Kennel Club of Philadelphia Reports Boffo Entry of 1,944 Enrolled for National Dog Show
Monday, November 13, 2023
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Kennel Club of Philadelphia's National Dog Show has finalized an entry of 1,944 for the upcoming major competition, an increase of over 100 from 2022. A total of 199 different breeds and varieties will be represented at the annual canine extravaganza set for the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, PA. Tickets are $16 for adults, $7 for children 4-11, 3-and under free, at www.nds.nationaldogshow.com and at the door. There is plenty of Free Parking. The affordable ticket prices reflect the Kennel Club’s mission to educate the public about responsible pet-parenting and the wonderfulness of dogs.
The show experienced an all-time high in participation in 2017 with 2,033 entries and the numbers declined during the pandemic years. However, the 2023 entry demonstrates the prominence of the Philadelphia shows and the attraction of the Thanksgiving Day TV special, The National Dog Show Presented by Purina, that airs nationally to a total audience of over 20 million on NBC.
The Kennel Club of Philadelphia (KCP) staged its first dog show in 1879 and has organized the Philadelphia show continuously since 1933. The KCP launched National Dog Show weekend featuring the two-hour TV special on NBC in 2002 and the show is now the only “benched” show in America with handlers and competing dogs in designated locations all day long to meet the public. Some 15,000 people will attend the event, which has become a treasured annual attraction for families and dog lovers in the Delaware Valley.
“It is great to see such a strong entry as we emerge from the pandemic-related downturn,” said Wayne Ferguson, President of the KCP. “Almost every American Kennel Club-certified breed will be on our benches, and we are wonderfully unique now as the only “benched” show in the United States.”
A total of 41 junior handlers (between the ages of 10 and 18) will be competing along with nearly two thousand entries to be evaluated by judges for Best in Breed and Best in Group before one dog is selected as Best In Show. The morning-long breed competition will be contested in 13 rings at the Expo Center with group judging beginning at 1 p.m. in the Stadium Show Ring. Best in Show will be awarded sometime after 6 p.m.
Among the rare miscellaneous breeds entered are the Basset Fauve de Bretagnes, the Peruvian Inca Orchid, the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka and the Small Muensterlander. Scores of other exotic breeds will be on hand throughout the weekend with attendees able to locate the different breeds by referencing maps of numbered rows where dogs and their handlers are located for grooming in preparation for competition.
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Photo Cutline: The Basset Fauve de Bretagnes, one of the rare breeds showing at the 2023 National Dog Show held live November 18 & 19 at the Greater Phila Expo Center in Oaks Pa and airing nationally to a total audience of over 20 million on NBC Thanksgiving Day.