The National Dog Show is one of the longest-running dog shows in the United States. It was established by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia in 1879 and has continued every year since except for a hiatus from 1928 to 1932, caused by the Great Depression. The show traditionally runs over two days on the third from last weekend in November. Originally known as the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show, it was rebranded as the National Dog Show in 2002.
The show is held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks located in Oaks, Pennsylvania. The event is filmed and nationally televised on NBC every Thanksgiving, following the coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The program’s host is American actor and television personality John O’Hurley. The two-hour family entertainment special reaches an audience of nearly 20 million viewers.
More than 2,000 American Kennel Club sanctioned dogs from across the United States compete for the Best of Breed, First in Group, and Best in Show titles. First, the judges select the best dogs in each of more than 190 different breeds and varieties participating in the show.
The winners are assigned to one of seven groups: terrier group, toy group, working group, sporting group, hound group, non-sporting group, and herding group. The First in Group from among each of these groups compete against each other for the Best in Show title. Any breed has a chance to win; past winners have included Labrador retrievers, standard poodles, dobermans, Scottish terriers, wire fox terriers, bloodhounds, and other breeds.
Alongside breed, group and best-in-show judging, the program of the National Dog Show includes canine competitions, enhanced athletic dog exhibitions, hands-on fun, family activities, and other attractions.
