CLEVELAND — An NBC Thanksgiving Day tradition marks its 23rd consecutive year. It is, of course, The National Dog Show presented by Purina, which kicks off at noon on WYKC immediately following the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
As long as the show has been airing, John O'Hurley and David Frei have been its hosts. The show is pre-recorded on Nov. 16-17 from the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
New this year? The Lancashire Heeler, officially recognized by the AKC in January 2024, joins the competition in the Herding Group. This versatile breed, known for its cheerful disposition and hard-working nature.
Over 2,000 dogs representing 205 breeds will compete across seven groups: herding, hound, non-sporting, sporting, terrier, toy, and working. Each group winner advances to the final round for the prestigious "Best in Show" title.
For all the variety the show offers, O'Hurley and Frei admittedly have a soft spot for one breed they've yet to see win it all.
"Well, we have yet to see a golden retriever win Best in Show. So that is between, David and I, and I would say a lot of people there on the NBC staff as well," O'Hurley said. "We always throw our weight behind the golden retriever."
O'Hurley described goldens as the "Susan Lucci of dog breeds" a reference to the soap opera icon's longtime Daytime Emmy drought.
The National Dog Show has been airing since 2002, but it has actually been around for many more years than that. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show began in 1879, and the name changed when NBC Sports started nationally televising the event.
Today, it is one of only three major dog shows in the nation, ranked along with the AKC National Championship and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
You can catch this year's action Thanksgiving Day on WKYC beginning at noon.