It depends. For 2018, the answer is somewhere between 1 and 4,547 points. For the Invitational, the top 5 dogs plus the top preferred height dog in each breed are invited to compete, with rankings based on a points system. If you run 30 seconds under course time, you will gain 30 points. In additional, 10 points are added for each QQ (qualifying in standard and jumpers on the same day).
It makes sense that breeds with very fast dogs in general, like the border collie, will have lots of points. Breeds that have more dogs in them, again like border collies but also shelties and golden retrievers, will also require a lot of points to finish in the top 5. But some breeds have us scratching our heads. What is happening with the American Eskimo?
The chart below shows the number of points that were required to be invited to the 2018 AKC Invitational (regular dogs only, preferred is not included). The number of dogs competing for those 5 invitations is also included. If you don’t see a breed listed, then no dog of that breed earned a single point during the 2018 Qualification Year.
Fun Facts
- Among dogs with at least 5 competitors earning points, the average points required is 1020.
- Among dogs with at least 5 competitors earning points, the median points required is 781.