The 2019 AKC National Obedience Championship was held this weekend; which dogs were lucky during St Patrick’s Day weekend?
The 2019 AKC National Obedience Championship was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 16-17 at the Built Ford Tough Arena at Expo Square.
All doggos are 12/10 very good (more or less), but which dogs were the most obedient?
Well, about a third of roughly 120 competitors were Golden Retrievers, but on Saturday group winners were selected, using the same group classifications used in dog shows.
Obedience is very straightfoward as dog sports go – dogs must perform their handler’s commands, and the better they do, the higher score they receive.
Saturday results
The winner of the Herding Group on Saturday was Tyson the Miniature American Shepherd and his owner Mara Wacker, who scored 734 points.
The Hound Group was won by Cello the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Pat Brunstetter after scoring 691.5 points. Cello might have been the only Hound entered, however.
The Non-Sporting Group winner was Zorro the Schipperke and Kathy Sweet with 664 points. Zorro also competed in the rally competition, and possibly the agility competition as well.
In the Sporting Group, Zeal the Labrador and Petra Ford took top honors with 736.5+ points. We aren’t sure what the plus sign means, but we’re guessing it means extra good work.
Triumphant in the Terrier Group was Brynna the Staffordshire Terrier and Sylve Nuzzollo with 697 points; most governmental agencies classify Staffys as a type of Pit Bull.
Tops in the Toy Group was Molly the Papillon and Nancy Muller with 697.5 points.
The winners of the Working Group were Dance the Doberman and Kathy McLemore with 721 points.
An All-American Dog (the AKC’s polite term for mixed-breeds in competitions) named Lola, along with Kathryn Harvey, won the Miscellaneous Group with 723 points.
For full Saturday group results, see here on the American Kennel Club website.
Sunday results
The 50 dogs with the highest scores advanced to the second day of obedience competition on Sunday, where a winner was crowned.
Blink the Border Collie and Ann Marie Scripko from Jackson, New Jersey, were 10th with a score of 508.5+ points.
In ninth was Takoda the Golden Retriever and Nancy Peterson of Ankeny, Iowa, with 511 points.
Eighth was Meg the Border Collie and Muriel Johnson from Northbrook, Illinois, who scored 511+ points.
In seventh were Herding Group winner Tyson the Miniature American Shepherd and his owner Mara Wacker from Hutchinson, Minnesota, with 511++ points.
Coming just outside the top five in sixth were Circus the Golden Retriever and Annette Sizemore from Greer, South Carolina, after scoring 512.5 points.
In fifth was Saucy the Golden Retriever and Bridget Carlsen from Yorkville, Illinois, scoring 512.5+ points.
Fourth was Beacon the Golden Retriever from Burnsville, Minnesota, and Kathy Rasinowich, with 513 points.
In third was Dallas native Layla the Golden Retriever and Peggy McConnell with 514 points.
The second-place dog was Juiced the Golden Retriever and Sharri Siebert from Schoolcraft, Michigan, scoring 515 points.
The dog who claimed the 2019 AKC National Obedience Championship was Maverick the Border Collie and Mitzi Tinaglia from Roanoke, Virginia, after they scored 515+ points.
Congratulations to all the very good boys and girls, their handlers, and everyone involved in the competition. For full Sunday results, see here on the AKC website.
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