The exact nature of the competition will be determined by The top 20 Obedience Committee in consultation with former judges and competitors.

A. Each participating Doberman is individually scored by each judge according to AKC regulations on the score sheets provided.

B. Exercises

1. Basic Exercises:

a. These exercises shall be performed by each participant and shall involve heeling in more complicated patterns, and may include longer recall(s) than usually required in AKC obedience trials. These exercises demonstrate the ability of the Doberman to behave not only in the home, but also in public places and in the presence of other dogs and reveals the bond between dog and handler that evolves through his training.

b. All Dogs will do identical exercises as required in the DPCA Top 20 Competition.

C. Score sheets are submitted to the Chief Seward and totaled during the event by the Audition Committee. The Auditing Committee consists of one person per judge appointed annually by the Top 20 Obedience Committee Chairman.

D. The dog with the highest accumulated score will be the winner. In the event of a tie, there will be a run-off using a heeling patter of the judges’ choice.

E. The Top 20 Obedience winner will be presented with the medallion at the conclusion of the event. If the recipient attends the Annual Awards Banquet, a certificate of achievement will be presented at that time, if not in attendance, the certificate will be mailed.