National Specialty · Topeka, Kansas

Pug Dog Club of America National Specialty 2026

Name: Pug Dog Club of America National Specialty 2026
Start: 2026-11-02
End: 2026-11-07
Location: Hotel Topeka At City Center

November 2–7, 2026 — six days of Pugs: two regional specialties plus the national specialty, with sweepstakes, Junior Showmanship, obedience, rally, 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy, and an onsite agility trial

Click here to enter — PDCA National Specialty Meet the judges Today's ring card

Week at a glance

Verified 2026 Registration open

The Pug Dog Club of America hosts its 2026 National Specialty week November 2–7, 2026, at the Hotel Topeka At City Center in Topeka, Kansas. The week pairs two regional specialties with the national specialty, plus sweepstakes, Junior Showmanship, obedience, rally, 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy, an onsite agility trial, and a full slate of club social events — welcome party, pizza bingo night, showcase afterparty, and the annual awards banquet.

Dates

November 2–7, 2026
Monday through Saturday

Venue

Hotel Topeka At City Center
1717 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, KS 66612

Host club

Pug Dog Club of America, Inc.
AKC parent club for the Pug

Superintendent

BaRay Event Services
PO Box 508, Burlington, WA 98233

Entries

Registration open
Opened September 20, 2026 · closes Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at noon Pacific

Format

National specialty week
Two regional specialties + national specialty; sweepstakes, Juniors, obedience, rally, 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy, agility trial

Premium list

2026 premium list (PDF) — via BaRay Event Services Verified 2026

Enter the national

Superintendent: BaRay Event Services — entries via BaRay's online entry system
Closing: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 12:00 noon Pacific
Conformation first entry: $35.00
Conformation additional entry: $28.00
Puppy (6–9 & 9–12 mos.): $28.00
Bred-By-Exhibitor: $28.00
Veterans: $28.00
Sweepstakes: $23.00 (must be entered in a regular class)
Veteran sweepstakes: $23.00
Junior Showmanship: Free as an additional class
Brace (per dog): $18.00
4–6 Month Beginner Puppy: $17.00
Obedience / Rally: $35.00 first entry / $28.00 additional

Enter via BaRay Event Services

Dates, venue, fees & closing verified via BaRay

The week

Six days built around the breed: conformation across the week, performance events mid-week, and club socials every evening.

Day	What's on
Monday, November 2	National specialty week opens; Pizza Bingo Night, 6:00 PM ($30 — pizza, salad, 10 rounds of bingo)
Wednesday, November 4	Onsite agility trial (two trials, Stormont Vail Events Center); Welcome Taco Party in the evening (pre-registration required; $25 for non-members)
Friday, November 6	Showcase Afterparty — mingle with the top Pugs and their owners (cash bar & appetizers, $10 per person)
Saturday, November 7	Annual Awards Banquet in the evening (mushroom grilled chicken, roast pork loin, or vegetarian; cash bar)

The week also includes the two regional specialties, the national specialty, sweepstakes, Junior Showmanship, obedience, and rally. Exact day assignments for each conformation event weren't in the sources we checked. Pending

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.

Judges

The verified judging slate for the 2026 national specialty week. Verified 2026

National specialty — conformation: Mr. Eugene Blake
Regional specialty #1 — conformation: Mr. Patrick McManus
Regional specialty #2 — conformation: Mr. David Fitzpatrick
National sweepstakes: Joy Barbieri
Regional #1 sweepstakes: Michael Anderson
Regional #2 sweepstakes: Sarah Ayers
4–6 Month Beginner Puppy: Mr. Eugene Blake (national) · Mr. Patrick McManus (regional #1) · Mr. David Fitzpatrick (regional #2)
Obedience (national): Rick L. Garvin
Obedience (regional): Kenneth Kozak
Rally (national): Rick L. Garvin
Rally (regional): Kenneth Kozak
Agility trial: Christie Bowers

Judges announced by the Pug Dog Club of America for the 2026 national specialty week.

Juniors

Junior Showmanship is part of the national specialty week, with dedicated judges for the national and both regionals. Verified 2026

National Junior Showmanship: Mr. Eugene Blake
Regional #1 Junior Showmanship: Kelley Ruffoni
Regional #2 Junior Showmanship: Mr. David Fitzpatrick

Junior Showmanship is free as an additional class. A Junior Showmanship raffle runs during the week.

Regional specialties

Two regional specialties run alongside the national during the week — each with its own conformation, sweepstakes, Junior Showmanship, and 4–6 Month Puppy judging.

Regional specialty #1: Conformation: Mr. Patrick McManus · Sweepstakes: Michael Anderson · Juniors: Kelley Ruffoni · 4–6 Puppy: Mr. Patrick McManus
Regional specialty #2: Conformation: Mr. David Fitzpatrick · Sweepstakes: Sarah Ayers · Juniors: Mr. David Fitzpatrick · 4–6 Puppy: Mr. David Fitzpatrick

The one combined catalog covers the regional shows and the national show. Verified 2026

Plan your visit

Host hotel

The national specialty host hotel is the Hotel Topeka At City Center, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, KS 66612 — the show's home base for the week.

Group rate: $129.00 per night ($150.99 with taxes and fees) — book through the club's official link so the room block counts
Room block cutoff: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Pet policy: $75.00 non-refundable pet deposit · maximum 6 dogs per room · dogs must be crated when left alone · plastic under all crates · no x-pens in rooms
Deposit: One night charged immediately upon reservation; refundable only through September 28
Limit: Two rooms per reservation/name

Book inside the block

The club has a contractual obligation with the hotel — rooms booked outside the group block don't count toward it, and unfilled blocks cost the club thousands. Please book through the official link.

RV parking

Rate: $480.00 pre-reserved, first-come first-served (20 spots); $60 surcharge after the deadline or without a reservation, space not guaranteed
Reservation deadline: September 30, 2026 — no refunds after this date
Arrival / departure: Arrive after 12:00 noon Saturday, October 31 · depart Sunday, November 8 · no arrivals after 9:30 PM
Hookups: 30 or 50 amp plus water; no sewer (dump station on grounds, mid-week service available at extra cost)
Contact: Robert Gravel — [email protected] · (803) 370-2444

RV parking is on pavement a bit of a walk from the ballroom; generators must be onboard with an exhaust extender (Gen-Turi or similar).

Documents

Official documents for the national specialty week. Verified 2026

2026 premium list (PDF) — via BaRay Event Services Verified 2026
2026 National Specialty page — Pug Dog Club of America Verified 2026

Sources

OfficialBaRay Event Services show inventory — dates, venue, entry fees, entries opened September 20 / close October 14, 2026 noon Pacific, premium list (PDF)
OfficialPug Dog Club of America — 2026 National Specialty page — judges slate, hotel block and pet policy, RV parking, social events
OfficialAKC Event Search — PDCA agility trials, November 4, 2026, Stormont Vail Events Center (Events #2026077903–2026077904; entries close October 21, 2026)