The dog days of summer return to Lodi

Jul. 15—Hundreds of dogs will have their day next month — three days, actually — when they compete for best in show at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds.

The San Joaquin Kennel Club hosts its annual dog show Aug. 12-14 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring canines of all shapes, sizes and breeds from around the country participating.

This is the second show the kennel club has hosted in Lodi since the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds closed in 2020 to make way for a new housing development.

"We're very excited to be returning to Lodi," show chair Virginia Latham-Smith said. "This is our new home. We really tried to promote Lodi and the area around us so people would be just as excited about coming here as we were."

Show participants, visitors and vendors loved Lodi, Smith said, but the only complaint was the August heat, which climbed into triple digits for last year's show.

Smith said the club will be moving next year's dates to early June, where the weather is expected to be more agreeable for dogs and humans alike.

A "Best in Show" award will be presented each day of the event, and dogs will earn points toward a national ranking system.

Some of the dogs that have competed in the clubs shows in years past have gone on to be shown at the Westminster Kennel Club, including Mathew, a French Bulldog that won best in group at the national show last year.

There have been a few dogs from San Joaquin County to make the Westminster show over the years, including Bono, a Havanese that won the Toy Group category at the 2020 Westminster Show and is handled by Acampo residents Bill and Taffe McFadden.

Bill McFadden has handled two Westminster Best in Show winners in the past — a Bichon Frise named Flynn in 2018, and a Kerry blue terrier named Mick in 2003.

He was unable to appear at last year's San Joaquin Kennel Club show due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. But Smith said he has returned to the show circuit and will be on-hand with wife Taffe this year.

Also appearing will be Gabriel Rangel, a professional handler and master groomer who has shown three Best in Show winners at Westminster, including King, a Wire Fox Terrier in 2019; Sky, another Wire Fox Terrier in 2014; and Sadie, a Scottish Terrier in 2010.

Sadie was the dog world's first Triple Crown winner, as she went on to win at the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship in 2009.

Rangel has the second-highest number of wins at Westminster, and is one away from tying for the most wins at the event.

Along with "Best in Show" and the obedience and rally competitions, the San Joaquin Kennel Club has added new features to this year's show.

There will be an owner and handler competition, in which a dog's owner will show their entry in the ring. Smith said typically, shows employ professional handlers that will take the dogs into the ring for show.

This new competition will give owners the experience of leading their own canines for the judges and spectators, she said.

Also new is the Bred-By Exhibitor competition, in which dog breeders will be able to show their animals through the entire course of the show.

Typically, breeders compete in one class, but the Bred-By Exhibitor program will allow them to vie for Best in Show as well.

There will also be a 4-6 Puppy Competition where owners, handlers and breeders will showcase the smallest entries of a variety of breeds.

"Some of them are trained, and some are not," Smith said. "The owners or handlers bring them out, and for a lot of them, it's their first time in a ring and they aren't really happy being on a leash. But this is a way to evaluate them, and get them out and see how they perform against other younger animals."

Club members and staff will offer free tours of the show, and an educational booth will provide information to prospective owners and handlers on how to train and care for your dog.

Several vendors will be on-hand as well, offering up a variety of canine products and food.

Admission to the show is free, but there is a $10 parking fee.

For more information, visit www.sanjoaquin. kc.org.