The Alberta Kennel Club is hosting its annual Summer Classic this weekend, with more than a thousand dogs competing over the course of four days.
The event, which kicked off Friday morning and runs until Monday, showcases 187 different breeds. In addition to the exhibitors and their dogs, the show tends to attract hundreds of spectators each day, said Jody Haynes, PR chair for the Alberta Kennel Club.
Being an outdoor show, however, Haynes said the weather has a big effect on turnout.
“Last year it was raining, and it wasn’t so nice,” she said. Though this weekend is forecast to be primarily hot and sunny, much of the grounds are covered with tents to keep both human and canine attendees cool.
This year, the Summer Classic is the largest outdoor dog show in Canada, but the club also held its first annual Winter Classic in February, and holds smaller events throughout the year.
The conformation shows are where dogs compete based on breed standards set out by the Canadian Kennel Club. But the agility and obedience events are also a major part of the show, Haynes said, and also allow owners and breeders to bond with their dogs.
German shepherd Max goes through the agility course at the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic south of Calgary on Friday, July 31, 2026.
“It really is a great bonding experience with people in the dog community,” she said. Though many participants have been showing dogs for a long time, there are some new people each year.
Linda Symons, who was showing three-month-old Tibetan spaniel Frodo, has been showing the breed for about 14 years.
“They’re great companions,” she said. “The monks had raised them as their alert dogs. They used to sit on the monastery walls and alert the big Tibetan mastiffs when strangers were coming.”
The club is also a tight-knit community, she said, and she enjoys the “friendship (and) camaraderie” she’s found at the shows.
For first-time spectators, Haynes recommends asking questions and chatting with event organizers and breeders.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are new to dogs and are interested in getting a dog to speak to a breeder and gather information,” she said. Breeders can help find the right breed for people’s lifestyle and personality.
A dog gets praise after competing at the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic south of Calgary on Friday, July 31, 2026.
Kristi Schenk, who has been breeding and showing Great Danes for 20 years, was there to show 2½-year-old Windy and seven-month-old Fancy.
For her, it’s not only an opportunity to bond with her dogs, but also a way of evaluating her breeding stock.
“It lets you know that you’re going in the right direction, if your dogs are doing well,” she said. She also gets many questions about her dogs.
“You don’t go anywhere with a giant breed and not have anybody say anything,” she said. “It is really important, because people should be aware what they’re getting . . . and what their commitments are to that dog.”
Len Mastaler, who breeds both American Staffordshire terriers and wire-haired dachshunds, said the internet has allowed more people to look into the temperament, grooming and exercise needs of dogs before deciding on a breed.
“Ten, 15 years ago, I didn’t get the same kind of questions I do now,” he said. But with so many scams targeting people looking to get a dog, Mastaler said it’s important to look into the breeder, ask for references or check that they’re registered with the Canadian Kennel Club.
The “AmStaffs,” he said, are loyal and loving, and their relaxed nature means they can fit into just about any lifestyle. Dachshunds, he said, are “feisty and fun,” but owners need to have a sense of humour.
“The tenacity behind them, and stubbornness, can be a little much,” he said.
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Winning Cane Corsos are directed to pose for a photo at the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic south of Calgary on Friday, July 31, 2026.