The National Dog Show Overview
The National Dog Show is an annual, all-breed benched conformation show, sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. It takes place every Thanksgiving and has been televised by NBC since 2002.
History
- Origins: The Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show began in 1879, following a dog show format first introduced at the United States Centennial Exhibition in 1876.
- Continuity: The event ran yearly until 1927, was suspended, and resumed in 1933, continuing annually since.
- Rebranding: In 2002, NBC Sports rebranded the show as The National Dog Show when it began its Thanksgiving Day broadcasts.
Significance
The National Dog Show is one of the three major dog shows in the U.S., alongside the AKC National Championship and the Westminster Dog Show. Winners may be invited to compete internationally at Crufts.
Unique Aspects
- One of the last six remaining benched dog shows in the United States.
- Only purebred dogs are eligible to compete; mixed-breed dogs are excluded.
- The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 marked the first time the show was held without spectators.
Notable Winners
The first dog to win two consecutive Best in Show awards was GCH Foxcliffe Claire Randall Fraser, a Scottish Deerhound, in 2020 and 2021.
Television Broadcast
The show is heavily edited and aired on tape delay.
- Time Slot: Airs on NBC after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade at noon (local time in the U.S.) and at 1 PM AST in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Rebroadcasts: Often re-airs in prime time on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving or on Sunday afternoon.
- Hosts: Actor John O’Hurley and AKC judge David Frei.
- Sponsor: Presented by Nestlé Purina PetCare.
Cultural Context
Inspired by the 2000 film Best in Show, the televised event was introduced to fill the time slot vacated when NBC lost Thanksgiving football broadcasting rights. Initially replaced by It’s a Wonderful Life, the film failed to achieve strong ratings. The dog show was seen as a fitting Thanksgiving program due to its family-friendly nature and the emotional connection many viewers have with specific dog breeds, which NBC Sports’s Jon Miller likened to an “alma mater effect.”