Meet Wicked—the very good girl who was just named America's best working dog

Orlando, Florida — A three-year-old Doberman Pinscher, Wicked, clinched the win for the American Kennel Club’s 2023 Working Group competition Sunday evening. 

Exactly the opposite of what her name might suggest, Wicked has a calm but commanding presence. Even when she won Best of Breed earlier in the day, which put her in the Working Group competition, Wicked seemed to be a crowd favorite—every ounce of her compact, muscular body brimmed with energy.

At the AKC, “working dog” is a category, such as sporting dog, though the judges don’t evaluate the dog’s actual occupation. Instead, they look for characteristics the canines have honed over thousands of years of domestication.

During the competition, dogs' movements across the ring demonstrate whether they’re physically up to the task for which they've been bred. Dobermans at a fast trot, for example, must maintain a straight back and “single track”—in other words, their feet move in one line, a configuration that would allow them to advance straight at an attacker.

First bred as a guard dog in Germany in the late 1800s, Dobermans have a fearless, loyal, and obedient temperament. Skittishness, such as overreacting to sudden loud noise; or belligerence, such as aggression with another dog, would not garner points with the judges. The animal should also be square, with a flat back, a 45-degree angle of the shoulders, a wedge-shaped head, and almond-shaped eyes. Four or more missing teeth or teeth that are misaligned to a certain degree can also disqualify a Doberman.

Gina DiNardo, assistant vice president for AKC, was not a judge at the event, but says she “grew up breeding and showing Dobermans with my parents, who owned some of the top Dobermans in the history of the sport.”

Wicked “embodies many qualities as exactly described in the breed standard,” DiNardo says, and “she is trained and conditioned to perfection.”

In general, working dogs help people "and make their lives better in a variety of ways,” she adds. That might mean detecting bombs, providing emotional support, or sniffing out illnesses such as cancer or diabetes. (Read “What does cancer smell like? These animals can sniff it out.”)

On the clock

The biggest dog show in North America, AKC welcomes nearly 10,000 dogs into various competitions, from Best in Show to Fastest Dog USA. Thirty-one working dogs participated in Sunday’s event, held at the Orlando Convention Center. (Read Meet Phelan the rescue pup—now America’s fastest dog.)

The 31 dogs in the Working Group were chosen earlier that day in Best of Breed competitions.

The entrants included an Akita, an ancient Japanese breed that protected families. These animals prove themselves by stoically and silently focusing on a treat. 

Rottweilers, which descended from the mastiffs that marched alongside the Roman army 2,000 years ago, show their stuff with a powerful, robust body. Judges also look for strong jaws and a confident, courageous demeanor befitting of a military pup.

One dazzling entry was a Komondor, a breed with a thick coat of corded fur. This mop-like exterior was a barrier against the elements during the canine's thousand-year history as a sheep-guarding dog in Hungary.

A compact German pinscher, Raddy, was a star as well, not just with her spirited walk and dignity in the ring, but when she nuzzled her handler, Trent Wilson. The breed used to rid farms of small animals, such as rats, Wilson says, though that's not why she's called Raddy, he said with a laugh. (Read how dogs domesticated us.)

Calling it a day

As for Wicked, “she’s had a great campaign,” says her owner and handler, Diego Garcia, and “being the number one working dog in the nation, we cannot ask for more. We’re just thankful.”

After her incredible performance at AKC, it’s time to retire, Garcia says—and quit while she’s ahead.

Even for a working canine, there’s nothing better than going out on top.