To assist applicants and to prevent you from applying prematurely, we request that you review the following minimum requirements. Failure to meet any of the minimum requirements will result in the application being returned.
- You have personally owned, trained, and titled a dog to an AKC Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title or a Preferred Companion Dog Excellent (PCDX) title, trained and titled a dog to an AKC Rally Excellent (RE) title, and exhibited a dog in the Master Class a minimum of five times.
- You have been active in Rally minimum of six (6) years.
- You have stewarded a minimum of ten (10) times in the rally classes at AKC member or licensed trials. (Each show/trial will count as one event). You must have steward experience as a table, gate, ring, and time steward.
- You have table stewarded a minimum of three (3) times (This requirement is not in addition to, but may be part of, the 10 required stewarding assignments).
- You have actively participated as an assistant trainer or as a trainer of rally classes in a dog training club or similar organization.
- You have attended an AKC Rally and/or AKC Obedience Judge’s Education seminar within the last three (3) years.
All applicants will be required to pass verbal and written tests. Part I is included with the application form. Once you have completed the form, answered all questions, and uploaded all the required documentation, sign the form, and click the “Submit” button. You will receive a verification email stating the application was received. The answers in Part I must meet the minimum requirements to proceed.
Part II – Test and Interview will be scheduled by the Companion Events Department. The written test is a multiple-choice question test covering the Rally Regulations, Judge’s Guidelines and Dealing with Misconduct.
After passing the tests and interview, applications are referred to the next available meeting of the Companion Events Approval Committee for a final determination. Following review, applicants will receive written notification of the Committee’s action and may begin accepting judging assignments.
In compliance with the Rally Regulations, as a rally judge, you must attend an AKC Rally and/or Obedience Judge’s Education seminar every three years. If this requirement is not met, you may become ineligible to accept assignments.
Exemptions from some requirements may be made for applicants in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico.
If you have questions, email rally@akc.org or call the Companion Events Department at (919) 816-3575.
To advance from provisional to regular status, judges must judge a minimum of ten (10) assignments with a minimum cumulative total of three-hundred and fifty (350) dogs competing. In addition, two (2) satisfactory judging observations must be obtained with one of the observations being completed within one year prior to the request for regular status. Each event is considered an assignment. To request observations, send an email to cejdgobs@akc.org and provide the date, city and state of the event, the name of the club, and the provisional classes you are scheduled to judge.