Retriever Breeds Lead (So Far) at Oaks Dog Show

OAKS PA – As final entries arrive for this year’s National Dog Show event in Oaks, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, it reported Monday that retrievers lead the pack to compete for its “Best of Breed” title. The show, which will be nationally broadcast Thanksgiving Day on NBC, is scheduled to be held Nov. 20-21 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave.

The retriever field is large, show officials agree, with a total of 47 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and 44 Golden Retrievers all vying for the breed honor. Ultimately, Best of Breed winners compete for “Best In Group” honors, and one dog from each group will take the center ring for the club’s “Best In Show” title. Last year’s all-show winner was a a Scottish Deerhound named Claire.

Also in the running are Siberian Huskies, with 36 breed entries, as well as other dogs and their handlers hailing from 40 states, Japan, Korea, the Phillipines, Thailand, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Little surprise here: Pennsylvania leads the all states with 499 entries, officials said.

The popular show started in 1879, and has been staged continuously by the Kennel Club since 1933. The television special is set to air immediately after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. An average of 20 million people are said to watch it annually.

In-person tickets to attend the show at the Expo Center, and see it live before the delayed broadcast, are on sale now, here, at $16 each; and tickets will also be available at the door. Only vaccinated adults will be admitted to the show. No one under age 12 will be admitted.

Additionally, those to be admitted must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination upon entry. There are three ways to provide vaccination at the door, using either a CLEAR Health Pass, Excelsior Pass, or presentation of valid photo identity (such as a driver’s license) and a federal Centers for Disease Control vaccination record card. A smartphone picture of a CDC card and a photo ID also will be accepted.

Photo provided by The National Dog Show