FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PWDCA Owner Handler

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PWDCA Owner Handler Awards (OHA) &
Junior Showmanship Owner Handler Awards (JSOHA) Programs
1. Q: Why were the OHA and JSOHA programs developed?
A. To provide the PWDCA membership a fun and exciting new program that rewards and
recognizes the efforts of our Owner/Handlers and to encourage members to:
A. Actively participate in competitive events and activities by handling dogs owned or coowned by them,
B. Develop positive working relationships and camaraderie with their fellow club members
and competitors, and
C. Continually expand their understanding of the PWD breed standard through “hands on”
activities and experiences.
2. Q: Are the OHA and JSOHA programs different?
A. Yes. The JSOHA Program is structured specifically for young Owner/Handlers between the ages
of 10 and 18 that regularly participate in AKC sanctioned Junior Showmanship events and
possess an AKC Junior Showmanship. The OHA Program is a program for the general PWDCA
membership and does not require young Owner/Handlers between the ages of 10-18 to have an
AKC Junior Showmanship number to participate. Owner/Handlers between the ages of 10-18
may participate in either the OHA Program or the JSOHA Program; however, Owner/Handlers
may not participate in both the OHA Program and JSOHA Program during the same program
competition year.
3. Q: Is the PWDCA OHA program the same as the AKC owner handler series?
A. No. The AKC’s new Owner Handler series established in 2012 is limited to only those owner
handlers that receive top prizes in conformation events—only the following placements receive
points in the AKC’s program: Best in Show, Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, and Best of
Breed. Also, the AKC’s Owner Handler series is limited to select dog shows across the country
and does not include performance events. Conversely, in the PWDCA Owner Handler Award
Program it is not necessary to win the top prize at events to earn points. In fact, most
placements (1st place, Reserve Winners, Winners, Best of Winners, Best of Opposite, Select,
Best of Breed, etc.) received at any AKC sanctioned shows earn points in the PWDCA OHA or
JSOHA programs as well as placements associated with performance events, such as Q, 1st Place,
High in Trial, etc.
4. Q: Do participants of the OHA and JSOHA programs have to be PWDCA members to participate?
A. Yes.
5. Q: Are the programs limited to AKC and PWDCA sanctioned trials and events only?
A. Yes.
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6. Q: Can professional handlers participate in the OHA program if they are members of the PWDCA
and want to participate with dogs they own or co-own?
A. No. This program is meant only for non-professional Owner/Handlers.
7. Q: What is the difference between the OHA Program and other programs such as ROM?
A. The ROM Program, for example, awards the accomplishments of the DOG. The OHA Program
awards the accomplishments of the Owner/Handler. At the end of the program year, the
Owner/Handler receives the award, not the participating dogs.
8. Q: Are the OHA and JSOHA program annual programs?
A. Yes. The OHA and JSOHA programs have program years that start on July 1 and end of June 30
each year. Awards are given based upon points earned during a program year. The programs
start over each July 1.
9. Q: Can I register to join the program at any point in the program year?
A. Yes. Owner/Handlers may register to participate in the OHA Program at any point during the
year up until June 30th, the last day of the competition year. However, registrations late in a
program competition year will limit the amount of time participants have to accumulate points.
Also, there is no retroactive counting of points associated with any activities occurring prior to a
participant’s registration application acceptance.
10. Q: Do the OHA and JSOHA programs support and encourage the use of the PWDCA’s Health and
Litter Database (HLD)?
A. Yes. The Owner Handler Awards program committee fully supports the PWDCA's Code of
Ethics that encourages (not mandates) members to support the use of the PWD Health & Litter
Database. As such, the Owner Handler Awards program has established a process to specifically
encourage and support program participant use of the HLD. Please refer to the following link on
the OHA program website that describes the program’s process to support the HLD
(http://www.pwdca.org/assets/docs/programs/pwdca_oha_pwd_hld_support.pdf).
11. Q: Once I register in the program and identify my “pool” of up to four dogs to participate with in
the OHA Program, can I remove any of the dogs during the program year or switch them out
with other dogs?
A. No. During the OHA Program year, participants may NOT switch out any of the dogs that they
registered in the OHA Program (up to a maximum of four dogs is allowed) and must wait until
the next program year to make changes to the dogs they will register in the OHA Program and
compete with. This remains true even if circumstances arise where a participant’s registered dog
cannot participate for reasons such as having puppies, passes away, etc. This is why the OHA
Program allows handlers to register up to a maximum of four dogs to compete with to account
for any unforeseen circumstances.
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12. Q: Will the programs benefit Owner/Handlers that handle their dogs more often than
Owner/Handlers that infrequently handle?
A. Yes. The programs are designed to encourage Owner/Handlers to participate in activities with
their dogs and will naturally benefit those participants that are more active and have more
opportunities to earn points.
13. Q: If I have a dog that is professionally handled, can I participate in the program with my other
dogs that are not?
A. Yes. Any AKC PWD that you own or co-own can participate in the program with you (up to a
maximum of 4 dogs). However, you can only earn program points with the dogs that you, the
non-professional program participant, handled on a given activity. For example, if you have
registered one of your dogs in the OHA program that is regularly professionally handled in
conformation activities, you can still participate in the program and earn points with that same
dog via activities where you handle the dog, such as performance activities or even
conformation events where you handled the dog.
14. Q: Can I earn points for each leg of a CWDX title?
A. No. All water points, like tracking points, are earned on titles/certificates only with exception of
versatility where points are earned per pass.
15. Q: Can I earn points each day of a water trial?
A. Yes. If you receive eligible titles, points may be earned each day of a water trial. However, to be
consistent with program rules in other competition venues, participants may only earn points
with one dog per day. For example, if a dog were to earn two water titles in a single day, only
one title with the highest program points would count for the day. If a dog were to earn two
eligible water titles on two separate days of a trial, the participant would earn points associated
with the two titles.
16. Q: Since program points associated with water and tracking events are earned on
titles/certificates only (with the exception of versatility in the water venue), can participants
earn program points for achieving the same water or tracking titles/certificates on multiple
dogs during the same program year?
A. Yes. Participants may only earn program points once on a tracking and water title/certificate
(per dog) earned during a program year – per program registered dog. However, if a participant
earns a AWD title on two different dogs during the same program year, points may be earned
for each of the two AWD titles (as long as the titles were earned on different days as the
program allows only one placement submission per day per venue).
17. Q: Can participants earn program points for achieving the same water or tracking
titles/certificates (on the same dog) more than once but achieved during different program
years?
A. Yes. Participants may earn program points for achieving the same tracking and water
title/certificate (on the same dog) earned more than once but achieved during different
program years. For example, a participant can earn program points once during the 2013-2014
program year for achieving a TD during the 2013-14 program year. A participant can also earn
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additional program points during the 2014-2015 program year by achieving another TD on the
same dog during the 2014-15 program year.
However, if participants earn the same tracking or water title/certificate more than once during
the same program year (on the same dog), they cannot count points twice for the same
title/certificate earned multiple times during the same program year. For example, a participant
cannot earn program points twice during 2013-2014 by achieving two TDs on the same dog
during 2013-2014 – they may only earn points once during that program year.
18. Q: Can I earn program points when participating in two separate trials for the same venue that
occur on the same day?
A. No. Participants may only earn points with one dog per day per venue. For example, if there
are two separate obedience trials in one day (two separate all-breed obedience trials on the
same day or a PWD only obedience trial followed by an all-breed obedience trial on the same
day)—participants would NOT earn points from each trial as the two obedience trials occurring
on a single day is still one single venue and points can only be earned with one dog per day per
venue. In other words, NO MULTIPLE Qs on a single day. **One exception—beginning July 1,
2014 – Double Qs at the masters level only in agility will earn 1.5 points**
However, to encourage multi-venue participation, participants may earn points from multiple
venues in a single day. In other words, if a program participant handles multiple dogs or a single
dog they have registered in the program in activities in multiple venues (conformation,
obedience, agility, etc.) on a single day, the participant may accumulate points from each venue.
19. Q: When must points be submitted to be counted?
A. Program participants must submit all points to the Program Coordinator in a timely manner - no
later than 2 months from the month in which the points were earned. Example: Points earned
in January must be received no later than April 1 of the same year. However, the last day to
submit points earned on the last day of the program year (June 30) will be September 1st or two
weeks prior to the first day of the start of the National Specialty, whichever comes first. Any
points submitted after the deadline will not be considered as part of the participant’s point
total. It is the responsibility of program participants to provide accurate information.
20. Q: How is “Competition” defined?
A. As the program point schedule indicates, in the conformation venue breed ring, 1st place in class
and reserve placements do not require competition whereas placements of winners and above
(except AOMs) require competition to earn program points. Specifically:
 Winners Bitch—must beat other class bitches.
 Winners Dog—must beat other class dogs.
 Best of Winners—must beat the winner of the opposite sex.
 Select:
o Champions/Specials must beat at least one other champion/special in the breed
ring for a Select placement to earn Select program points. WD/WB do not count
as competition for a Select placement as class animals as not eligible to earn
Select placements.
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
BOS:
o
o


Champions/Specials must beat at least one other champion/special OR WD/WB
in the breed ring for a BOS placement to earn BOS program points.
WD/WB must beat at least one champion/special in the breed ring for the BOS
placement to earn BOS program points. Beating the class animals for BOS does
not count as competition because WD/WB already beat those class animals for
the winner’s placement.
BOB:
o
Champions/Specials must beat at least one other champion/special OR WD/WB
in the breed ring for a BOB placement to earn BOB program points.
o WD/WB must beat at least one champion/special in the breed ring for the BOB
placement to earn BOB program points. Beating the class animals for BOB does
not count as competition because WD/WB already beat those class animals for
the winner’s placement.
AKC’s Owner Handler Series Program:
o To earn OHBOB program points associated with the AKC’s Owner Handler Series
Program, you must beat at least one other AKC Owner Handler eligible animal in
the breed ring for the placement to earn OHBOB program points. Similar to
regular BOB:
 AKC Owner Handler Series eligible Champions/Specials must beat at
least one other AKC Owner Handler eligible champion/special OR AKC
Owner Handler Series eligible WD/WB in the breed ring for an OHBOB
placement to earn OHBOB program points.
 AKC Owner Handler Series eligible WD/WB must beat at least one AKC
Owner Handler Series eligible champion/special in the breed ring for an
OHBOB placement to earn OHBOB program points. Beating other AKC
Owner Handler Series eligible class animals for OHBOB does not count
as competition because the already defeated class animals are ineligible
to compete for OHBOB as competition for OHBOB occurs only in the
breed ring.
21. Q: Do non-regular (puppy, bred-by, AKC owner handler series) group placements and Best in
Show placements in the conformation venue at all-breed shows earn program points?
A. Yes. See the applicable point schedule.
22. Q: If a participant earns the Regular BOB and Non-Regular BOB (i.e. AKC owner handler series)
during the same conformation competition, will the participant earn points for both?
A. No. Participants can only earn points on the placement that earns the highest points – either
the Regular BOB OR the Non-Regular BOB placement. The participant will not earn points for
both Regular BOB and Non-Regular BOB placements that are earned simultaneously.
23. Q: Has the OHA and JSOHA program rules and point schedules changed with the second program
year starting on July 1, 2014?
A. Yes. In March 2014, the OHA Program Committee submitted to the Board a series of
proposed changes to the program rules as a result of “Lessons Learned” analysis of the first
program year (2013/2014). The program changes were approved by the Board on March 8,
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2014 and will take effect with the second program year that starts on July 1, 2014.
Overall, the OHA Committee found that the Program worked extremely well and as intended
with much excitement and participation. The Committee also found a few areas where the
Program would benefit from adjustments to either level the playing field or provide
participants with additional opportunities to earn points. Key changes include:
New distinct point schedule for Non-Regular BOB (i.e. AKC owner handler
series) and Non-Regular Group/BIS placements (i.e. AKC owner handler series,
Puppy, and Bred By) has been created that is separate from Regular
BOB/Group/BIS placements.
 Regular Group placements point scale has been adjusted so that points will be
calculated in a manner consistent with Regular BIS placements. Specifically,
earning Regular Group placements will result in a total point score rather than the
cumulation of class, breed, and group level points.
 Earning an AKC Canine Good Citizen title will earn 5 program points.
 Earning an AKC Therapy Dog title will earn 10 program points.
 National Obedience and Agility Invitational placements will earn the same
program points as obedience and agility placements earned at the PWDCA
National Specialty.
 In Agility Masters level only, Double Qs will earn 1.5 points. All other levels will
still count only single Qs for one point each.
 Versatility in the Water Venue will earn 20 points for the first pass of the program
year, and 10 points for each additional pass during the program year.
 Junior Showmanship Owner Handler Award program minimum age changed
from 10 to 9 to align with the PWDCA water trial venue minimum age change.
 A “Rookie” award will be given to a first-time Owner Handler Award program
participant competing with their first-ever PWD. Participants may only earn the
“Rookie” award once starting in the 2014/2015 program year.
Obedience HIT placements at all-breed shows will be awarded points.
Refer to the new program rules that start on July 1, 2014 at http://www.pwdca.org/owner-handlerawards
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