The National Dog Show

About the show

The National Dog Show is a conformation show sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. The National Dog Show has been ongoing since 1879 with its only interruption being the Great Depression from 1928 through 1932. The show is held by The Kennel Club of Philadelphia, a founding club of AKC. It traditionally takes place on the third from last weekend in November over two days. The National Dog show is one of the three major dog shows in the United States, along with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and the Westminster Dog Show. Winners may be invited to compete at Crufts. As with all AKC conformation shows, mixed-breed dogs are not eligible to participate. The show is nationally televised (on tape delay) in the United States on NBC every Thanksgiving; the show immediately follows the network’s coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and airs at noon in all time zones. Actor John O’Hurley is the program’s host, and the show’s presenting sponsor is Nestlé Purina PetCare.