The Roanoke Kennel Club, the oldest American Kennel Club affiliate in Virginia, will co-host the 20th Annual Mountain Valley Cluster Dog Show, Wednesday, August 3 – Sunday, August 7, 2016.
These five (5) days of shows at the Salem Civic Center will feature approximately 150 different AKC recognized dog breeds each day.
This year, the group is anticipating over 5,200 total event entries for the 5-day show. The competition begins each morning at 8:00am, with eight rings of breed competition throughout the day, followed by the group competitions, then Best in Show.
On Wednesday, the James River Kennel Club will conduct the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Community Canine (CGCA) test. Open to the public, these tests will begin at 4:00pm.
On Thursday, the James River Kennel Club will offer various health care screenings for dogs. These clinics will include Eye Certification, Breeding Soundness Examinations and a Cardiac Clinic. These clinics will be conducted by DVMs from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech.
On Friday, the Roanoke Kennel Club will hold it’s AKC Sanctioned “Match.” The “Match,” beginning 30 minutes after the conclusion of Best in Show, is good practice for puppies, young dogs, junior handlers and novice handlers.
Saturday afternoon, beginning 30 minutes after the conclusion of Best in Show, is the Roanoke Kennel Club “Elite Dog” Competition. This year’s competition for puppies 6 to 12 months old is open to handlers who have competed in one of the RKC shows on Friday or Saturday.
Each evening, approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Best in Show, the Mountain Valley Cluster will offer a variety of “Junior Handler Events.” These fun events are in support of Junior Handlers–the future of the sport of dogs.
This year the show will be adding “Dock Diving.” This exciting and fun sport’s origins are recognized with hunting dogs leaping into the water to retrieve ducks and geese. These AKC associated events will be conducted by North America Diving Dogs and will include both competitive, as well as “My dog can do that!” activities.
The public is welcomed to bring their dog to try out “dock diving.” Any breed, any mix, and any size dog may participate. It’s a pool full of fun.
Admission to the events and car parking is FREE. Vendors will be available offering a vast array of dog related merchandise and supplies. Only dogs registered to compete, dogs attending a health clinic or “Service Dogs” are allowed in the Civic Center. No dogs are sold at the show.