Pekingese Crowned Best in Show at 2025 CKC National Championship Dog Show

Hosted as part of the Royal Canin Crown Classic National Championship Dog Show weekend at the International Centre in Mississauga, this year’s event brought together 814 dogs representing 135 breeds from across the country. The showcase was supported by Royal Canin, Canadian Pet Expo, and the Aurora & District Kennel Club.

The top winners reflect excellence from across Ontario — including Brantford, Hamilton, and London regions.

Best in Show & Reserve Winners

🏆 Best in Show – $5,000 Prize

GCHS Diaquiris Sno-Peke Purple Rain CGN (“Prince”)

• Breed: Pekingese

• Owner & Handler: Cynthia Dyson (Wilsonville, Ontario)

• Breeder: Denise Cortelli & Cynthia Dyson

Prince’s victory places the Ontario-bred Pekingese at the top of Canadian purebred competition.

🥈 Reserve Best in Show – $1,000 Prize

GCHG Hilltops Best Kept Secret At KL (“Rambo”)

• Breed: Miniature American Shepherd

• Owner: Kelli Rettie (Thamesford, Ontario)

• Handler: Cody Longworth

• Breeder: Ginger M. Fleguel

Celebrating the Best of Canadian Purebred Dog Sport

“This year’s National Championship brought together outstanding dogs and exhibitors from across the country,” said Natalie Tarini, Executive Director of the Canadian Kennel Club. “Their commitment to preserving the health, history, and purpose of purebred dogs was evident in every ring.”

Tarini also recognized All-Breed Judge Mike Macbeth, who delivered her final Best in Show assignment this weekend.

The Championship highlighted the depth of Canada’s purebred community, which includes 19,000 CKC members and more than 700 breed clubs, generating high levels of participation across thousands of national events each year.

Best of Group Winners (1–7)

Group 1 – Sporting: English Springer Spaniel “Larkin”
Group 2 – Hound: Scottish Deerhound “Lexie”
Group 3 – Working: Siberian Husky “Zenith”
Group 4 – Terrier: Border Terrier “Johnny”
Group 5 – Toy: Pekingese “Prince”
Group 6 – Non-Sporting: Bulldog “George”
Group 7 – Herding: Miniature American Shepherd “Rambo”

A Look at the Bigger Picture: Canadian Kennel Club Purebred Trends

CKC Background Highlights:

• CKC registrations dropped 50% since the pandemic peak but returned to pre-COVID levels in 2024.

• 241,221 dog entries participated at CKC events last year.

• More than 500,000 Canadians attended one of over 4,000 CKC events nationwide — a historic record.

• Canada’s Top 3 most popular breeds in 2024:

  1. Labrador Retriever

  2. Golden Retriever

  3. German Shepherd

• CKC advocacy contributed to Ontario’s Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales (PUPS) Act.

The CKC also maintains and promotes several native Canadian dog breeds including the Labrador Retriever, Newfoundland, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and historical Tahltan Bear Dog.

Learn more at ckc.ca.