Alaskan Malamute Club of America
The AKC Parent Breed Club for the Alaskan Malamute

 

Working Dog Excellent Certification Requirements

Purpose

The purpose of the Working Dog Excellent (WDX) program shall be to test the Alaskan Malamutes' working ability in as natural a situation as possible in order to ascertain his willingness to work in difficult situations over a period of time. These accomplishments should reflect endurance, attitude and training above and beyond that of the average working dog. The certification committee has the right to reject any applications which do not reflect the spirit of the program. A dog need not have earned a WD certificate in order to apply for a WDX certificate.

  1. Administration

    1. The Working Dog Excellent Program (WDX) shall be a continuation of the Alaskan Malamute Club of America's Working Dog Certification rules and unless otherwise stated those rules and definitions apply.

    2. The WDX committee shall be made up of three AMCA members from different geographical regions. Recommendation for the chairperson of the WDX committee will be made to the Board of Directors by the Chairperson of the Working Dog Committees. The WDX chairperson shall then appoint two committee members of his or her choice from different geographical areas. It is recommended that all committee members have worked a dog to the WDX level and that the committee represents all aspect of the program.

    3. Rule changes. The WDX rules may be modified, amended, corrected, changed or discontinued upon recommendation of a majority of the WDX committee and upon approval of the Board. If the Board deems it necessary, the change may go to the membership for a vote.

  2. Fields of Certification

    Dogs may earn certification in the following fields:

    • Working Weight Pull Dog Excellent (WWPDX)

    • Working Pack Dog Excellent (WPDX)

    • Working Team Dog Excellent (WTDX)

    • Working Lead Dog Excellent (WLDX)

    • Special working dog excellent certification for search and rescue, guide dog, skijoring, or the like shall be considered by special application to the WDX committee on an individual basis.

  3. Certification Requirements

    1. General Rules
       

      1. Competitive events must be open events. Open events are those which are not restricted to certain breeds or club and are sufficiently advertised so that the public has the opportunity to participate. Exceptions to this will be events sponsored in conjunction with an AMCA or AKC event and therefore limited to a given breed(s) or dog(s).

      2. Witnesses

        1. Witnesses for competitive events or club organized excursions shall be an event official or organizer.

        2. Witnesses for non-competitive sledding and pack excursions shall be impartial, which excludes family members, residents of the same household such as the applicant, the dogs' breeder and the like.

      3. Documentation — Documentation for backcountry packing and sledding trips may be difficult to obtain in some situations, but the applicant must provide sufficient evidence that the trip has taken place as stated. Maps such as USGS topographic maps for Forest Service maps with the route designated on it must be included with the application. Other documentation must include the signature(s) of an impartial witness(es) encountered on the trail and a statement verifying that the applicant was at the stated location on a given date, OR verifiable photographs of the applicants' team or pack dog at a specified location (for example at a trail sign).

      4. Variations — Anyone planning a trip or race that they are not sure will qualify under the WDX rules should check with the committee prior to the event.

      5. Sportsmanship — Common courtesy and good sportsmanship shall prevail during all events and trips. Any applicant who is abusive to his dogs or other people shall not be eligible for a WDX award for his dogs. Dogs must present a good example for the breed, being manageable, non-aggressive workers and not posing a threat to other dogs or people.
         

    2. Working Weight Pull Dog Excellent
       

      1. ISDRA, AMCA, IWPA or other previously approved, nationally recognized rules shall be used.

      2. All dogs must be weighed at each event.

      3. Dogs must qualify in 5 competitions by:

        1. Pulling 14 times his body weight on snow with a sled.

        2. Pulling 16 times his weight on any other natural surface with a wheeled cart.

        3. Pulling the following weights by weight class, on a man made surface:

          1. 80# and Under Class - 23 times the dog's weight

          2. 80-100# Class - 21 times the dog's weight

          3. 101# and Over Class - 19 times the dog's weight

          All weights are rounded down to the nearest whole #.

        4. In addition to requirements 1, 2 or 3 the dog must place in the top 1/3 of his weight class in each event. In the event the top 1/3 comes out as a fraction, that dog will qualify.

        5. If at a competition over 75% of the dogs pull the required weight, that pull will be disallowed.

    3. Working Pack Dog Excellent

      1. The dog's weight and the weight of his pack must be verified by an impartial witness or trip official prior to the start of the trip. The dog shall carry an initial load of at least 30% of his body weight. Te weight carried shall not decrease except by normal consumption of items such as food or water.

      2. Pack trips shall be backcountry trips with the dogs carrying equipment necessary for the trip. Backcountry is a remote area, inaccessible and unsuited to vehicular traffic at the time of the trip, where support and aid is not generally available. Campouts will be necessary due to the distance requirements. Campouts will take place in the backcountry, not at trailheads, roadside campgrounds and the like. Suitable locations for pack trips are National Forests, Parts, hiking and undeveloped natural terrain.

      3. A total of 120 miles shall be completed in 1 to 3 trips.

      4. Each trip shall be a minimum of 40 miles with an average of 10 miles per day on traveling days under normal conditions such as maintained trails and normal weather conditions. Day trips from the base camp must adhere to the weight requirements unless the applicant does not wish to include those miles in the trip total.

      5. Because some trips will take place in mountainous terrain, each 1,000 feet of elevation gain may be substituted for a mile of the total mileage requirement.

    4. Working Team Dog Excellent

      1. Race rules shall be ISDRA, other nationally recognized rules, or rules previously approved by the WDX committee.

      2. Dogs may run on any size team and need not run on the same team for each event. Sledding may be Alaskan style or Nordic style (single file team pulling a pulk).

      3. Total mileage for all applicants shall be 180 miles.

        1. Races must be a minimum of 60 continuous miles or two or more heats of at least 40 miles where the applicants has completed at least two consecutive heats.

        2. Backcountry excursion trips shall be a minimum of 60 miles. They shall take place in remote areas inaccessible at that time of year to motor vehicles excepting snowmobiles. The team must travel as a self sufficient unit hauling supplies necessary for the trip. Examples of suitable places places are national Forests, parks or other areas where trail and roads are not maintained for winter use by vehicles excepting snowmobiles. If the trip takes place in a Wilderness type area where there are no defined trails and dogs may be expected to break trail, the trip must be a minimum of 40 miles.

    5. Working Lead Dog Excellent:

      1. The WLDX award shall be for dogs who have completed requirements for the WTDX, who have completed at least half those requirements running single lead in a team of at least three dogs, where that team is also the lead for approximately 50% of the team, if several teams are traveling together.

Revised: September 1992
Effective: October 1992