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Thanksgiving traditions usually include the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, followed by lots of food and hours of football. But in recent years another popular piece of entertainment has sprung up: The National Dog Show.
The annual Purebred Pooches Parade, hosted by actor John O’Hurley, has become one of the most popular events on Thanksgiving Day.
“It’s amazing how this TV special has become an annual television tradition for American families,” said O’Hurley in a press release. “Dogs have become a part of people’s lives more than ever and the show reminds us of how great they are and how easy it is for them to make us smile.”
Presented by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, this year’s event marks the 20th anniversary of NBC’s television broadcast. However, its history goes back well before it was ever introduced to the masses on television.
Here’s what you need to know about the competition, and when to watch it:
History of the National Dog Show
Simon Bruty / NBCU
Pictured: (lr) Dutch Kooikerhound, Bergamasco Shepherd, John O’Hurley, Papillon, David Frei, Great Dane, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
Purebred dogs were first exhibited in the Philadelphia area in 1876 at the Centennial International Exposition, the first official “World’s Fair” held in the United States. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia was founded two years later and began hosting dog shows in 1879, its only hiatus from 1928 to 1932 during the Great Depression.
As O’Hurley relates, Jon Miller, then program president of NBC Sports, was enthusiastic about the classic Christopher Gest dog show parody “Best in Show” and thought a real dog show would bridge the gap between the parade and football function.
Miller reached out to the Philadelphia Kennel Club, secured Purina as a presenting sponsor, and then went to his bosses at NBC. The network’s other Thanksgiving institution, its annual “Its a Wonderful Life” broadcast, was struggling with poor audience ratings. Miller convinced them to take that window of time and was initially only given the green light for this year.
The renamed “National Dog Show” first aired in November 2002, with O’Hurley as co-host and David Frei, a licensed judge with the American Kennel Club, as analyst.
“He called me and I was in LA. I picked up the phone and said ‘hello’. And he said, ‘Woof, woof.’ And that’s how it all started, ”O’Hurley, a self-proclaimed dog lover, told The Associated Press in a 2018 interview.
More than 18 million people watched that first year, making the National Dog Show one of NBC’s highest rated events and an overnight success.
“Watching dogs just makes us feel good,” said Frei in a press release on the event’s 20th anniversary. “Yes, we hope to provide interesting information, but mostly – it is what it is – a dog show; it’s the dog show. “
The show is one of only three major dog shows in the United States, along with the AKC National Championship and the Westminster Dog Show.
When is the National Dog Show?
The competition will be taped in front of a live audience at the Expo Center in the greater Philadelphia area over the weekend of November 20th.
The two-hour holiday special will then be broadcast on Thursday, November 25, 2021, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in all time zones on NBC.
How to watch the National Dog Show on TV and online
The Christmas special will be broadcast simultaneously at noon on this NBC station and on Thanksgiving Day on Peacock.
Watch live in your browser by clicking here or by tapping the “Live TV” button on your mobile app and signing up with your TV provider.
On November 27th at 8 p.m. ET / PT, NBC will present a prime time encore of this year’s “National Dog Show Presented by Purina”.
The “National Dog Show” can also be streamed here on NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app at 12:00 PM ET on Thanksgiving. The NBC Sports app is available on mobile and connected devices, including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire.
How many breeds are in the National Dog Show?
Pictured: (lr) Judy McMaster Descutner, Barbet, Carol Shields, Belgian Laekenois, Joshua Faulkner, Dogo Argentino – (Photo: Bill McCay / NBC)
While the KCP precedes the American Kennel Club as a canine organization, it is the AKC that is recognized as the sanctions agency for dog breeds allowed to compete.
A total of 209 AKC-sanctioned breeds are recognized after the group added the Biewer Terrier (toy group), “an elegant and athletic toy terrier whose sole purpose in life is to love and be loved” to this year’s competition. Since the “National Dog Show” was first broadcast in 2002, 50 new breeds have been introduced at the event.
More than 2,000 dogs take part in the competition in a regular year. However, last year’s event was limited to 600 dogs due to the coronavirus pandemic, a 70% decrease.
What are judges looking for?
Joseph Kaczmarek
Dogs compete in the Non-Sporting group during the National Dog Show at the Philadelphia Kennel Club, on November 17, 2018. in Oaks PA.
Dogs are rated based on how closely they conform to the breed’s official standard.
The main consideration is the dog’s exterior or overall appearance, temperament, structure, and movement. The judges look for traits that will enable the dog to perform the function for which it was originally bred.
The real purpose of such a test is to evaluate breeding animals. Dogs that exactly meet the breed standard demonstrate their ability to produce high quality puppies. For this reason, only pure-bred, non-neutered or non-neutered dogs are allowed to participate.
How is Best in Show decided?
Each of the 209 breeds and varieties is assigned to one of seven groups: Terriers, Toys (Pomeranian, Chihuahua), Sports (Golden Retriever, Pointer), Working (Boxer, Great Dane), Hunting Dog, Shepherd Dog (English Sheepdogs, Border Collies), and non-athletic (everything else including dalmatians and french bulldogs)
Participants who win first place in the group among the dogs in each of the seven categories compete from nose to nose for the coveted title of Best in Show.
What is a bench show?
Joseph Kaczmarek
People meet competitors backstage during the Kennel Club of Philadelphia National Dog Show, on November 17, 2018. in Oaks PA.
There are two types of dog shows: with and without a bench.
Bench dog shows mean that dog competitors must be open to the public throughout the show unless they are competing, exercising, or being groomed. The participating dogs must be on their assigned benches so that breeders, handlers and spectators can meet the dogs and talk to their owners. With so much activity, this is an impressive feat of discipline and character.
In shows without a bench, the participating dogs only need to be present when their breed or competition is judged.
Who won the 2020 National Dog Show?
Bill McCay / NBC
(lr) National Dog Show 2020 winner, Scottish Deerhound named “Claire” and her handler Angela Lloyd.
A graceful Scottish Deerhound named Claire was named Best in Show at the 2020 National Dog Show.
First she won the Hound Group in a field of 28 breeds. The 3-year-old third generation champion then competed against the other six group winners and was considered the top dog of all breeds.
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