Frequently Asked Questions

All dogs must be registered to compete in NADAC sanctioned events. This is a one-time process and the registration number assigned is permanent. To register your dog, use the online Dog Registration Form on this website. Fill out the form and submit it. Your dog’s permanent NADAC registration number will be displayed on the screen. Record this number in a safe place! It is needed each time you enter an event. You can pay after submitting your registration via the secure form or mailing in a check to the address listed on the confirmation page. Once the fee is recorded, the NADAC office will e-mail you a registration card for your dog. Dogs must be registered with NADAC prior to competing in a NADAC sanctioned trial.

Yes. Participation in NADAC events is open to dogs of all types both pure- and mixed- breeds.

Dogs must be at least eighteen (18) months of age in order to compete at the Novice level.  There is no leeway in the dog’s age, even by one day; the dog MUST be a minimum of eighteen months old on the day of the trial in which the dog is to compete. 

Dogs may compete at the Intro level at 15 months old, but they cannot move on to the Novice level until they are 18 months of age. 

No. Exhibitors are not required to be NADAC Associates in order to register their dogs or compete in NADAC sanctioned events.

NADAC Associates are afforded a number of benefits. These benefits include registration of new dogs at the reduced rate of $20 (normal fee $25); waiving of the $10 fee for permanent height cards; replacement of lost or stolen dog registration cards, permanent height cards and associate membership cards at no cost (normal fee $5 per card).

Associates also receive all awards earned automatically. Awards are mailed every 6 months. 

All you have to do to become a NADAC Associate is complete and electronically submit the Associate Membership Application which can be found under Exhibitor Resources. Associate membership fees are $15 for one year, $35 for 3 years or $50 for 5 years.
Online payment is available after submitting your form.

Go to the Trial Calendar page of this website where you can search the list of upcoming trials by state or province in a desired time frame. Location details, classes offered and contact information is listed for each trial.

No. The Junior Handler Division is open to any dog which is being handled by a youth handler who is 17 years of age or younger, but no one is required to compete in the Junior Handler division.

There is no minimum age. The Junior Handler Division is open to any dog which is being handled by a youth handler who is 17 years of age or younger as long as they are able to control their dog and negotiate a course safely.

The Veterans Division is open to any dog age seven (7) or older. The dog’s age shall be determined by the dog’s birthdate on the NADAC registration form.

The Veterans Division is open to any handler age 60 or older, or any handler who has a certificate of disability, regardless of the age of the dog.

Yes. Handlers with a disability who choose to compete in the Veteran’s Division shall present a copy of their disabled parking permit or a letter from their doctor. If a handler wishes to enter a class as a Veteran/Disabled handler, then they must enter all classes and all dogs that they compete with for that weekend in the Veteran/Disabled handler Division.

Dogs entered in the Junior Handler or Veterans Division classes MUST jump 4 inches less than their Standard Division jump height as determined by the jump height table. The maximum height any Junior Handler or Veteran Division dog may jump is 16″.

Veteran Dogs, Veteran Handlers and Junior Handlers will get a 4 inch height break in all classes, and will receive the time alotted to the shorter height as well, in all classes.

You do not need to transfer points between divisions. All points earned in the three different divisions—Standard, Veterans, and Junior Handlers—are combined to meet the requirements for titles and awards. Dogs shall continue to compete with other dogs in their own division at weekend trials and at the NADAC Championships, and will receive placements and Q’s within those divisions (Standard, Vet, JH). Qualifying points will be reported to the NADAC Office where they will be accumulated as class qualifiers with no regard to the division entered.

Every class in a NADAC trial is split into two categories: Proficient and Skilled. Courses and SCTs are the same for both categories.    Dogs may only be entered in one Category for the weekend. 

In the Proficient Category, dogs must jump their measured jump height as per the jump height table.

In the Skilled Category, exhibitors must enter their dog one jump height lower than they are required to jump in the Proficient Category. For example, a dog who measures to jump 20” in the Standard division, Proficient category, must enter a trial at 16” in the Standard division, Skilled Category, and will receive the benefit of the additional time allotted to the 16” dogs. If this same dog is also a Veteran, or is handled by a Veteran/Disabled Handler or Junior Handler, he may enter the Veteran or JH Division and jump another 4” lower. This dog would receive the time allotted to the 16” Vets jumping 12”. 

Runs in all classes in both Categories must be clean to qualify except for the Regular class, where dogs may earn a 5-point qualifier for a run with five (5) or fewer course or time faults. Skilled and Proficient points are combined for titles and Special Awards.

NADAC now allows grandfathering in from other venues. Meaning if you are at a high level of competition you can transfer over to NADAC and continue to run at the higher level of competition.

When entering trials you do NOT need to show your titles from other organizations in order to enter. Simply enter the trial as you normally would at the level you wish to run. If you have correctly submitted your titles to the NADAC office for review, then when your points come to the NADAC office they will show up in your records and accumulate properly.

Please review the necessary documents and how to submit them in the NADAC Exhibitor’s Handbook – Page 11.

Yes, provided the club holding the trial allows non-entered dogs, that your dog has good manners and is kept on leash and under control at all times.

Yes, points earned are awarded to the dog, regardless of whom the handler is.

No, you may only ENTER your dog in one Division for the trial. However, you may … at the club’s discretion and with the consent of the judge of record … move from one Division to another one time during the course of the trial. This is made possible so those who have found that they may not have entered appropriately for their dog can make the adjustment and still enjoy the remaining runs of the weekend.

Yes. You may either return to a lower level or transfer points from a higher level back to the lower level to complete previously bypassed titles. However, you may not earn points at a level for which you are not eligible and transfer them to the lower level. For example, you may not earn points in Open Regular if you have not earned the basic title (30 points) in Novice Regular. Any qualifying scores you might earn in that Open Regular class may not be used to complete the point requirements for the basic Novice Regular title. Such qualifying scores will not be converted to points, nor will they count toward titles at any level or be accumulated for lifetime point awards.

In NADAC, dogs are never required to move up in level after completing a lower level title, including the Superior title. NADAC does offer awards for extended titles and for points earned beyond the Superior Performance titles.

The NADAC Forum is a forum hosted where members can ask questions, participate in NADAC related discussions and access useful information files. You can request to join this forum by going to https://nadacforum.com/ and submitting your request. There is no membership fee.

Pending Points can now be viewed inline with your confirmed points from a trial. This can all be viewed at “Point History” under the Data Center menu item.

You may view your dog’s point earning history at “Point History” under the Data Center menu item.

Yes, your dog may run in any classes that do not contain jumps or contact obstacles. The classes your dog is eligible to enter are tunnelers, weavers and Grounders

Awards are mailed out every 6 months to anyone who has a current Associate Membership. 
If you weren’t an associate when you earned certain awards that you wish to receive then you will need to back date your membership. Info on back dating can be found in the FAQ, Question #30.

If you would like to back date your Associate Membership please send an email to: Support@nadac.com. 
Please let us know how far back you would like to back date.

You can find all of that info from the Associate Info Lookup

Dog Registrations can use this page: Dog Registration Payment
Associate Payments can use this page: Associate Registration Payment

As of January 1st, 2019: Ring gates may now be closed and a qualifying run may still be earned. This is a club level decision on whether they will have ring fencing that accommodates this option. Most clubs will continue to have open fencing where this is not an option.

If a handler wishes for the gates to be closed, and for the next dog to not enter until their dog is leashed then this will be considered a training run and an E will be given.

NADAC allows, and encourages, training in the ring, but it shall never be a qualifying run. Any training in the ring must be done in a positive and sportsmanlike manner. Absolutely no harsh corrections or physical corrections shall be allowed.

As of January 1st, 2019: Once a dog has been Eliminated the dog and handler team will be allowed to continue training in the ring up to a maximum of 60 seconds. This includes the time the team has already spent in the ring leading up to the elimination. Once 60 seconds has elapsed the judge will ask the team to leave the ring. Teams may continue to put their dogs on the contact equipment as long as it’s done in a safe manner. Teams may also continue to train their start line so long as the team has not continued past the 3rd obstacle on course.