Canadian Kennel Club launches FETCH, new retrieving title sport for dogs

The Canadian Kennel Club has turned one of the simplest dog games into a formal title event. FETCH, set to launch July 1, gives dogs that love the chase and return of a toy a new path into the sport world, with Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Retriever titles on offer.

CKC says FETCH is open to all dogs that enjoy retrieving and is built as a pass-fail, noncompetitive test rather than a head-to-head class. To earn a title, a dog must collect two qualifying scores under two different judges. That structure makes the sport feel familiar to anyone who already works a ball, bumper or toy with a high-drive dog, while still giving the game real event-day stakes.

The club is also widening access on the event side. Any interested CKC-recognized club may apply to hold FETCH tests, and the tests can stand alone or be run alongside another event or trial. CKC says licensed judges of any event type except CGN Evaluators may judge FETCH tests, and prospective judges must complete an application plus online education and testing through AKC Canine College at their own expense. To encourage clubs to get in early, CKC is waiving late fees for 2026 applications, while still requiring Event Date Applications and Judging Panel Applications at least 60 days before the test date. Clubs may hold up to 12 FETCH tests per calendar year.

The timing matters because CKC says the FETCH Rules & Regulations take effect July 1, the same day the new event launches. That puts a new retrieving title right alongside CKC’s broader sports lineup, which already includes conformation, obedience, rally, agility, tracking, lure coursing, herding and retrieving field trials and hunt tests. In CKC’s existing retriever events, dogs are tested on marking downed birds and on retrieving skill, with higher levels demanding more advanced work such as blind retrieves.

The new event also lands in familiar territory for North American dog sports. The American Kennel Club launched its own AKC Fetch program in January 2024 as an all-breeds, pass-fail title game with four levels of its own. CKC’s version now gives Canadian handlers a similar route, but with its own rules, timelines and club structure, and with a clear appeal for dogs whose drive to retrieve is already the easiest part of the training plan.