National Dog Show at Oaks returns this weekend. Get tickets now

Some 2,000 Dogs from almost 200 breeds and varieties will hold forth in Montgomery County this weekend as the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s annual National Dog Show moves into the spotlight. Hours are Saturday, November 15 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 16 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, PA. Tickets are available by visiting nds.nationaldogshow.com.

The show features 13 breed rings leading to group competition in the Stadium Show Ring, plus agility dogs, therapy dogs, interactive displays, and vendors offering goods and services for all things canine. In accordance with its mission as a non-profit to educate the public about responsible pet parenting and the wonderfulness of dogs, the Kennel Club of Philadelphia (KCP) shows are one of the least expensive family attractions in the region. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $10 for children 4-11 years old with kids three and under admitted free. Parking at the Expo Center is free. Tickets are also available at the door that weekend.

In addition to being by far the most widely-viewed dog show in history, the National Dog Show is also the only single-venue “benched” show in America. A benched show requires that dogs entered in competition stay at their assigned benches except when competing in show rings. This enables the public to easily find specific breeds, see the dogs up close, and ask questions of the handler, breeder or groomer. Often these meetings provide key contact information to the attendee for more detail about the breed and may result in eventual adoption or purchase of a dog of that breed.

Other notable attractions include:

The National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team Meet & Greet Zone in Hall B alongside sponsor booths near the Purina PetCare exposition area. Celebrities appearing at the meet & greet zone on Saturday morning are:

Kathy Romano – B101 radio personality and host of the Kathy Romano Show weekday mornings from 6-10 am;
Kendal Conrad – Local popular country music singer/songwriter and social media influencer;
John O’Hurley and David Frei – Co-hosts of The National Dog Show Presented by Purina Thanksgiving Day on NBC. O’Hurley played the memorable J. Peterman character on the iconic Seinfeld sitcom and Frei is the 27-year host of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on USA Network and the co-founder of the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium at Rowan University.

In two years of research commissioned by the KCP, Temple University students and members of its Sport Industry Research Center found that the average stay for a family at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center event is 3.5 hours, comparable to the time spent at other attractions or sports events.

The popular show, started in 1879 and staged continuously since 1933, is one of the most prestigious in America. Saturday, November 15, is the “National Dog Show Presented by Purina” airing 12 days later on NBC Thanksgiving Day as a two-hour special. The holiday show has a total reach of some 20 million people from noon – 2 p.m. (regionally on NBC10) following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade before football takes over the day.