The Reading Room • Explainers
Your dog finished its championship. Now what? The Grand Championship is the next mountain — and the points work differently up here.
The 30-second version
Only champions can earn Grand Champion points, and only in Best of Breed competition. Your dog needs:
- 25 points total
- At least three “majors” — wins worth 3, 4, or 5 points
- Those three majors under three different judges
- Remaining points under at least a fourth judge
- A Champion of Record defeated at three of the shows where points were earned
Four judges minimum. And unlike the regular championship, you’re competing against finished champions — not class dogs.
New here? Start with How Dog Show Points and Majors Actually Work — the regular championship is the prerequisite.
Step 1: Who can earn GCH points
Only Champions of Record — dogs who have already finished their AKC championship. If your dog finishes its championship with a Winners Dog win today, it becomes GCH-eligible starting at its next show, not today.
Class dogs earn zero GCH points. This is a champions-only game.
Who can earn what: the title ladder
Non-champion (class dog): Earns regular championship points as Winners Dog or Winners Bitch. Cannot earn GCH points.
Champion (CH): Finished the regular championship. Now earns GCH points in Best of Breed competition (BOB, BOS, Select Dog, Select Bitch). Cannot earn more regular CH points — already has the title.
Grand Champion (GCH): Earned 25 GCH points. Keeps earning toward Bronze (100), Silver (200), Gold (400), Platinum (800). Every point is cumulative.
The ladder only goes one direction — you can’t go back and earn points for a title you already hold.
Step 2: The four awards that earn points
After Best of Breed judging, the judge may award up to four placements. Each earns GCH points — all at the judge’s discretion (they can withhold any award):
The four point-earning awards
Best of Breed (BOB): Count every dog competing — class dogs, class bitches, and all champions. The winner gets the greater of the BOB or BOS point value for their sex.
Best of Opposite Sex (BOS): Count all dogs of the winner’s sex — class entries plus champions of that sex.
Select Dog / Select Bitch: Awarded after BOB and BOS. Count all competing dogs of that sex, minus one (subtract the BOB or BOS winner). AKC’s rule of thumb: “count all dogs competing of the same sex, then subtract 1.”
Awards of Merit earn no GCH points — they’re recognition only.
Step 3: A worked example
Same schedule, different counting. Here’s AKC’s own example:
Entry: 7 class dogs + 5 class bitches + 6 champions (3 dogs, 3 bitches)
Best of Breed (dog or bitch): 7 + 5 + 6 = 18 dogs → 5 GCH points
Best of Opposite, dog: 7 class dogs + 3 champion dogs = 10 dogs → 4 points
Best of Opposite, bitch: 5 class bitches + 3 champion bitches = 8 bitches → 3 points
Select Dog (BOB was male): 10 − 1 = 9 dogs → 4 points
Select Bitch (BOB was male): 8 − 1 = 7 bitches → 2 points
The point values above use a representative schedule — look up your breed and division on the AKC point schedule, the same one used for regular championship points.
Step 4: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum
The Grand Championship is just the beginning. Every GCH point your dog earns is cumulative — the 25 that earned the title count toward the next level:
Grand Champion achievement levels
Each level adds a prefix to the title: GCHB CH Fandom Frankly, My Dear, GCHS, GCHG, GCHP. AKC mails a medallion and certificate at every level.
Glossary
- Grand Champion (GCH) — 25 GCH points, 3 majors under 3 judges, champion defeated at 3 shows.
- Select Dog / Select Bitch — the best champion dog/bitch after BOB and BOS. Earns GCH points.
- Award of Merit — judge’s recognition. No points.
- Champion of Record — a dog whose championship AKC has officially recorded.
- Major — a win worth 3, 4, or 5 points. Same definition as the regular championship.
Sources: AKC Counting Grand Champion Points, AKC Chairman’s Report May 2011, Rules Applying to Dog Shows Ch. 16 Sec. 1.