The National Dog Show Presented by Purina aired Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, on NBC, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. This beloved event is not just any dog show; it is one of the oldest and most prestigious all-breed dog shows in the United States, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and sanctioned by the American Kennel Club as a benched conformation show, a now-rare format where the public can meet dogs and breeders.

The two-hour special, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, showcases 201 purebred dogs registered with the American Kennel Club. To prepare for such competitions, dog owners must ensure their pets are in peak health through vet checkups and vaccinations, while also mastering breed-specific grooming and training in stacking, gaiting, and ring etiquette.

Organizers stage the competition earlier in November at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, and the edited program is presented as a Thanksgiving Day special that fills the midday broadcast window. The event is sanctioned by the American Kennel Club and produced for national television, with coverage that condenses multiple days of judging into a two-hour sequence for viewers. The AKC serves as the primary registry for purebred dogs in the U.S. and sanctions thousands of dog shows annually, including major events like the National Dog Show and Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Full list of breeds by group at the 2025 National Dog Show

NBC will carry the telecast. On-air talent for the special includes hosts John O’Hurley and David Frei, with Mary Carillo and Britney Eurton providing commentary and analysis during the broadcast. The production teams compile breed and group judging from the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s conformation event into the televised program.

Competitors at the National Dog Show are purebred dogs registered with the American Kennel Club, representing a long tradition: the event is described as one of the oldest dog shows in the world, and its Thanksgiving broadcast has become a fixture of the holiday schedule. The format follows AKC-style group judging that culminates in a Best in Show round drawn from group winners.

The telecast offers viewers a concentrated presentation of ring work, breed judging and the selection of group champions. For readers looking for lists of breeds entered and group placements from the 2025 event, NBC Sports maintains detailed coverage and resources tied to the televised special, and historical context about the show’s place in the sport is available through specialist outlets covering the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s annual presentation.

Production and scheduling place the two-hour special squarely between other Thanksgiving Day programming on network television, positioning the dog show as a companion piece to parade and game coverage in the holiday lineup. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia organizes the competition itself at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, where judges and handlers convene for the multi-day conformation event later edited into the NBC broadcast.

For competitors and viewers, the broadcast reduces several days of show activity to an afternoon national audience, while preserving the sequence of group judging and the Best in Show finale. As the program’s running time—the two-hour block from noon to 2 p.m. local time—frames how the event is presented to households across U.S. time zones, it becomes a cherished part of Thanksgiving tradition.