– Entries Open August 3rd–
The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the second AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge. This virtual conformation competition is open to all AKC recognized breeds including Miscellaneous breeds. Entries close on August 10th at 12pm ET.
Heading the panel as Best in Show and Best Puppy judge is Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr of Brooklyn, NY.
The entry fee to participate is $25 and $10 of every entry will be donated by AKC to AKC Reunite’s Adopt A K-9 Cop program, which works with AKC Clubs to donate K-9 police dogs to police departments around the United States. This donation will be matched by AKC Reunite. Last month’s event generated a $7,000 donation to Take The Lead.
Entrants can go to AKC.org under the Sports and Events tab to enter and get instructions on how to upload their video. Dogs can be entered in one of two classes, Puppy (at least 6 months and under 12 months) or Open Class (any entry including CH of record) in the appropriate breed and sex. Entries are limited to 100 dogs per breed and is on a first come, first serve basis. Video submissions for each class will be judged individually and placed 1st -4th. Submissions will be judged by selected dog people with expertise in their respective breeds.
Breed judging will take place Friday, August 14th beginning at 12pm ET through Monday, August 17th at 6pm ET, with breed winners announced on Wednesday, August 19th. Group judging will begin on Wednesday, August 19th at 12pm ET and conclude on Friday, August 21st at 12pm ET. Group winners will be announced on Monday, August 24th. Best in Show judging will begin on Monday, August 24th and conclude at 12pm ET on Tuesday, August 25th. Best in Show will be announced on Wednesday, August 26th.
Participants must submit a video that does not exceed 2 minutes in length and must include:
- Dog in stack from the front, side and rear
- Display of the appropriate oral exam for the breed (front, front/sides, front/sides/open, front/open)
- View of the dog gaiting (moving) down and back in a straight line and from the side
- Dog presented in free stack
- View of dog moving in profile around in a circle
Judges for the seven variety groups and the Miscellaneous Class are:
- SPORTING – Elliott B. Weiss
- HOUND – Ms. Celeste M. Gonzalez
- WORKING – Mrs. Paula Nykiel
- TERRIER – Mr. Wood Wornall
- TOY – Miss Evalyn Gregory
- NON-SPORTING – Mr. Johnny R. Shoemaker
- HERDING – Ms. Linda Robey
- MISCELLANEOUS CLASS – Mr. Jeffery M. Bazell
BREED JUDGING FOR THE VIRTUAL TOP DOG CHALLENGE
| SPORTING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mrs. Meghen Riese-Bassel | Barbet, Brittany, Lagotto Romagnolo, Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, Pointer, Pointer (German Shorthaired), Pointer (German Wirehaired), Spaniel (American Water), Spaniel (Boykin), Spaniel (Clumber), Spaniel (Cocker) ASCOB, Spaniel (Cocker) Black, Spaniel (Cocker) Parti, Spaniel (English Cocker), Spaniel (English Springer), Spaniel (Field), Spaniel (Irish Water), Spaniel (Sussex), Spaniel (Welsh Springer), Spinone Italiano, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Vizsla |
| Mr. Carl Gene Liepmann | Retriever (Chesapeake Bay), Retriever (Curly-Coated), Retriever (Flat-Coated), Retriever (Golden), Retriever (Labrador), Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling), Setter (English), Setter (Gordon), Setter (Irish Red and White), Setter (Irish) |
| HOUND GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Edward W. Hall | Afghan Hound, American English Coonhound, American Foxhound, Azawakh, Bloodhound, Bluetick Coonhound, Borzoi, English Foxhound, Greyhound, Harrier, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Norwegian Elkhound, Otterhound, Pharoah Hound, Plott Hound, Redbone Coonhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, Treeing Walker Coonhound |
| Dr. Kenneth H. Levison | Basenji, Basset Hound, Beagle (13 in. and under), Beagle (over 13 in.), Cirneco dell’Etna, Dachshund (Longhaired), Dachshund (Smooth), Dachshund (Wirehaired), Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, Whippet |
| WORKING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mrs. Wendy G. Willhauck | Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boerboel, Boxer, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor, Kuvasz, Leonberger, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, St. Bernard, Tibetan Mastiff |
| Mr. Norman B. Kenney | Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Chinook, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, German Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane, Newfoundland, Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler, Standard Schnauzer |
| TERRIER GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Ms. Anne M. Barlow | Airedale Terrier, American Hairless Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier, Bull Terrier (Colored), Bull Terrier (White), Cairn Terrier, Cesky Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Fox Terrier (Smooth), Fox Terrier (Wire), Glen of Imaal Terrier, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier, Russell Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Skye Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Welsh Terrier, West Highland White Terrier |
| Margaret A. Reed | Manchester Terrier (Standard) |
| TOY GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Margaret A. Reed | Affenpinscher, Brussels Griffon, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua (Long Coat), Chihuahua (Smooth Coat), Chinese Crested, English Toy Spaniel (Blenheim & Prince Charles), English Toy Spaniel (King Charles & Ruby), Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Japanese Chin, Maltese, Manchester Terrier (Toy), Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle (Toy), Pug, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Toy Fox Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier |
| NON-SPORTING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Wayne F. Harmon | American Eskimo Dog, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chow, Coton de Tulear, Dalmatian, Finnish Spitz, French Bulldog, Keeshond, Lhasa Apso, Lowchen, Norwegian Lundehund, Schipperke, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Xoloitzcuintli |
| Margaret A. Reed | Poodle (Miniature), Poodle (Standard) |
| HERDING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Amy Gau | Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Bearded Collie, Beauceron, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, German Shepherd Dog, Icelandic Sheepdog, Miniature American Shepherd, Norwegian Buhund, Old English Sheepdog, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Puli, Pumi, Pyrenean Shepherd, Spanish Water Dog, Swedish Vallhund |
| Harry H. Schulman | Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Bergamasco Sheepdog, Berger Picard, Border Collie, Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Canaan Dog, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Collie (Rough), Collie (Smooth), Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Shetland Sheepdog |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLASS: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Jeffery M. Bazell | Biewer Terrier, Bracco Italiano, Dutch Shepherd, Lancashire Heeler, Mudi, Norrbottenspets, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Portuguese Podengo, Russian Toy, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier |
For more information about the competition, please visit: https://www.akc.org/sports/conformation/akc-virtual-top-dog-challenge