2026 AKC National Obedience Championship
2026 AKC National Obedience ChampionshipThursday & Friday, July 16-17, 2026
News and Updates:
The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that the 2026 AKC National Obedience Championship (NOC) and the AKC Rally®️ National Championship (RNC) will be held at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio, on July 16–19, 2026.
- National Obedience Championship (NOC): July 16–17
- Rally National Championship (RNC): July 18–19
The Roberts Centre offers a convenient central location, excellent facilities, and accommodations that have made it a favorite among past exhibitors and spectators. We look forward to welcoming top obedience and rally competitors from across the country to these premier AKC events.
Additional event details, including entry information, schedules, and travel accommodations, will be posted as they become available.
AKC National Obedience Championship Facebook page
AKC Rally National Championship webpage
AKC Rally National Championship Facebook page
National Obedience Championship Regulation Updates
Obedience regulations
CHAPTER 9
National obedience champion
Effective January 1, 2025
A National Obedience Champion title will be awarded annually to the dog who wins the National Obedience Championship. The winner of the event will be designated as National Obedience Champion (NOC) of ___ (year) and the AKC will permit the use of the letters NOC preceding the name of each dog that earns the award.
The National Obedience Championship event will include a variety of obedience exercises performed as described in these regulations. This event is by invitation only for dogs who qualify during the event qualifying period.
Section 1. Invitation Process. To be invited to enter the National Obedience Championship, a dog must meet one of the following criteria:
- Be ranked in the top 25 dogs across all breeds by OTCH points.
- Be ranked in the top six of its breed by OTCH points; dogs listed with the AKC Canine Partners will be considered one breed.
- If a breed has more than 30 dogs who have earned an OTCH point during the qualifying period, invitations will be sent to 10% of the total number of eligible dogs in that breed in addition to the top six.
- Be ranked as one of the top four dogs in one of the regional qualifying competitions.
To be eligible to be included in the final rankings in a regional qualifying event, a dog must:
- Have a UD title prior to competing at the regional competition.
- Enter and compete in both Open B and Utility B in all three of the trials held at the regional competition. Each dogs cumulative totals will determine the rankings in each region.
Should a dog qualify based on ranking in a regional event but also earn an invitation by being in the top 25 dogs or top six of its breed, the next highest scoring dog in that regional will be invited.