How points are earned and counted is probably the place that exhibitors will notice the most difference between AKC and CKC showing. The good news is, it’s easier to figure out points in Canada. The bad news is, when you compete in both AKC and CKC, it’s easy to get confused between the two.
In the US, the AKC has a lovely and completely convoluted points system for earning champion and grand champion titles. It takes into account regions, breed, and the number of majors built in prior years to determine how many dogs are needed for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 points in a show.
In Canada, there is one way to calculate points for all regions and all breeds. No mucking around figuring out what region you are in. No need to be afraid to build majors one year that will bite you in years to come. In fact, the points system or all entrants is printed in every show premium.
Placement categories are almost the same in Canada as they are in AKC shows. Winners dog, Winners bitch, Best of Breed, Best of Winners, Best of Opposite are the same. In Canada, clubs may choose to offer the Award of Merit (and must indicate that they are going to in the premium). AKC may also have this category at some shows. In Canada, no points are awarded for winners of this placement. Award of Merit tends to be offered at specialties, for Sweeps, and other shows where larger numbers of dogs are expected.
To earn a championship in CKC, a dog needs
- 10 points total
- Earned under at least 3 different judges, in either the breed or group level.
- One win must be a 2pt or higher win at either the breed or group level
One interesting difference between the CKC and the AKC is that dogs that have no competitors in the breed ring can earn points at the group level. This makes it easier to get a championship on a good dog of a rare breed or a breed that is underrepresented in one or more parts of the country. Because you don’t have to build majors and the required points for a championship are lower, it is usually easier to get a CKC championship than an AKC championship. That said, there are some breeds that are every bit as competitive as in the US. It’s not easy to get a CKC championship, but it can be easier.
As in AKC conformation, the most points any dog can earn in one show is 5.
Each premium will have a section that is a reprint of the CKC Conformation Shows Rules & Regulations, sections 15.1, 15.2, 15.3. That section lays out the points available at any given show, and what is required to become a champion, grand championship, and grand champion excellent. That section usually looks like this:
Canadian Kennel Club points schedule for CH, GCH, and GCH Excellent
In terms of grand champion and grand champion excellent, there are several things that are different in CKC than in AKC.
To become a grand champion, a dog must
- Earn a minimum of 20 points
- At least two wins must be two points or more
- At least two of the 20 points must be earned after the dog is 12 months old
- Points may be obtained in breed, group, or Best in Show or Specialty
Again, the most points any dog can earn in a show is 5. Points toward a grand are awarded for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite, and Select Dog and Bitch. According to the rules, “Points are calculated based on the number of animals competing at the breed level for the Best of Breed winner and the number of similar sex dogs competing for the other three (Best of Opposite, Select Dog, Select Bitch).”
Once a dog has earned the title Grand Champion, it is eligible to go on to earn a Grand Champion Excellent (GChEx). Unlike the AKC’s Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels, CKC has only the GChEx. A CKC GChEX cannot be earned by conformation wins alone. A minimum of
- 100 additional points is required for this title
- Those points must include at least one Best in Show or a Best of Breed at a breed national specialty (where a minimum of ten dogs have competed), or
- One Best in Multiple-Breed Specialty with at least three breeds represented
- Points must also include at least three Group 1sts or three breed Specialty wins
At this level, the most points available in any single show is 10. And finally, to earn a GChEX, a dog must earn an additional title, and that title may not be a CGN (the CKC equivalent of the CGC), a Herding Test Certificate, or a Chase Ability title.
| CKC | AKC | |
|---|---|---|
| Points for CH | 10 | 15 |
| Points for GCH | Ch + 20, GCh +100 | Ch + 100, 200, 400 or 800+ |
| Levels of GCH | GCh, GChEX | GCh, GCh Bronze, Silver, Gold & 5 levels of Platinum |
| Majors required | At least a single 2 point win (not called a major in CKC), GCh and GChExhave additional requirements infofurmanner.de. | At least 2 majors. |
