Royal Canin’s Ultimate Breed Showdown adds “Bark Madness” to March Madness

ST. CHARLES, MO, March 20, 2025 — While basketball fans across the country fill out their tournament brackets this month, dog enthusiasts now have their own championship to get excited about. Royal Canin, the global pet nutrition company, has announced the launch of their “Ultimate Breed Showdown,” a bracket-style competition where the public can vote for their favorite dog breeds.

The tournament-style bracket voting promotion will feature sixteen of the most popular dog breeds competing in a single-elimination format over a two-week period. Voting officially opens at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on March 24, 2025, and continues through 8:00 PM ET on April 2, 2025.

Similar to basketball’s famous Sweet 16 elimination rounds, the competition will narrow down from 16 breeds to a single champion through four rounds of voting. In Round 1, all 16 breeds will compete in eight head-to-head matchups. The eight winners will advance to Round 2 for four matchups, followed by Round 3 with two matchups, and finally the Championship Round featuring the last two breeds standing. The breed that emerges victorious in the final vote will be crowned the champion of the Ultimate Breed Showdown.

The competition follows a precise schedule, with each round having specific voting windows:

• Round 1: Eight matchups open March 24 at 12:00 PM ET, closing March 25 at 8:00 PM ET (32 hours)
• Round 2: Four matchups open March 26 at 12:00 PM ET, closing March 27 at 8:00 PM ET (32 hours)
• Round 3: Two matchups open March 28 at 12:00 PM ET, closing March 31 at 8:00 PM ET (86 hours)
• Championship Round: Final matchup opens April 1 at 12:00 PM ET, closing April 2 at 8:00 PM ET (32 hours)

For each matchup, the dog breed receiving the most votes will advance to the next round, with votes tabulated by an official vote administrator. Royal Canin reserves the right to select winners at its discretion in case of any interruption or irregularity in the voting process.

“People love bracket season because it’s for everyone, from die-hard fans to casual viewers jumping in on the fun,” explained Racquel White, vice president of corporate affairs at Royal Canin North America, “so we wanted to take our pet nutrition to the championship level with our new Ultimate Breed Showdown superbracket.”

The stakes extend beyond mere bragging rights for breed enthusiasts. Five participants who correctly predict the winning breed will receive a year’s supply of Royal Canin dog food. Additionally, one grand prize winner will receive both the year’s supply of pet food and a $5,000 donation made in their pet’s name to Greater Good Charities, a nonprofit organization supporting people, pets, and environmental causes.

As participants make their selections through each round, they’ll also learn about breed-specific nutritional needs—a core focus of Royal Canin’s product philosophy. The company has built its reputation on providing breed-specific nutrition, recognizing that different breeds have different dietary requirements.

“At Royal Canin, we put an emphasis on our breed-specific approach to nutrition, and we’re helping consumers learn more about the benefits for their pet while letting them vote for their favorite dog breed for a chance to win exciting prizes,” White noted.

The competition comes at a time when pet ownership remains at historic highs following the pandemic pet adoption boom. According to industry data, Americans spent over $136 billion on their pets in 2024, with premium pet food representing one of the fastest-growing categories.

Royal Canin, which is owned by Mars, Incorporated, has been developing specialized pet nutrition since its founding in 1968 by French veterinarian Dr. Jean Cathary. The company’s scientific approach extends beyond breed-specific formulations to also address age, lifestyle, size, and specific health sensitivities.
Dog owners and breed enthusiasts can cast visit https://royalcaninbreedbracket.votenow.tv  to cast their votes and enter the sweepstakes. No purchase is necessary to participate, though entrants must be legal U.S. residents 18 years or older.

As the competition heats up, it remains to be seen which breed’s fan base will prove most dedicated. Will German Shepherds guard their way to victory? Can Golden Retrievers fetch the championship? Or will an underdog breed claim the title? With a year’s supply of dog food and a charitable donation at stake, picking the winning breed could make you the ultimate champion too. The only certainty is that this bracket season has truly gone to the dogs.