The National Dog Show Presented by Purina aired on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET on NBC, broadcasting from the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA, with around 205 breeds competing for the Best in Show title. To register a dog for competition in shows like the National Dog Show, owners must ensure their dog is AKC-registered and submit an application with required documents.

The two-hour telecast is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving viewing for many dog fans, offering breed judging and the progression of group winners toward the Best in Show award. The event, officially billed as the Thanksgiving Dog Show 2025, brings the conformation circuit to a single venue for a live presentation and a network broadcast. The National Dog Show is one of the most anticipated programming highlights of the holiday.

Television viewers saw hosting duties handled by John O’Hurley and David Frei, with Mary Carillo and Britney Eurton providing commentary. NBC aired the program; the 2025 broadcast is available on Peacock or NBC Sports app On Demand. The show has become a Thanksgiving tradition since NBC started airing it in 2002, inspired by the 2000 mockumentary *Best in Show* and originally rooted in the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show dating back to 1879.

Judging is sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, which evaluates entrants on appearance, skill and personality before group winners advance to the final round. The AKC maintains standards for conformation events and organizes judging across the show’s classes; more information on the process can be found through the AKC.

On the floor at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, dogs will be sorted into seven groups for the judges’ consideration, a structure that funnels breed winners into group judging and ultimately the Best in Show competition. Organizers describe the telecast as an ideal background entertainment while your Thanksgiving meal is being prepared.

The show’s format compresses the day’s contests into a two-hour viewing window, with breed judging first and a sequence of group finals leading to the final award. The live presentation at the venue features vendors and on-site exhibitions alongside the ring competition.

Producers and hosts aim to balance the detailed evaluations that appeal to conformation enthusiasts with broader commentary for casual viewers. The presence of experienced hosts and a dedicated on-site commentator is intended to guide audiences through the judging criteria and the steps that determine which dog advances at each stage.

For attendees, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center serves as the single-venue stage for the show’s entries and public interaction with exhibitors. For audiences at home, the televised two-hour block is scheduled to provide a compact view of the day’s highlights without spanning the entire live event.

Where the show sits on Thanksgiving programming and how viewers choose to watch it reflect its role as an annual television event; NBC’s broadcast arrangements for the 2025 telecast are distributed through network channels and digital platforms, with recordings accessible online.

The National Dog Show Presented by Purina remains an event focused on conformation and breed standards, showcasing a wide range of purebred competitors across the seven groups as judges evaluate each animal’s adherence to its breed’s ideal.

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Original reporting: view the original article.