HOW TO TURN IN AWARD ENTRIES
We have such AWESOME dogs, AWESOME owner/handlers and an AWESOME club! And did we say ACTIVE?
Our Awards program has not significantly changed for 2024. However, as AKC makes changes to their programs, the Award Team will review and make parallel changes to our program.
You can help us keep the website current by submitting your dog's awards & titles throughout the year.
The sooner you start turning them in, the sooner you will see your dog's achievements on the website!
CLICK HERE to enroll a NEW DOG.
To help make the process easy, we have created an online form.
In only a few minutes, you can submit several awards or titles for your dog.
CLICK HERE and provide the required information and click submit at the bottom of the form.
If you prefer paper, you can download the form HERE.
Simply download once, save it locally, add some achievements and turn it in.
Go earn more, add to form, turn it in again, and repeat as often as necessary.
Send word documents and photos to kbaileycooper@gmail.com by email or Karen Bailey Cooper private message on Face Book.
Final deadline is January 31, 2026 to turn in your information.
2025
AWARDS GUIDELINES
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, VERSATILITY, PUPPY, JUNIOR
AND HERDING
2024 MAMASC ACTIVITY PAGES AND AWARD RULES
The purpose of the MAMASC awards program is to recognize our members and their dog’s achievements each year. The awards are based upon each dog’s accomplishments. There are also high point awards, but no one shall be excluded if they have nominated their dog for the year-end award program and the team actively participates during the year. The teams should use the Yearly MAMASC Achievement Form to nominate their dog and to show participation in the awards program during the year. Currently, the secretary is the recipient and keeper of awards records.
MAMASC is an AKC Club and therefore, the dog portion of the team must be an AKC registered Miniature American Shepherd. The human portion of the team must be a member in good standing of MAMASC. New Activity Pages will be set up yearly. The award period is from January 1 through December 31 yearly. The deadline for submitting entries will be January 31 of the following year. After March 31, only titles received in the months following payment of membership will be considered for awards (with the exception of Junior/Pee Wee Handlers, who may join at any time during the year and have all awards earned during that year count toward year-end awards). During each year, information will be updated, as received, to show what each team has accomplished during the year. Award information will be added to each dog’s record when available. These posts will be in alphabetical order by dog’s call name, as much as possible.
Participation certificates with final team activity may be sent to each team. Dogs who have received recognitions or have done special activities may be listed on the MAMASC Website Team Activity, Puppy Antics and PeeWee/Junior pages; however, if no titles are earned during the year, only a participation certificate will be presented to that team. When there is no activity during the year the dog will be removed from current year’s pages and not eligible for an award. As determined by the Awards Team, Board of Directors, club finances, or other special circumstances, awards may be added to, changed or deleted as deemed necessary.
Title events currently in process by AKC will be implemented starting the date AKC implements the event title. Any changes to this guideline will be executed by the MAMASC Awards Team or Board of Directors. All changes MUST be reported to the General Membership, so everyone has the same opportunity to participate in all awards. Titles/awards implemented by other venues will be considered and applied to Versatility, Junior/Pee Wee, Herding and Puppy Awards.
Most teams consist of 1 dog and its owner/handler. In the case of multiple owners, the primary owner as registered by AKC, and a member in good standing with MAMASC, will receive the award. Other owner/handler situations may be submitted to the Awards Team for a decision as to eligibility. If the ownership of the dog changes during the year, each case will be looked at separately to determine status of awards.
List of Awards
Award of Excellence
High Overall Award of Excellence
Junior and PeeWee Award
Puppy Antics
Distinction in Herding Award
Versatility Award
High Overall Versatility Award
Award of Excellence
The Award of Excellence program highlights teams achieving titles in recognized AKC sports. Each team will receive a Crate Tag the first year they earn the Award of Excellence. The award will recognize all AKC titles earned by each qualifying team during an award period plus any AKC titles earned by the team prior to the first award period. Subsequent years’ awards will be hanging plates, attaching to the original plaque, stating the year and AKC titles earned during that year.
Sport is defined as any conformation, performance or companion class recognized by AKC for Miniature American Shepherds. (I.E., if a title is recognized for certain breeds, but not for MAS, such as hunting titles, the title will not be used for the Award of Excellence but can be used for Versatility Awards.) As MAS are a herding breed, the Herding Instinct Certificate will also be applied to the Award of Excellence as if it were a title. Conformation is a minimum of 5 points earned toward a Championship and/or NOHS.
As MAMASC’s parent organization, MASCUSA, is an AKC Breed Club, the MAMASC Award of Excellence only uses titles earned in sports recognized by AKC. For a title to be considered for this award, which has been earned outside of AKC, proper AKC protocol must be followed by applying and paying for the title through AKC. Any AKC recognized title will appear on AKC’s website on a dog’s performance record. Titles will be verified prior to being used for an award. In addition to titles from other organizations recognized by AKC, there are some certificates and titles earned within AKC, such as CGC, CGCA, CGCU, Trick Dog and FDC which also require an application process with AKC. As soon as the procedure is completed and AKC records the titles, those titles will also be used for the Award of Excellence.
High Overall Award of Excellence
This award will be given to the team who earns the most AKC titles (including Herding Instinct Certificate) during the award year. The dog must be 12 months or older. Ties will be broken by number of different sports the titles are earned in, highest titles and then score/times/ jumps.
Junior/Pee Wee
The Junior Award is for Junior handlers between the ages of 9, up through 18 only. Each Junior must handle at least 1 Miniature American Shepherd. Junior teams will be featured on a separate page as this category includes titles/achievements in all venues and are unique. The team may also qualify for a Versatility Award as described below. The award will include a participation certificate and an award as determined by the Awards Team.
The Pee Wee Award for Pee Wee participants is for children 5 through 8 who handle Miniature American Shepherds in Conformation. All children will receive an award which will be determined by the Awards Team.
Titles/achievements earned at any time during the current year will count no matter when the Junior/Pee Wee joins. This allows more flexibility for young handlers to understand and get up to speed during a year before deciding to join the program.
Puppy Antics
Puppy Antics will be similar to the Team Activity Page and lists certificates, awards (i.e., BOB, Group, Puppy Kindergarten) or titles between 12 weeks old and up to 12 months old. The first of the month in which a puppy becomes 12 months old, the puppy will be moved to the Team Activity page. This means puppies will move to the Team Activity Page when 12 months or older and those titles will be considered for the MAMASC Award of Excellence. Titles earned before 12 months will be applied toward a puppy award and titles. Awards from both Puppy Antics (Including Puppy of Achievement and S.T.A.R. Puppy) and Award of Excellence will be applied to Versatility Awards. These puppy teams could possibly have an Award of Excellence, Versatility AND a Puppy Antics award. These teams will receive a participation certificate and a rosette; however, if no titles are earned during the year, a participation certificate only will be awarded to that team. The Board or Award Team may substitute a different award if deemed appropriate.
Distinction in Herding Award
The Herding Award shall be awarded to the handler/dog team who shows a dedication to showcasing the Miniature American Shepherd in the sport for which this breed was bred – Herding. The winning team shall receive an award for the year as determined by the MAMASC Award Team or Board of Directors and treasurer. The winner shall be determined by the most titles earned by the team during the year in any venue (AKC, ASCA, AHBA, etc.). In the case of a tie, the tie breakers will be as follows:
1)
highest herding title earned in AKC
highest herding title earned in AKC 2)highest herding title earned in any venue
highest herding title earned in any venue 3)highest number of herding titles.
highest number of herding titles. 4) highest number of additional titles earned in addition to herding.
Versatility Awards
These awards are dedicated to the dogs who have worked with their owners and achieved more than one title each year in sports as defined above in Award of Excellence, except the titles can be earned in any venue. Also defined above in Award of Excellence is the procedure for AKC titles earned in other venues which may be submitted to AKC for titling. These awards show the true versatility of the Miniature American Shepherd. Each team will receive a plaque the first year they earn the Versatility award. The award will recognize all titles earned by each qualifying team during an award period plus any titles earned by the team prior to the first award period. Subsequent years’ awards will be hanging plates, attaching to the original plaque, stating the year and titles earned during that year.
The following are minimum qualifications.
Versatility Herding Categories
HCVM- Herding Conformation Versatility Master -Top & Highest Award:
1)One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND
One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND 2)Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue AND
Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue AND 3)Five or more additional performance titles from at least five different sports.
Five or more additional performance titles from at least five different sports.HCVE - Herding Conformation Versatility Excellent:
1)One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND
One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND 2)Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND
Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND 3)Three additional performance titles from at least two different sports.
Three additional performance titles from at least two different sports.HCVA - Herding Conformation Versatility Advanced:
1)One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND
One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND 2)Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND
Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND 3)One additional performance title.
One additional performance title.HVM – Herding Versatility Master:
1)Three Herding Titles and/or Test Certificates, AND
Three Herding Titles and/or Test Certificates, AND 2)Five additional Performance Titles from at least two sports.
Five additional Performance Titles from at least two sports.HVE - Herding Versatility Excellent:
1)One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND
One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND 2)Five or more additional performance titles from at least two different sports.
Five or more additional performance titles from at least two different sports.HVA - Herding Versatility Advanced:
1)One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND
One Herding Title or Test Certificate, AND 2)One additional performance title.
One additional performance title.Versatility Non-Herding Categories
PCVM- Performance Conformation Versatility Master - Highest Non-Herding Award:
1)Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND
Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND 2)Ten or more performance titles from at least three different sports.
Ten or more performance titles from at least three different sports.PCVE- Performance Conformation Versatility Excellent:
1)Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND
Five AKC Conformation points, Title or equivalent from another venue, AND 2)Three additional performance titles from at least three different sports.
Three additional performance titles from at least three different sports.PCVA- Performance Conformation Versatility Advanced:
1)Five AKC Conformation points. Title or equivalent from another venue, AND
Five AKC Conformation points. Title or equivalent from another venue, AND 2)One additional performance title.
One additional performance title.PVM- Performance Versatility Master:
1)Ten performance titles from at least four different sports.
Ten performance titles from at least four different sports.PVE- Performance Versatility Excellent:
1)Five performance titles from at least three different sports.
Five performance titles from at least three different sports.PVA- Performance Versatility Advanced:
1)Two performance titles from two different sports.
Two performance titles from two different sports.High Overall Versatility Award
For the team who earns the most titles/certificates/achievements from all venues. Tie breakers are:
1)Team earning herding titles and conformation titles.
Team earning herding titles and conformation titles. 2)Team earning herding titles, but no conformation titles earned.
Team earning herding titles, but no conformation titles earned. 3)Team earning no herding but conformation titles earned.
Team earning no herding but conformation titles earned. 4)Further ties will be broken by number of different sports titles are earned in, highest score/times/jumps.
Further ties will be broken by number of different sports titles are earned in, highest score/times/jumps. Revised 12/7/23
