- Follow procedures 2 through 7
Requirements to apply for Variable Surface Tracking
- Must be approved to judge TDX judge or an approved regular status TD judge who has owned, trained and handled a dog that has been awarded a VST title;
- Observed tracking judges in planning and plotting of VST tracks by:
a. serving as a tracklayer for a minimum of four (4) VST tracks at an AKC member of licensed tracking tests. Must submit completed charts of at least two (2) tracks of which you served as a tracklayer.
b. apprentice judge under two (2) judges. The apprentice assignments must be at two (2) different VST tests and the judge may not be a member of the apprentice’s household or immediate family.
- Attended an AKC Tracking seminar within the last three (3) years.
Provisional approval for VST:
- Complete overview steps 2 through 5
Regular approval for VST:
- Judge at least 3 VST tests as a provisional judge and observed at least one (1) time by an AKC Tracking Field Representative within one year prior to the request for regular status
Upon completion of the assignments and satisfactory observation, the provisional judge should contact the Companion Events Department.
The VST form can be found at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/Regular_Variable_Surface_Tracking.pdf
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