It was already known for a long time that the World Dog Show 2026 would be a huge one. Italy was hosting this event, but unlike in 2000 and 2015, the show was not in Milan but in Bologna. It was the right choice. The halls were huge, spacious, and airy. Eleven halls were rented to hold 97 rings. Outside, the bright sun warmed up quickly every morning; inside, the temperature was very good. The air-conditioning was doing a perfect job, not causing uncomfortable feelings like being too cold, dry, or chilly. There was plenty of parking close to the showground, not cheap but with shade. No complaints that I heard, but there could have been a little more info about where to go. The area is very vast, and there were other events taking place in other halls, and that was a tiny bit confusing. It is clear that without a smartphone, it is now almost impossible to visit a dog show.
In general, the halls were clean, but some complained that the carpets in the ring and main hall were getting really dirty by the end of the show. But inside as well as outside, it was not perfect but okay. At least exhibitors were happy about the space, and it was easy walking in the halls. Of course, the vaster the area, the further the distances, and that counts for handlers and photographers, but at least running was no problem. There were relatively few commercial stands (I heard it was pretty expensive), but outside were enough food stands to feed the crowd, and the smell was often very inviting. Many people sat around in the sun or the shade, eating or having a drink, while the dogs laid around. Someone gave a demonstration with a robot dog, and it was funny to see how the real dogs reacted. Some barked offensively, and some wanted to play, but it was obvious that they knew very well that it was only a very weird thing, an alien or something.
During the five days, the ENCI (Ente Nazionale della Cynofilia Italiana) recorded 31,057 entries overall, with 16,053 dogs for the World Dog Show, 7,610 for the Italian Winner, and another 7,394 dogs entered in the Breed Club Specialties. That makes this show one of the biggest ever, coming close to the WDS of Paris in 2011. The Italian Winner was spread over four days, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, while the World Dog Show started on Thursday and lasted until Sunday. Not one day lasted too long, compared to some previous editions. Even on Saturday, when the BIS of the Winner took place after the regular judging of the WDS, it was still a very acceptable time to finish. No fewer than 191 judges were invited, many of them Italians, and another big part included representatives of national kennel clubs who were there anyway for the FCI general meeting.
In the main hall, there were only trade stands, breed stands, and promotion stands for upcoming big FCI events. A large part was reserved for the ENCI secretariat, where people could come and get their diplomas and rosettes. Behind all this was the main ring, an enormous one. Never saw one bigger. There was a big screen in the back but no podium. On both sides were big stairs for the public, and the front was the VIP zone. The press was very well represented, including Russians who came a long way via Turkey. The photographers were allowed to go freely around the ring. Once the dogs were placed, four pillars were brought to the middle, similar to Crufts. If there had been a podium in the back, it would have been too far for the VIPs to see the dogs properly. And it saved an expensive construction. Results with the dog’s name, owner’s name, and nationality were almost instantly on the screen. It was an Italian broadcasting team that took care of the video and social media streaming. Everything went very smoothly. Unfortunately, the spotlights were not perfectly directed to the spot where the four winners had to stand, which gave a slight variation in the photos.
On Thursday, 3,318 dogs were entered: 907 dogs in Group 6, Hounds. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is still very popular, with 178 entries, followed by 162 Bernese Mountain Dogs, Beagles with 137, and Dalmatians with 122. In Group 7, Pointing Breeds, 938 dogs were entered: Weimaraners (Shorthaired) led with 118 dogs, and Italian Pointer with 107. In Group 8, Retrievers and Waterdogs, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Cocker Spaniels were very well represented with 286, 273, and 250 entries, respectively. But the Romagna Water Dog, an Italian breed, also proved very popular with 172 entries.
Groups 2 and 4 were on term on Friday. The Miniature Schnauzer is, without any doubt, the most popular breed with 336 in all the approved colors in this Group, which counted 2,941 entries in total. The Cane Corso also had an impressive number, 211. Group 4, Dachshunds, had no fewer than 710 competing in all varieties together. Up to Saturday, Group 3, Terriers, were the first in the ring. There were 1,625 Terriers in competition. The Jack Russell is still the most popular with 180, but the Staffordshire and the American Staffordshire came close with 158 and 138, respectively. And 136 Yorkshire Terriers is also an impressive number. In Group 5, Spitz and Primitive Types, counted 1,861 entries. Popular here were Siberian Huskies with 199 entries and Shiba Inus with 128. Group 10, Sighthounds, had 851 entries. Leading here were Whippets, of course, with 172 dogs, but another Italian breed with an impressive number was the Piccolo Levriero Italiano with 135, and Salukis with 115 is certainly worth mentioning too. Three Groups and BIS of the Italian Winner Show made this day the longest.
Two large Groups and the Finals of the World Dog Show were left for day four. Group 1, Herding Breeds, counted 2,116 entries. Impressive figures were found in Australian Shepherds with 217 dogs, Border Collies with 167, Collie (Rough) with 120, and Shetland Sheepdogs with 112. The Corgis, Cardigans and Pembrokes combined, counted 214, showing an increasing interest. Group 9, Companion and Toy Dogs, was the second-largest with 2,523 dogs in competition. The Chihuahuas, Long- and Smooth-haired, were good for 243 entries. French Bulldogs had 209, Pugs counted 137, and Papillons and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels both had 126. All Poodle colors and size varieties together were impressive as usual, with 641 dogs in competition.
Not so long ago, the FCI started with Group 11, a Group collecting all the breeds that are not yet approved for Championship titles. A World Dog Show is always an opportunity to meet them. Some are fashioned breeds, like the American Hairless Terrier, the Biewer Terrier, and the Silken Windhound and Windsprite. Others are rare national breeds like the Cursini from Corsica, the Taigan from Kyrgyzstan, and the Chongqing dog and Leizhou Hong, both from China. The Group had 15 breeds and a total of 108 entered dogs. This Group gives us the impression of how it would have been at the beginning of dog shows in Europe in the late 1800s, when people could meet uncommon breeds for the first time.
Very uncommon, but accepted and recognized in September 2024 by the FCI, is the Kazakh Tazy. This breed has many similarities with the Saluki, and that is quite understandable with the Silk Route passing through Kazakhstan where nomads brought their dogs along for thousands of years. The Kazakhstan Kennel Club had an eye-catching promotion stand with a small “yurt,” the typical round family tent. Mr. Baurzhan Serikkali, President of the Union of Cynologists of Kazakhstan (UCK), was so kind to introduce me to the breed. The Kazakh Tazy has around 4,000 registered specimens, which is a large basis to fix a breed. The shows usually attract around 150 of them in competition. The colors of the breed can be black, fawn, or grey, and they can have some small white markings on the legs, ears, head, and tail. Particolor, brindle, grizzle, merle, and liver are unacceptable. Besides this, they have heavier bone, a more V-shaped head, and a topline rising to the hipbones, which are slightly higher. The feathering is not so long as with many Salukis, usually no longer than about 5cm. The tail is significantly shorter and curled in a ring. Although kept nowadays as a pet, owners love to do coursing with them. But some are still used to hunt with the Golden Eagle and also with other hunting dogs. Foxes, hares, and deer are the most common prey. Twelve Kazakh Tazy were entered on this show.
Another edition of the FCI World Dog Show ended as a big success. Notwithstanding the warm and sunny days, there were no accidents on the showground. It has been a long time since we heard so much positive critique and hardly any negativity on social media. The Italian Kennel Club has set a new standard for how a big show like the FCI WDS should be organized, and they can be proud of what they achieved.
Italian Greyhound
Tanuzza Dei Raggi Di Luna
Pomeranian
GCHG Artistry’s Aslan All That Is Good
Australian Shepherd
Brighttouch If You Want More (Russia)
Owner: Larisa Kozlova
Fila Brasileiro
Zafer Vigor (Romania)
Owner: George Cosmin Lupsa
Welsh Terrier
Paperman Arteon (Germany)
Owner: Friedrich Wilhelm Schöeneberg
Dachshund, Standard Long-haired
Harry Kane The Hurricane (Italy)
Owner: Dario Corallo
Pomeranian
GCHG Artistry’s Aslan All That Is Good (USA)
Owner: Marina Persic
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
CH Tumtums Baba Ghanoush (Netherlands)
Owner: Anouk Huikeshoven
(Hungarian) Vizsla (Short-haired)
Butterfly Hunter Casper (Hungary)
Owner: Amadé Géza Chikán
Flat-Coated Retriever
Caci’s Fifty Shades Of Music (Sweden)
Owner: Jenny Andersson
Lhasa Apso
Silhouette Dell’Alberico (Italy)
Owner: Dell’Alberico Kennel
Italian Greyhound
Tanuzza Dei Raggi Di Luna (Italy)
Owner: Dei Raggi di Luna Kennel
Standard Poodle (Black)
CH Tarquin You’re Being Too Lou
Owner: Juan Irigaray
