See AKC sanctioned Breed, Group, and Best In Show judging and top agility dogs in the ring each day. Saturday is The National Dog Show Presented by Purina to be broadcast nationwide on Thanksgiving Day by NBC. Sunday’s show offers enhanced athletic dog exhibitions plus family-friendly activities and hands-on fun.

A Rich History


Since hosting a major dog event in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia has been at the forefront of the purebred dog world. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia (KCP) and its predecessor clubs have been presenting dog shows since 1879. In fact, the Philadelphia club predates the American Kennel Club (AKC) which was organized on September 17, 1884. The Philadelphia club went through several changes of name in the years spanning the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Records show a Philadelphia Kennel Club benched show in 1896 and a Philadelphia Dog Show Association with a “bench show of dogs” from 1899 to 1909. Shortly after, the group reorganized and formed the present-day Kennel Club of Philadelphia.

The Top Dogs


Wayne FergusonWayne Ferguson
Wayne Ferguson, the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Shows and National Dog Show in-house announcer, is President of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, past Vice Chairman of the Morris Animal Foundation and a past Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Wayne has been in the dog show world for 45 years and is past President of the AKC Canine Health Foundation. He was honored at the 2012 Showdogs Awards by being inducted into the Anne Rogers Clark Hall of Fame for his many contributions to the purebred dog world.

Frank DePauloFrank DePaulo
Frank DePaulo, Show Chairman for the annual Kennel Club of Philadelphia event is an AKC judge and past president of the Pointer Club of America and the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States. He has shown dogs since 1975 and lives in Germansville, PA with his wife Judy and daughters – Olivia and Victoria.

The 2024 Program will be available approximately 30 days before the event.

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