GPCA Awards

Applications, where required, must be received by May 31.

Rules For Special Awards

  1. Special Awards are awarded to dogs whose owner or co-owner(s) are in good standing with the AKC and are members of the GPCA in the year the award is earned.
  2. Special Awards will be given at the National Specialty Banquet
  3. All Special Award winners will be honored with an award – either a certificate if the dog does not have the required CHIC health testing completed or a plaque if health testing has been verified. (see item 6 below).
  4. The awards chairman, or designated committee member will research the AKC standing in each sport for which a ranking system can determine a winner. For awards where AKC verification is not possible, members must submit an application. The application is available on the website.
  5. These rules are subject to change as the events/sports available to compete in and the number of GPs in AKC performance grows.
  6. Special Award winners who have been health tested with all the CHIC required testing are eligible for a plaque, provided the health testing documentation is verified by the committee using the OFA health database. If the dog or bitch for whom the award is sought is altered and has never produced any offspring, then the health testing requirement is waived and a plaque awarded.

German Pinscher Club of America Special Awards Offered:

The awards committee will identify the winners of the following awards through AKC ranking statistics and verify their health testing through OFA:

  • GPCA German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA German Pinscher of the Year – (Opposite Sex)
  • GPCA German Pinscher Owner Handler of the Year
  • GPCA Fast CAT German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA Agility German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA Junior Handler of the Year

Rules Requiring Information Provided by the Member

The following awards require that information be provided by the member, therefore an application is required. You must upload a copy of the Dog Award Record & Point Progression report available from AKC along with your online application. The awards committee will verify their health testing through OFA once an application has been received:

  • GPCA Obedience German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA Rally German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA Tracking German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA Scent Work German Pinscher of the Year
  • GPCA Versatile Companion Dog
  • GPCA Stud Dog of The Year
  • GPCA Brood Bitch of The Year

Qualifications For Awards:

GPCA GERMAN PINSCHER OF THE YEAR AND GPCA GERMAN PINSCHER OF THE YEAR, OPPOSITE SEX
The Awards Committee will use the final rankings tabulated by the American Kennel Club dog defeated by breed rankings (German Pinschers defeated in Best of Breed competition only, not the All-Breed standings which include all dogs defeated in breed, group and BIS.

GPCA FAST CAT GERMAN PINSCHER OF THE YEAR
The Awards Committee will use the final rankings tabulated by the American Kennel Club for FAST CAT to determine the winner of this award.

GPCA GERMAN PINSCHER OWNER HANDLER OF THE YEAR
The Awards Committee will use the final rankings tabulated by the American Kennel Club for German Pinscher Owner Handlers exhibiting in NOHS for the calendar year.

GPCA AGILITY DOG OF THE YEAR
The GPCA will use the final rankings tabulated by the American Kennel Club for Agility to determine the winner of this award. The #1 ranked GP in the regular classes would automatically win. If there is no GP ranked in the regular classes, then the #1 ranked GP in the Preferred classes would win the award.

GPCA JUNIOR HANDLER OF THE YEAR
The GPCA will award the Junior Handler who is ranked #1 by AKC breed rankings for the calendar year.

Applications for Awards:

Application >>

The GPCA will use the following rules and eligibility requirements described below.

1. The average score will be determined from the dog’s three (3) highest scores in official AKC obedience trial competition achieved during the calendar year in any of the obedience classes. Each of the three scores must be a qualifying score. For those working towards their UDX and OTCH titles, the three (3) highest scores may come from either the open or utility class. Extra weight will be given to those competing in Novice, Open and Utility as follows:

  • Novice: Add 2 points to the average score
  • Open: Add 3 points to the average score
  • Utility: Add 4 points to the average score

2. In case of a tie, applicants will be asked to provide an additional score.
3. The award will be based on competition during the calendar year, January 1 to December 31, inclusive.

Application >>

The GPCA will use the following rules and eligibility requirements described below.

1. The average score will be determined from the dog’s three (3) highest scores in rally competition in any of the rally classes: Each of the three scores must be a qualifying score. For those working towards their Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE) title, the three (3) highest scores may come from either the Advanced or the Excellent class. Extra weight will be given to those showing in higher classes as follows:

  • Rally Advanced (RA): Add 3 points once to the average score.
  • Rally Excellent (RE): Add 4 points once to the average score.

2. In case of a tie, applicants will be asked to provide an additional score.
3. The award will be based on competition during the calendar year, January 1 to December 31, inclusive.

Application >>

The GPCA will use the following rules and eligibility requirements described below.

1. Title levels are as follows:

a. Any GP earning a CT (Champion Tracker – has all three titles of TD, TDX, VST)
b. Any GP earning a VST (Variable Surface Tracking)
c. Any GP earning a TDX (Tracking Dog Excellent)
d. Any GP earning a TD (Tracking Dog)

2. More than one award will be given when there are GP’s having earned tracking titles of the same level within the calendar year. There will be no tie breakers if the tracking titles earned are all of the same level.

3. A copy of the AKC tracking dog title certificate must be submitted with the awards application.

Application >>

The GPCA will use the following rules and eligibility requirements described below.

1. The total score will be determined from the dog’s three (3) highest class Qualifying scores completed.

Scent Work Novice: 1 point per Q
Scent Work Advanced: 3 points per Q
Scent Work Excellent: 4 points per Q
Scent Work Masters: 5 points per Q
Scent Work Detective: 6 points per Q

Example: If you have 1 Q in Masters and the other two Q’s are in Excellent, your total score would be 16.

2. In case of a tie, the applicant’s time for their highest level and fastest Q will be used to determine the winner.
3. The award will be based on competition during the calendar year, January 1 to December 31, inclusive.

Application >>

The GPCA will award the title “GPCA German Pinscher Stud Dog of the Year” and the title “GPCA German Pinscher Brood Bitch of the Year” to the German Pinschers with the highest number of AKC Champions finished during the calendar year January 1 to December 31, inclusive, as determined according to the rules and eligibility requirements described below.

Reminder: Only dogs whose owner or owners (if co-owned) are members of the GPCA are eligible to compete or receive awards. One award will be presented (if multiple owners) to the member who has submitted the application for the award.

The application for this award can be found on the website. Applicants must attach an AKC Progeny Report to their application.
ONLY dogs and bitches with the required CHIC health testing are eligible for these awards.

Applications for Multi-Year Awards:

Application>>

The GPCA will award a plaque to any member owned GP who earns a VCD title for that year. The VCD requires titles in obedience, agility AND tracking. Dogs do not need to earn all titles necessary for the VCD within the same calendar year but the application must be submitted for the year in which the VCD title was finished. Applicants must provide a copy of the VCD title certificate.

LP Application >>

  1. The GPCA will award the title Leading Producer to the German Pinscher Stud dog who has produced 8 AKC champion offspring and 2 AKC performance titlists and to the German Pinscher Brood bitch who has produced 4 AKC champion offspring and 1 AKC performance titlists. The dog/bitch may have produced these titlists over several years.
  2. Performance titlists are defined as offspring who have earned an AKC title in agility, obedience, tracking, or rally. Previous AKC certificate programs such as CGC, Star Puppy and Therapy dog are ineligible.
  3. To be eligible for this award, the members whose dog or bitch have achieved Leading Producer criteria must submit health certifications (Hips, Eyes, Vwd) with application for the Leading Producer to the Awards Committee, who will then send the information to the Webmaster for inclusion on the GPCA website. An AKC progeny Report may be used to validate the offspring.
  4. Leading producers will not be awarded an annual award. Instead, their names and a list of their titled progeny will be printed in the Pinscher Press once a year.
  5. Offspring do not have to belong to a GPCA member.
  6. Only dogs whose owner or owners (if co-owned) are in good standing with the AKC and members of the GPCA are eligible to compete for and receive awards. Leading Producers must live with a GPCA member.
  7. Offspring that have multiple titles may be counted only once for either champion title or performance title in determining that requisite titled offspring has been met. Offspring do not have to belong to a GPCA member.

HOF Application >>

  1. The GPCA will award the title “Hall of Fame Producer” to those German Pinscher stud dogs and brood bitches who have produced the following:
    a. Stud dogs must have produced 15 AKC champion offspring and 5 AKC performance titlists from 3 different brood bitches.
    b. Brood bitches must have produced 8 AKC champion offspring and 2 AKC performance titlists from 2 different stud dogs.
    c. Stud dogs must have produced 10 AKC champion offspring and 10 AKC performance titlists from 3 different brood bitches.
    d. Brood bitches must have produced 5 AKC champion offspring and 5 AKC performance titlists from 2 different stud dogs.
  2. Performance titles are defined as coming from the AKC companion events and include agility, obedience, rally, and tracking. Previous AKC certificate programs such as CGC, Star Puppy and Therapy dog are ineligible.
  3. Once a dog or bitch achieves the criteria for Hall of Fame Producer, application will be sent to the Awards Committee by the owner of record. An AKC Progeny Report may be used to validate offspring produced. The dog/bitch will be placed on the web site page, and receive an award at the Annual Banquet.
  4. Offspring that have multiple titles may be counted only once for either champion title or performance title in determining that requisite titled offspring has been met. Offspring do not have to belong to a GPCA member.
  5. Only dogs whose owner or owners (if co-owned) are in good standing with the AKC and members of the GPCA are eligible to compete for and receive awards. Co-owned dogs need not live with the GPCA member to be a Hall of Fame Producer. These dogs may have been retired and placed in a pet home.
  6. Application for this award will be made by the dog or bitch’s owner of record.
  7. The members who’s Dogs/bitches have achieved Leading Producer status will have submitted health certifications (Hips, Eyes, Vwd) for the leading Producer to the Awards Committee. However, these dogs or bitches may have had mating’s done after achieving LP status. Therefore, to be eligible for the HOF award, proof of current eye certification must be included with the HOF application. Eye certification must be valid for the year the youngest titled offspring was born.

By the authority of the GPCA Constitution/Bylaws, any committee member who does not follow these guidelines may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee; and the Board may appoint a successor for the person whose service has been terminated.
Rev 2025