PERFORMANCE | Miniature Bull Terrier Club of America

UNLEASH the FUN

Miniature Bull Terriers are bold, energetic, and famously independent thinkers. They’re not the type of dog to obey just because you asked; they want to know what’s in it for them! This spirited, self-directed nature can make training a creative challenge, but it also makes every success especially rewarding.

Performance sports tap into the Mini Bulls' best traits: directing their strength, curiosity, determination, and problem-solving abilities in activities that encourage them engage on their own terms. With the right motivation (and a sense of fun), Mini Bulls can showcase surprising versatility across a wide range of events. Whether you’re exploring a new activity for enrichment or aiming for advanced titles, participating in performance strengthens your relationship and builds teamwork while celebrating the unique character that makes Mini Bulls so memorable.

Use this page to learn more about the MBTCA Performance Awards program and the wide variety of performance opportunities!

Mini Bulls. Mighty Fun.

A handful of our fa-bull-ous friends. Updated 11/17/2025.

Capri

Rhinestone New Moon Over The Isle At Southridge SWEE SCM SBM CGC STR TKN

Roo

GCH CH Omega's Little Ripper FDC FCAT RATO CGC TKN ATT FITB

Truly

CH Evolution's Equipoise Is Truly Scrumptious RN CA FCAT4 CGC TKN

GCH CH Triumph Diamond Dog at Quicksilver BN RE OAP OJP XFP SWN CGCA CGCU TKI.png

GCH CH Triumph Diamond Dog At Quicksilver BN RE AXP AJP XFP SWN CGCA CGCU TKI

About the Performance Committee

The MBTCA Performance Committee supports, promotes, and celebrates the involvement of Miniature Bull Terriers in performance and companion events.

As a member club of the AKC, MBTCA is able to sanction events under AKC regulations. The club is currently licensed to host AKC Fast CAT, Scent Work, Agility, Obedience, Rally, and Temperament Tests. The Performance Committee takes a front seat in coordinating and organizing these trials - working to create well-run, enjoyable events for exhibitors and their dogs, and to promote expanded opportunities for Miniature Bull Terriers across these sports.

Additionally, the committee oversees the MBTCA Performance and Versatility Awards, created to celebrate and recognize the achievements of Miniature Bull Terriers and their handlers. We track and maintain records based on what is submitted each year by members.

Finally, we are here to assist owners in navigating the world of performance. Whether you are new to dog sports or a seasoned competitor, the Performance Committee is here to support your journey and help showcase what our breed can accomplish!

Co-Chairs: Kim Krohn and Paula Spangler

Committee Members: Martina Fetter, Connie Jardine, Karin Lamkins, Courtenay Morgan, Nikki O’Quinn, Emma Schneidkraut, and Kimarie Wolf
Emeritus: Janis Dolphin

MBTCA Performance Brochure

Companion & Performance Sports
Performance events put the Miniature Bull Terrier’s intelligence, high energy level, and prey drive on excellent display. Unlike show dogs, performance dogs don’t have to conform to the breed standard and they can be spayed or neutered. That opens performance to any MBT owner who puts in the time and effort to train their dog.

There is a wide variety of canine sports available today, offering something to suit every dog and handler team!

Companion Sports

Obedience

One of the oldest dog sporting events, obedience tests a dog's trained skills, such as precision heeling, retrieves, scent discrimination, recalls, stays and more. Obedience Trials for All Dogs and Owners - American Kennel Club

Rally

A more relaxed form of obedience, rally focuses on enthusiasm and teamwork as dogs and their handlers navigate a course of signs, each with a skill to perform. There are opportunities to earn rally titles virtually from home! In addition to AKC Rally®, there are other organizations that offer rally trials and titles, such as Worldwide Canine Rally (WCRL), USDAA, UKC, and C-WAGS.

Agility

In perhaps the most famous canine sport, agility dogs and handlers must negotiate an obstacle course while racing against the clock. You can find Agility events all over North America sanctioned by the AKC, the UKC, the Canadian Kennel Club, UK Agility International (UKI), the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA), Canine Performance Events (CPE), and the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC).

Tracking

AKC Tracking demonstrates a dog’s natural ability to recognize and follow a scent, and is the foundation of canine search and rescue work.

Performance Sports

Trick Dog
Tricks range from simple behaviors to complex routines! Great foundation training and a confidence booster for dogs and handlers - puppies as young as 4 months can earn Trick titles. AKC Trick Dog, Do More With Your Dog! (DMWYD)

AKC Earth Dog
A sport where dogs safely work underground tunnels to locate a protected quarry; exclusive to small terriers and Dachshunds, this sport is intended to measure a dog's natural aptitude, as well as trained hunting and working behaviors. AKC Earthdog

Rat Sports
There are multiple other organizations dedicated to sniffing out safely-contained quarry (typically rats). Barn Hunt involves sniffing out rats among straw bales, while Happy Ratters and North American Dog Sport Dog Association (NASDA) Urban Locating are setup in "human made" environments. NASDA Trailing & Locating is held in a natural hunting terrain, and involves tracking & trailing an above-ground quarry.

Nose/Scent Work
In Nose Work, dogs search for target odors (birch, anise, clove, etc.) and must locate the source. Modeled after professional detection dog work, this is one of the fastest-growing dog sports worldwide. Some popular organizations are the United States Canine Scent Sports (USCSS), the AKC, the UKC , Canine Performance Events (CPE), and in Canada, the CKC and the Sporting Detection Dogs Association. Events are sanctioned in the U.S. and Canada by the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW). Other groups around the world also sanction events, including Australia Canine Scent Work and Scent Work UK.

Lure Coursing
Lure coursing uses a mechanized lure to simulate chasing prey. While traditional coursing is for sighthounds, all breeds may compete in AKC Coursing Ability Tests (CAT), AKC Fast CAT, and UKC Precision Coursing. Fast CAT is a hugely popular 100-yard timed dash. Each year, AKC invites the top 5 fastest dogs of each breed to the Fast CAT Invitational. Check the MBT rankings here!

Dock Diving
Dogs compete in jumping for distance or height from a dock into a body of water. The registry sponsoring events and offering titles is called North America Diving Dogs (NADD). The AKC now recognizes NADD titles via application.

AKC Fetch
AKC Fetch is a pass-fail noncompetitive test. The four levels of titles (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Retriever) assess the ability of the dog to retrieve.

Disc Dog
Can your dog catch a frisbee? There's a sport for that, too! Discs can be thrown through the air or across the ground (rollers). UpDog Challenge offers a variety of disc games and the AKC now recognizes UpDog titles via application. K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch bring together local dog lovers to compete globally, getting together once a week for 5-weeks each season.

Weight Pull
Dogs in specially designed safety harnesses compete to see who can pull the most weight on a sled or cart — with safety uppermost in mind at all times. The oldest sanctioning body is the International Weight Pull Association (IWPA). Events also are organized and governed by the American Pulling Alliance (APA), the UKC, the North American Weight Pull Association (NAWA), the World Wide Weight Pull Organization (W3PO), and the United Pulling Federation (UPF).

Flyball
A high-speed relay race over hurdles to a spring-loaded ball box and back. Loud, fast, chaotic, flyball is a team sport involving significant training & committment. Sanctioning bodies are NAFA and U-FLI.

Parkour
Sometimes called “urban agility,” Dog Parkour involves climbing, balancing, jumping, and navigating real-world obstacles. It is low-impact and suitable for dogs of all ages. Learn more from the International Dog Parkour Association.

Canicross / Bikejoring
Canicross is a team sport where a human and dog run cross-country together, with the dog pulling the person. The activity uses specialized equipment, including a harness for the dog, a bungee leash, and a waist belt for the runner, allowing for hands-free running and shock absorption. Similarly, bikejoring is a dog sport where one dog or multiple dogs run in front of a bike, pulling it forward using bikejoring equipment. When bikejoring, your dogs are attached to mountain bikes with bikejoring lines and a bike attachment. There are lots of dog-friendly races across the US and North American Canicross offers titling opportunites.

AKC FIT Dog
Many of these sports can also be used to earn AKC FIT Dog titles, which promote canine fitness and conditioning.

Citizenship

Miniature Bull Terriers also make excellent candidates for training and socialization titles. These titles reward good manners, stability, and sound temperament—important qualities for all Mini Bulls!

AKC Canine Good Citizen: The gold standard for good dog behavior, a dog with the CGC title has passed a 10-step test of basic good manners.
AKC Community Canine: The next step up from CGC, the Community Canine test evaluates the dog’s skills in a real-world setting (e.g., walking in a crowd).
AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen: An advanced CGC title, the Urban CGC evaluates the dog’s skills in a busy street environment.
Therapy Dogs: Many MBTs are certified therapy dogs who bring cheer to nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and other settings. The AKC awards titles to therapy dogs based on the number of visits completed. (Rufus, the Colored Bull Terrier who won Best in Show at Westminster in 2006, became a therapy dog in retirement.)
AKC Farm Dog Certified: Another advanced practical title requiring calm, obedient behavior around livestock in a working farm setting.
AKC Temperament Test: Was developed to bring focus and provide a meaningful evaluation to assess the temperament of our canine companions

Click here to find a training class or test near you!

Novice Performance Award

Minis who have earned their first performance titles are awarded plaques to which engraved title plates may be added as the dog’s performance career progresses.

To initially earn the Novice Award, a dog must earn five titles in any performance category. It is also required that the dog has one title or certification from the Citizenship category. For this award level, titles in the Conformation category do not count towards the total titles.

Individuals who wish to obtain a plaque before meeting the requirements may choose to purchase it, but otherwise, title plates will not be provided until the plaque is earned.

Award Application

Versatility Awards

To encourage the breeding of Miniature Bull Terriers that are of correct temperament and, per the breed standard, “full of fire, having a courageous, even temperament” and “amenable to discipline,” and to honor their owners who carefully cultivate that temperament in the pursuit of performance sports, the MBTCA established a Versatility Award at its National Specialty in the Fall of 1998.

The Susan M. Hall Memorial Versatility Trophy, the “Hildie,” (named after the first qualifier, Susan’s dog Hildie) is offered annually by the MBTCA to honor those dogs winning titles in three different areas of endeavor.

In response to the increasing number of Miniature Bull Terriers achieving titles in a growing field of dog sports, the MBTCA Versatility Excellent Award, the “Trevor” (named after the first winner, Andrea Johnson’s dog Trevor), was later added for dogs earning titles in at least four different performance categories.

Click here to see past “Hildie” & "Trevor" recipients.

Both the Hildie and Trevor trophies are perpetual trophies, and their possession remains with the club. Each winner’s name (both dog and trainer/owner) will be engraved on the trophies, which will be displayed at the National Specialty. A souvenir trophy will be given to the winner(s). There may be more than one winner in a year and the qualifying titles need not be gained in the year of application.

The performance categories include a point system to recognize the difference in relative difficulty in training for and achieving the various titles and to recognize the historical uses of the breed, e.g. rodent hunt titles are more heavily weighted than herding or coursing titles. The point system can be seen under the Point Matrix tab.

For the Hildie Versatility Award, a dog must earn three titles in three different categories with a total of at least 6 points. “Miscellaneous Sports” constitutes one category; no more than one title in a sport from this category may be used to satisfy requirements for the award. It is also required that the dog have one additional title or certification from the Citizenship category (with no points assigned to this achievement) and that one of the three performance titles must be at the minimum an AKC PCD, a CD, an AKC Rally Advanced, an off-leash Freestyle title, or an AKC Novice-level agility title. (These off-leash titles may be from various registries if the achievement is equivalent to the AKC titles.)

For the Trevor Versatility Excellent Award, a dog must earn four titles in four different categories with a total of at least 12 points. “Miscellaneous Sports” constitutes one category; no more than one title in a sport from this category may be used to satisfy requirements for the award. Additionally, any qualifying achievement in the Miscellaneous category must be at the Excellent/Elite/Expert level. It is also required that the dog have two titles or certifications from the Citizenship category*(with no points assigned to this achievement) and that one of the four performance titles must be at least an AKC PCDX, a CDX, an AKC Rally Excellent, an advanced level Freestyle title, or an AKC Open level agility title (or an equivalent title from various registries).

To calculate the points for either versatility award, only the points of the most advanced title earned in any one sport are to be counted. Titles listed here or titles equivalent to those listed here but earned with registries not specifically named or implied in this point system will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

For full eligibility requirements and scoring criteria, please download this document.

MBTCA Awards Program
The MBTCA has developed a performance awards program to encourage the training of Miniature Bull Terriers and to recognize club members and their dogs who have achieved honors.

Every Fall at the MBTCA National Specialty, Mini Bulls are awarded their honors for the previous year (July 1-June 30).

Novice Performance Award
Susan M. Hall Memorial Versatility Award (the "Hildie")
MBTCA Versatility Excellent Award (the "Trevor")

For more information on each of these awards, please view the corresponding tabs.

It is the owner’s responsibility to notify the Performance Committee of their dog’s eligibility for awards and to provide verification. By July 1, copies of the official records of achievement must be sent to the Performance Committee Records Clerk for recognition that fall at the National Specialty. The dog’s owner of record, who is also the dog’s trainer, must be a member of the MBTCA at the time of application.

Owners are encouraged to send proof of titles throughout the year, as they are earned.

Send the completed Performance Award form and/or Versatility form via email or mail to the Performance Committee Clerk by July 1:

Paula Spangler - 682 Calann Drive, Elyria, OH 44035
prspangler031@gmail.com

Have questions on how to get involved?

Email

mbtcaperformance@gmail.com

UNLEASH the FUN

Mini Bulls. Mighty Fun.

About the Performance Committee

Have questions on how to get involved?

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