Dog Obedience Medallions

Dog obedience medallions are awarded by different organizations for to breeder-owners of dogs that excel at obedience competitions.  The American Kennel Club awards the most prestigious dog obedience medallions annually to the National Obedience Champion for each breed.

To earn an AKC dog obedience medallion, you and your dog must begin training and competing while the dog is young.  She must be purebred and you must be an AKC member.  As soon as she is ready for obedience training, you and your dog can begin to take AKC obedience classes and to compete.

As your dog competes in obedience trials, she accumulates points toward titles and dog obedience medallions.  She can begin at the novice level.  In order to qualify for competition, your dog must earn at least half of the possible points for each event, and must have a total score of at least 170 (200 is the maximum for each division).

The three levels of competition are novice, open and utility.  You and your dog can earn points toward a dog obedience medallion by competing in as many events as you qualify for (that is, earn a qualifying score for).  All dogs that qualify in their competition class get a green ribbon to signify that they have qualified and have completed one “leg” toward a title.  That ribbon moves you one step closer to a title, and the title moves you one step closer to dog obedience medallions. 

As you and your dog continue to train and compete, you continue to earn points and your dog begins to earn her titles.  Obedience titles are earned after the dog has qualified in three different competitions under three different judges.  The first title you and your dog can earn is the Companion Dog title, CD.  The highest title you can win in local trials is OTCH, or Obedience Trial Champion.  You are just one step away from winning a dog obedience medallion.

If you and your dog earn an OTCH title, you may be invited to attend the AKC National competition.  There, you and your dog compete for the most prestigious title of all, NOC, or National Obedience Champion.  That is when breeder-owners of national champions finally receive the coveted Dog Obedience Medallions.