Rules, Policies and Guidelines for Conformation Dog Show Judges

AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB’S
MISSION STATEMENT
The American Kennel Club is dedicated to upholding the
integrity of its Registry, promoting the sport of purebred
dogs and breeding for type and function. Founded in
1884, the AKC and its affiliated organizations advocate
for the purebred dog as a family companion, advance
canine health and well-being, work to protect the
rights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog
ownership.
Judging at AKC ® shows should be enjoyable for the
judge and beneficial to the sport of purebred dogs.
In this publication, you will find Rules, Policies and
suggested Guidelines. The Policies and Rules will be
clearly designated as such.
The suggestions have been developed over the years
based on the experience of many seasoned judges
and the AKC staff. You will find them most helpful in
learning the judging process.
Policies are adopted by the Board of Directors, and
Rules are approved by the Delegate body. Compliance
with these is mandatory.
As an AKC-approved judge, you are expected to be
familiar with all of the material in this publication as
well as all other AKC Rules.
Sections referencing Rules are identified by an [R].
Sections referencing Policies are identified by a [P].
Copyright 2014 The American Kennel Club, Inc.
All rights reserved.
May not be reproduced without the written permission
of The American Kennel Club.