National Specialty · Springfield, Illinois
German Shepherd Dog Club of America National Specialty 2026
September 24–October 4, 2026 — the 113th GSDCA national specialty week for German Shepherd Dogs in Springfield, Illinois
Weekend at a glance
The German Shepherd Dog Club of America hosts its 113th National Specialty September 24–October 4, 2026, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois — indoors, unbenched, show hours 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Central. The week opens with herding, tracking, and agility, the Pre-Show Specialty runs Wednesday, September 30, and national specialty conformation judging runs Thursday–Saturday, October 1–3.
Dates
September 24–October 4, 2026
National specialty week; Pre-Show Specialty Wed Sep 30 (#2026009324); national conformation Thu–Sat Oct 1–3 (#2026009326)
Venue
Illinois State Fairgrounds
801 E. Sangamon Ave., Springfield, IL 62702 — indoors, unbenched; show hours 7:00 am–6:00 pm Central
Host club
German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc.
Member of the American Kennel Club
Superintendent
DogZibit
Event Secretary: Valerie Harrington, c/o www.DogZibit.com
425-765-9146 · [email protected]
PO Box 1176, Duvall, WA 98019
Entries
Registration closed
Closed Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 6:00 pm Pacific
Format
National specialty — 113th annual
German Shepherd Dog (Herding Group); AKC National Owner-Handled Series, futurity & maturity, 4-6 month beginner puppy
Premium list
2026 premium list (PDF) Verified 2026
Enter the specialty
- Online entries
- www.DogZibit.com — no secretary fees; pay by check, credit card, Venmo, or PayPal (fees apply)
- Mail entries
- DogZibit, Event Secretary, PO Box 1176, Duvall, WA 98019 — no FedEx/UPS to the PO Box; no signature-required mail
- Closing
- Registration closed — Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 6:00 pm Pacific
- Best of Breed
- Pre-Show $50.00 / National $75.00
- Each conformation entry other than Best of Breed
- $50.00
- Additional entry of same dog, same event
- $25.00
- 4-6 Month Beginner Puppy
- $25.00
When a dog is entered in more than one class, the highest-price class counts as the first entry. AKC recording and event service fees ($4.50 per entry) are included. Verified 2026
The days
National specialty week September 24–October 4 — Pre-Show Specialty Wednesday, national conformation Thursday–Saturday. Verified 2026
| Day | What’s on |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, September 30 | Pre-Show Specialty — conformation (Gloria Birch); Futurity & Maturity finals (dogs: Michel Chaloux; bitches: Robert Drescher); all-breed obedience (x2) & rally; 4-6 month beginner puppy; judge’s education; CGC & trick dog |
| Thursday, October 1 | National Specialty conformation begins (4-6 month beginner puppy first); all-breed obedience (x2) & rally; temperament test; parade of greats, Top 20, and Top 10 owner-handlers; Peewee Extravaganza; cocktail party; annual meeting, town hall, club awards & elections |
| Friday, October 2 | Conformation — balance of regular classes, Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, veterans; obedience (GSD only) & rally (GSD only); scent work (two trials); Top 10 Junior Showmanship & Best of the Best presentation |
| Saturday, October 3 | Best of Breed judging; Junior Showmanship (during lunch break); obedience & rally presentations; victory dinner |
| Sunday, October 4 | Scent work (all breed, two trials) |
September 24–29 brings herding tests and trials, tracking, and agility trials to the fairgrounds ahead of the Pre-Show. Verified 2026
Today’s Ring Card
Your show-day schedule, saved by date.
Judging program not yet published
No ring times or ring assignments have been verified yet. Ring cards will be built from the official program as soon as it’s out.
Breed Judge Finder
The verified conformation judging slate for the 2026 national specialty. Verified 2026
- Pre-Show Specialty — Wednesday, September 30
- Gloria Birch (Cotati, CA) — all regular & non-regular classes, Junior Showmanship, 4-6 Month Beginner Puppy
Michel Chaloux (Ville Lorraine, QC) — Futurity & Maturity Dogs
Robert Drescher (Fort Ripley, MN) — Futurity & Maturity Bitches, Best in Futurity & Best in Maturity - National Specialty — Thursday–Saturday, October 1–3
- Robert Drescher (Fort Ripley, MN) — regular & non-regular class dogs, Junior Showmanship, 4-6 Month Beginner Puppy
Michel Chaloux (Ville Lorraine, QC) — regular & non-regular class bitches
James Moses (Woodstock, GA) — intersex, Best Puppy, Best Bred-By Exhibitor
Judges from the GSDCA 2026 conformation premium list. Verified 2026
Juniors
Junior Showmanship is offered at both the Pre-Show Specialty (judge Gloria Birch) and the National Specialty (judge Robert Drescher). Verified 2026
- Top 10 Junior Showmanship
- Presentation Friday, October 2
- Junior Handling Seminar
- Friday, October 2, after the conclusion of judging
- Peewee Extravaganza
- Thursday, October 1, before the cocktail party
- Duck Toss
- Fundraiser benefiting junior handlers
Specialties & supported entries
The specialty spotlight for this event.
- Event
- German Shepherd Dog Club of America National Specialty 2026 — 113th annual
- Breed
- German Shepherd Dog (Herding Group)
- Type
- National specialty — conformation, futurity & maturity, 4-6 month beginner puppy, AKC National Owner-Handled Series; herding, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, and scent work through the week
- Host club
- German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc.
- Dates
- September 24–October 4, 2026 — Springfield, Illinois
Plan your visit
Venue
- Illinois State Fairgrounds
- 801 E. Sangamon Ave., Springfield, IL 62702 — indoors, unbenched; show hours 7:00 am–6:00 pm Central
- RV & stalls
- RV and stall reservations are handled through the premium’s reservation process
On site
- Official photographer
- Valerie Harrington — 708-906-4803
- Candid photographers
- Michael Avery & Holly Whitney (GSDPICS.com) and Ken Beatty
- Videographer
- White Noise Productions — exclusive video contract; no other commercial video recording
Verified 2026
Documents
Official documents for the national specialty. Verified 2026
- 2026 premium list (PDF) Verified 2026
A separate GSD Secretary Service premium covers obedience, rally, and agility only — it is not the conformation premium above. Date note: the premium header lists the national specialty as September 24–October 4, 2026; the club’s national specialty page lists September 25–October 3. We use the premium’s dates. Verified 2026
Sources
- Official2026 conformation premium list (PDF) — dates, venue, judges, fees, entries closed September 9, 2026 at 6:00 pm Pacific, schedule of events
- Officialgsdca.org national specialty page — event cross-check
- OfficialAKC National Specialties inventory (apps.akc.org) — dates and city cross-check