Dog Sport Age Requirements

It depends on the sport: 6 months for AKC obedience, rally and Scent Work, Barn Hunt and NADD dock diving, 12 months for Fast CAT, and 15 to 18 months for agility titles (ASCA Pre-Novice and CKC sanctioned matches take dogs from 12 months). Even inside one sport the organizations don't agree, which is how a dog can be old enough for one agility trial and too young for the one down the road. The table gives you the range for each sport, and every sport has its own section below with each organization's rule and a link to the rulebook.

A dog has to be 15 months old to compete in AKC agility, and that covers every class (Regular and Preferred, FAST, T2B, Premier and ISC) plus ACT tests. There's no limit on classes for a young dog. What's different before the second birthday is the jump height card: one measurement gives a temporary height that runs out on the dog's second birthday, and the permanent card comes from two measurements taken on or after it. AKC has no veterans class, but Preferred, the lower jump option, is open to any dog old enough to enter, at any age. You can see every height, including Preferred, on the dog jump height chart.

I started Moose at 15 months old with AKC agility. I remember wanting to sign him up for a UKI trial, but at 15 months he was only allowed to do one class, I think, so I didn't sign him up at all at that time.

Here's what UKI's rulebook says. From 15 months a dog can enter Nursery and Speedstakes, and every UKI class opens at 18 months. A dog entered in Nursery can only add the Speedstakes classes that day, and Nursery is one of UKI's special classes, so not every show offers it. So if Nursery isn't on the schedule, Speedstakes is all a 15-month-old can run. If you're weighing the two organizations, the rest of their differences are in UKI vs AKC agility.

Sources: AKC Regulations for Agility Trials, UKC Agility Rulebook, ASCA Agility Program Rules, CPE Agility Rulebook, UKI Rules and Regulations, USDAA Rules Chapter 1, Chapter 11 and Appendix D, NADAC Exhibitor's Handbook, CKC Agility Rules and Regulations, AAC Official Rules and Regulations.

Measuring a young dog works differently in each one, too. NADAC won't measure a dog for a height card before 24 months, USDAA records nothing on the height form before 18 months, and UKI takes the permanent measurement 12 to 18 months after the first one rather than at a set age. If you're entering more than one organization, our trackers for AKC agility, UKI, CPE, USDAA, NADAC agility and ASCA agility each start counting from your dog's first run. UKC's titles for agility and its other sports are on our UKC titles list.

Dogs can start dock diving at 6 months in NADD, DockDogs and UKC. NADD counts by the month, so a dog born on the 15th can jump on the 15th six months later, and a younger dog can still practice and do try-its. NADD's Veteran Class is for dogs 8 and over, but it's only held at Regionals and the National Championship, and you can move a veteran back to Open once per season.

Small dogs have one more age rule. In both NADD and DockDogs, a small dog's height isn't final until it's 2, so a young dog may have to jump Open (NADD, if its breed standard is 16 inches or more) or be measured at every event (DockDogs). DockDogs also has three age classes, each based on the birthday the dog reaches during the season, and dogs in them still compete with everyone else too.

Sources: NADD Official Rules and Regulations, DockDogs Rules and Policies, UKC Dock Jumping Rulebook.

The dock diving title tracker keeps your NADD jumps and titles next to your dog's other sports.

Dogs can compete in AKC rally and obedience at 6 months, and so can dogs in every other obedience and rally organization we checked, with one exception: WCRL makes dogs wait until 1 year for Levels 2 and 3, because those levels have jumps. AKC's obedience Veterans class is for titled dogs at least 7 years old on the trial day, doing Novice exercises only, and a breed's parent club can set a different Veterans age at its specialty. AKC rally has no veterans class.

The other veteran options in obedience are lower jumps. ASCA veterans (7 and up) can jump 2 or 4 inches lower in Open and Utility and still compete against everyone else, CKC lets a veteran jump three-quarters of its height, and CDSP's 2-inch drop for veterans is optional. WCRL's rally Veteran class is the odd one: it starts by weight, at 6 years for dogs of 90 pounds or more, 7 for 50 to under 90 pounds, and 8 under 50 pounds.

Obedience

Rally

Sources: AKC Obedience Regulations, AKC Rally Regulations, UKC Obedience Rulebook, UKC Rally Obedience Rulebook, ASCA Obedience Program Rules, ASCA Rally Program Rules, CKC Obedience and Rally Obedience Rules, WCRL Rules and Regulations, C-WAGS Obedience and Rally rules, CDSP Rules and Regulations.

The AKC title tracker covers AKC obedience and rally, and the ASCA tracker covers ASCA rally alongside agility.

Flyball starts at 15 months in NAFA and 12 months in U-FLI, disc dog at 12 to 18 months (some UpDog games have no limit), and canicross and other IFSS races at 18 months. The rest of the sports are below, each with its own table. If a term is new to you, the dog sport glossary has it.

How old does a dog have to be for flyball?

A dog has to be 15 months old to race in NAFA flyball and 12 months old in U-FLI. In NAFA, a young dog's height is temporary until 24 months, and the permanent measurement can't be taken before then. NAFA's Veterans Class needs every dog on the team to be at least 7, and the jumps go to the minimum height whatever the dogs' sizes.

Sources: NAFA Official Rules of Racing, U-FLI Rules and Regulations.

What is the minimum age for disc dog?

It's 16 months for UpDog Freestyle, 12 months for its agility-style games, and no age limit for its other games. USDDN asks for 18 months at a Super Open Freestyle qualifier and 12 months for Super Pro Toss and Fetch, and it counts from the first of the month your dog reaches that age. USDDN also says outright that there's no maximum age.

Sources: UpDog General Rules, USDDN Judging Handbook.

How old does a dog have to be for canicross?

Every dog in an IFSS race has to be 18 months old, and that covers canicross, bikejoring, scooter, skijoring, sled and dryland racing. IFSS takes the dog's age on the opening race day of the whole event, so a dog that turns 18 months partway through is still too young. Its masters and junior classes are for people, not dogs, and there's no upper age for dogs.

Source: IFSS Race Rules.

What age can dogs start herding trials?

AKC herding tests and trials start at 9 months, with the Instinct test open from 6 months. ASCA's Started and Open Farm Trial Dog divisions take dogs from 6 months on the trial day, and AHBA matches AKC: 9 months for trials and Junior Herding Dog, 6 months for its Herding Capability Tests. USBCHA publishes no minimum age for open trials. Its nursery program works the other way round, as an upper age: a sheepdog ages out of the Nursery Finals around its third birthday and a cattledog around its fourth.

Sources: AKC Herding Regulations, ASCA Stockdog Program Rules, AHBA General Rules, USBCHA Rules, USBCHA Rules Part 4, USBCHA Sheepdog Nursery Eligibility.

How old does a dog have to be for a tracking test?

A dog can enter AKC and ASCA tracking tests at 6 months. Before its first AKC TD or TDU test, a dog needs a tracking judge (or another qualified evaluator) to certify that it passed a practice track, and that certification has to be dated within 2 years of the test. In ASCA the certification is optional, but a dog without one is drawn after the certified dogs, apart from the worker draw.

Sources: AKC Tracking Regulations, ASCA Tracking Program Rules.

What is the minimum age for AKC earthdog?

AKC earthdog tests are open at 6 months to the eligible breeds, mostly small terriers, plus Dachshunds and Miniature Pinschers. The Introduction to Quarry class has the same 6-month minimum. There's no veteran class and no upper age.

Sources: AKC Earthdog Regulations, AKC earthdog eligible breeds.

Is there an age limit for dog weight pull?

Yes, weight pull is the one sport here with a hard upper age: dogs have to be at least 1 and under 12 on the day of a UKC event, and IWPA takes dogs from 1 year until they're over 12 at the start of the season. IWPA's season starts September 1, so that's the date that counts for the upper limit, and a dog that turns 12 in October can pull through the rest of that season. UKC also gives a separate veteran award for dogs 7 and up.

Sources: UKC Weight Pull Rulebook, IWPA Rule Booklet.

How old does a dog have to be for dog parkour?

It's 18 months for IDPKA titles above Training Level and 8 months for All Dogs Parkour, which also has a Foundation Skills program for puppies from 12 weeks. ADP doesn't take entries with jumps until a dog is 1. Both groups make room for seniors: ADP calls a dog senior at 7, or at 4 for giant breeds, and IDPKA defines a senior as a dog in the last third of its expected lifespan.

Sources: IDPKA Rules, ADP Rules and Guidelines.

What age can dogs compete in treibball?

A dog has to be over 12 months old for NATE treibball trials and video titles, and Skill Certification tests have no age rule. The Veteran divisions are for dogs 8 and up, with shorter distances and more time. Moving to Veteran is your choice, but once a dog runs Veteran in any game, it stays Veteran in every game.

Source: NATE Official Regulations.

How old does a dog have to be for canine freestyle?

MDSA freestyle takes dogs at 1 year, with a Rookie class from 6 months and a Fun class from 4 months, and puppies under 1 keep three paws on the floor. Rally FrEe also starts at 1 year, except its pre-novice and post-novice classes, which take a dog of any age. MDSA has a Veteran Freestyle Dog class for dogs 7 and up.

Sources: MDSA Performance Guidelines, MDSA titles, Rally FrEe Rules and Guidelines.

How old does a puppy have to be for a dog show?

A puppy has to be 6 months old for the regular conformation classes in AKC, UKC and CKC. Younger puppies have their own events: AKC's Beginner Puppy competition for 4 to 6 months (sanctioned only, no championship points), UKC's Novice Puppy class from 3 months, and CKC's Baby Puppy class from 4 months. AKC leaves the Veterans class age to the club holding the show, and CKC's Veterans class is for dogs 7 and up.

Sources: AKC Rules Applying to Dog Shows, AKC Beginner Puppy Regulations, AKC conformation classes, UKC Conformation Rulebook, CKC Conformation Show Rules.

What age can dogs enter AKC hunt tests and field trials?

AKC hunt tests and field trials are open from 6 months, counted on the event's opening day. The interesting part is the young-dog stakes, which have upper ages instead of lower ones: a Derby Stake ends at the second birthday for retrievers and pointing breeds, the spaniel Puppy Stake ends there too, and the pointing breed Puppy Stake ends at 15 months. In spaniel hunt tests, Junior is a level, not an age.

Sources: AKC hunt test regulations for retrievers, spaniels and pointing breeds; AKC field trial rules for retrievers, spaniels and pointing breeds.

What age can dogs start IGP and other protection sports?

USCA's BH, which every IGP dog needs first, is at 15 months, and IGP 1, 2 and 3 follow at 18, 19 and 20 months, the same level ages FCI uses. FCI leaves the BH age to each country but never below 12 months. French Ring (NARA) and Mondioring start at 12 months, with Ring 3 at 18 months, and PSA starts at 14 months for every level.

Sources: FCI-IGP Regulations, USCA IGP Rulebook, NARA French Ring Rules, FCI Mondioring Rules, USMRA Brevet Rules, PSA Rule Book.

None of the nine agility rulebooks on this page sets an upper age, so a dog can keep entering for as long as you both want to. What the rulebooks do offer older dogs is lower jumps. Seven of the nine have a veterans or senior option, starting at 6 (CPE), 7 (ASCA, NADAC, CKC and AAC) or 8 (UKI and USDAA), and AKC and UKC have a lower-height choice any dog can use. NADAC is the only one that moves older dogs down: Veterans is required after the ninth birthday, and Skilled plus Veterans, 8 inches lower in all, after the twelfth. The jump height chart has every veteran and lower height side by side.

Across every sport on this page, only weight pull caps a dog's age for the whole sport (UKC under 12 on the event day, IWPA not over 12 at the start of the season). The other upper ages belong to single classes:

• USBCHA nursery: a sheepdog ages out around its third birthday, a cattledog around its fourth.
• AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy: up to 1 year.
• AKC field trial young-dog stakes: Derby ends at 2, the pointing breed Puppy Stake at 15 months.

In UKC, CPE, USDAA and NADAC agility it's the dog's age on the day of the event, so a dog that turns 15 months on the day of a UKC agility trial can run. Several put it a little differently, and a few days either side of a birthday is exactly where it matters. If the rulebook doesn't say, ask the trial secretary before you enter.

• UKC's obedience, lure coursing and weight pull rulebooks count month to month by calendar day, so a dog born January 1 turns 6 months on July 1.
• UKI gives 7 days of grace. If a trial is on the 1st and your dog turns 18 months on the 7th, it can enter; if it turns 18 months on the 8th, it can't. A dog that reaches the age during a show can enter the whole show, Saturday included.
• NADAC says there's no flexibility: the dog must be old enough on the trial day.
• USDDN counts from the first day of the month your dog reaches the age.
• IFSS uses the opening race day of the whole event.
• DockDogs uses the season for its age classes, so a dog that turns 8 in June gets its earlier jumps counted in the season's veteran rankings, but it can't compete as a veteran until its birthday.
• IWPA checks the upper age at the start of the season, September 1.
• AKC conformation counts up to and including the first day of the show, and AKC field events use the first day too.

AKC's agility, Fast CAT, rally, Scent Work, tracking, earthdog and herding rulebooks give the minimum age without saying which day counts.