Friday 13 – Sunday 15 October, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Ten years since the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show first wowed K9 lovers in 2013, the new look festival returns this October to continue the tradition of entertaining, educating and inspiring paw-rents everywhere.
Across the three-day festival, more than 30,000 visitors will interact with around 1,000 beautiful dogs represented by over 100 breeds, uniting to make the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre one of the happiest places on Earth. With live performances from talented canines, engaging talks by dog and animal experts, dozens of breed clubs and adoption groups, dedicated petting zones, pool diving pups, and all the latest and greatest products and services to spoil your pooch, the festival is heaven for dog lovers that come from Australia-wide and overseas.
“The event was an idea sparked from the joy of playing with our three beautiful dogs in the backyard one night. We wanted to create an event that encapsulated the unique bond we share with our best friends. A place where people could leave planet Earth for a few hours to see the world through their dog’s eyes. And to leave with a greater respect and understanding for their dog so they can make their lives better in the short time we have with them,” said Festival Founder and CEO, Jason Humphris.
The ADVANCE™ Stage
With a festival line-up like no other, the ADVANCE™ Stage delivers the perfect combination of education and entertainment from some of Australia’s top trainers and vets with the goal of helping visitors to raise healthier, happier dogs.
In a festival first, Bluey and sister Bingo from the beloved Australian animated series “Bluey”, will headline the program with daily performances featuring singing, dancing and plenty of surprises for the whole family to enjoy.
Returning for another year is the man with all the answers to life’s furry questions, the highly entertaining and esteemed Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki! Dr Karl will be presenting the next exciting instalment of his Science of Dogs talk followed by an interactive Q&A.
Renowned film and TV animal trainer Luke Hura, who worked on the sets of Red Dog, Oddball, and The Saddle Club, will return with Lauren Sellwood to let visitors in on hidden secrets behind training dogs for the screen.
Rounding out the jam-packed program is crowd-favourites Kelly Gill and Dr Katrina Warren who will share essential tips for thriving and surviving puppyhood with live demonstrations from the extraordinarily talented Wonderdogs.
Antinol® DockDogs Visitors will love getting in the Splash Zone (BYO raincoat!) at Antinol® DockDogs as a team of impressive dogs of all shapes and sizes launch themselves into a 100,000 litre pool in the Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve competitions!
VitaPet Arena Farmer Dave Graham and his Extreme High Jumping Dogs and K9 Superwall demonstrations will electrify the VitaPet Arena this year with these iconic outback events. Kelly Gill, Dr Katrina Warren and the Wonderdogs will open the doors to their very own Academy, where potential Wonderdogs are trained by the expert team of professional Border Collies.
Lucy Karbowiak, Emily Lyons and The High Flying team will present a showcase of agility and disc through the sport of Frizgility which combines tunnels, jumps and a disc (frisbee!), as well as launching the hunt for Australia’s quickest dog in the Flying Fast Flyball.
Lyka Pat-A-Pooch, Breed Showcase & Ask-the-Breeder Stage It wouldn’t be a Dog Lovers Festival without all the pats. Get up-close-and-personal with litters of dogs from a myriad of unique and loving breeds in the new Lyka Pat-A-Pooch zone, offering a calm and comfortable space to meet lots of pups and maybe your next best friend.
Visitors can meet with leading breeders and learn about dozens of popular and lesser-known breeds in the Breed Showcase. Breeds include: British Bulldog, Collie, Curly Coated Retriever, Finnish Lapphund, Great Dane, Hound Club of Victoria, Irish Wolfhound, Italian Spinone, Labrador Retriever, Newfoundland, Old English Sheepdog, Rarer Gundog Spaniel Club, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Samoyed, Shiba Inu, Shih Tzu, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Swedish Vallhund, Weimaraner and the White Swiss Shepherd to name a few.
If you’re looking to welcome your next dog and need trusted, reliable information on selecting the right breed, then don’t miss daily talks and Q&A’s on the Ask-the-Breeder Stage presented by leading DOGS VIC Breed Clubs.
Shop for your Pooch ’till you drop!
Make sure you keep your crown as reigning paw-rent of the year and stock up at Australia’s biggest supermarket for canines with all the latest and greatest products and services to spoil your pooch, with exclusive festival specials and new product releases. Everything from dog accessories, food, treats and toys, to the latest designer pet bags, bedding, pet insurance, dog friendly accommodation and pet photographers will be available.
InstaPooch K9-Stars
Calling all pup-arazzi! Australia’s most glamorous K9 social media stars will strut their stuff on the ADVANCE™ Stage each day, meeting and greeting their legions of fans, posing for the camera and allowing a hooman MC, Brodie Young, to interview them in the hope of unlocking the secrets to superstardom!
PEDIGREE® Adoption Zone
The festival continues to encourage prospective dog owners to always Choose Kindness – one of its favourite all-time breeds is Rescue after all. The PEDIGREE® Adoption Zone continues the festival’s commitment to raising awareness for adoption and helping to end pet homelessness.
Dozens of adoption groups and rescue shelters will be provided a free platform to connect with future pet parents, find fur-ever homes for dogs in need and educate visitors on responsible dog ownership.
Leading rescue advocates will be available on each stand to guide visitors through the adoption process so they can make an informed decision as to whether it is right for them. Certain stands will have dogs looking for their fur-ever home at the festival so visitors can start the adoption process at the event.
Free Face Painting, Food Trucks & Drinks
Kids can have their faces painted with their favourite breed and then capture memories at the new Dog Lovers Festival Neon Selfie Wall.
Hungry humans can paws and refuel with some of Melbourne’s most popular Food Trucks, fine coffee and tasty tipples. Some would dare say drool-worthy…
