Waukesha Kennel Club to host Wisconsin’s largest dog show, July 25-27, with 1,700 entries
Those in the Milwaukee metropolitan area don’t have to wait until NBC’s annual National Dog Show on Thanksgiving to witness some pretty pups strut their stuff this year.
Over 1,700 dogs from around the nation will be flocking to Waukesha Kennel Club’s annual Summer Splash Dog Shows, Wisconsin’s largest full-spectrum dog show, from Friday, July 25, through Sunday, July 27.
Many will compete for the highest title in the dog show biz, “Best in Show,” which includes a $500 cash prize.
Over the course of the three-day event, Conformation, Dock Diving, Junior Showmanship, Fast Cat, Fetch, Obedience and PeeWee competitions will take place.
Here is what to know about the Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows:
When and where is the Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows?
The Waukesha Kennel Club Summer Splash Dog Shows will take place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 25, 26 and 27.
It will be held at the Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Road.
How much is admission to the Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows?
Admission to the Waukesha Kennel Club Summer Splash Dog Shows is $10 per carload.
What kinds of competitions will take place at Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows?
Here’s a breakdown of all of the Summer Splash Dog Shows and what they consist of, according to the Waukesha Kennel Club:
Conformation: In order to vie for the title of “Best in Show,” dogs and their handlers must take part in the conformation competition, one of the main events at the Summer Splash Dog Shows.
This competition takes place over all three days, and dogs first compete against their own breed, where judges will look for the best representation of the breed based on American Kennel Club standards.
Winners of each breed then go to the group class, competing with other best of breed winners.
To finish it off, the winners of the group classes go head to head for “Best in Show,” which is given to the dog that best meets their own breed’s standards.
Junior Showmanship: Kids just getting into dog showing, ages 9 to 18, showcase their handling skills.
Fast Cat: Think 100-yard dash at a track and field meet, but make it individual, and for dogs.
Dock Diving: For this competition, dogs jump off a dock into a pool of water to retrieve an object.
Holli Sowinski of Milwaukee sends her Labrador Retriever “Ruby” after a lure during the North American Diving Dog event at the Waukesha County Expo Center on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
Fetch: This will be a test of a dog’s ability to fetch on command.
Obedience and Rally: Dogs and their handlers will navigate courses, jump obstacles and retrieve items.
PeeWee Competition: This category features kids ages 4 to 8 who are just getting started in dog showing.
What kind of dogs will be at the Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Show?
There are 202 recognized dog breeds within the American Kennel Club.
There is a potential for all 202 breeds to be represented at the show, or at least close to it, including rare breeds, Jennifer Stagg, show chair of the Summer Splash Dog Shows, said.
Will there be vendors at the Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Show?
The three-day dog show event will include information booths and vendors selling goods such as dog treats, collars and supplies, as well as art and clothing. Food vendors will also be on site.
As seen on the map below, R1 through R17 represent each ring where shows will take place. Plus, the map shows where the vendors, parking lots, grooming and camping areas will be stationed around the grounds.
What is Waukesha Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows schedule?
Each dog breed for the conformation competitions will be shown at specified times of the day. These shows will occur in each of the 17 rings all three days from 8 a.m. to at least 2:30 p.m.
This schedule is not finalized yet, but it will be published here a week before the event.
Because of the vast number of shows that will take place over the course of the three-day event, the schedule is quite complex. Stagg encourages attendees to visit the information booth at the show to ask questions.
The “Best in Show” event will be held at the end of the day on Sunday, July 27, Stagg said.
Mark Bettis of Milaca, Minnesota, shows a Bearded Collie named “Georgie” during the Waukesha Kennel Club’s Summer Splash Dog Show at the Waukesha County Expo Center on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
A meet the breeds event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Two breeds will be featured at a time. Check the information table on-site for when each breed will be available to meet.
“It’s a great place for people to come if they are considering getting a dog to talk to people who have that breed, see examples of that breed, maybe connect with breeders,” Stagg said.
The PeeWees competition, featuring children 3 to 8 years old, will be held on Saturday from noon to 1 p.m.
The Fast Cat events will begin at 8 a.m. every day and run to about 4 p.m., Stagg said.
“Experience all the different things that dogs do,” Stagg said. “These dogs love what they are doing. Many of these dogs are treated like kings and queens.”
Can I bring my dog to the Kennel Club’s 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows?
Jennifer said the show is family-friendly, but emphasized that unless entered in a competition, pets should stay at home.
Liliana Fannin is a 2025 summer intern at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covering the Milwaukee suburbs. She can be contacted at lfannin@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha Kennel Club to host 2025 Summer Splash Dog Shows July 25-27
