, handled by Daniel Martin, was crowned Best in Show at the 2025 National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 2025, organizers and judges announced.

The annual event, which recognizes more than 200 dog breeds and advances group winners to a final round, aired on NBC as families tuned in during their holiday gatherings. Broadcast hosts included John O’Hurley, long-time commentator David Frei and NBC sports analyst Mary Carillo. The televised ceremony and post-win interview drew cheers from the live crowd and viewers at home; a clip of the announcement is available on YouTube.

Soleil emerged from the herding group before taking the Best in Show ribbon, prevailing against six other group winners. Judges at the National Dog Show determine the top dog by comparing winners from the show’s seven groups and measuring each dog against its breed’s written standard. Those breed standards describe the ideal structure, movement, temperament and overall appearance for each breed, and judges apply those criteria when selecting a Best in Show. How does the National Dog Show impact the breeding practices: breeders are often rewarded for producing dogs that closely match American Kennel Club breed standards, which encourages the use of titled dogs as breeding stock and helps shape which physical and temperament traits are propagated in purebred lines.

Handler Daniel Martin led Soleil into the ring and afterward described the dog’s connection to the atmosphere. “She loves the crowd. She loves this big arena… she loves to do it,” Martin said during the post-win interview, remarks that emphasized both pride and a calm focus on performance. Observers and handlers note that a dog’s ease with crowds and responsiveness to its handler can be decisive in the ring.

The National Dog Show format first narrows entries to breed winners, then advances the best of each breed to group competition; group winners move on to the Best in Show round. Organizers have called the annual telecast a warm, family-centered tradition on Turkey Day, describing it as a “cuddly competition on Turkey Day” that pairs pageantry with technical conformation judging. For many viewers, the event has become a staple of holiday programming.

Soleil takes the top honor following Vito, a pug who won Best in Show at the 2024 National Dog Show. The win highlights months or years of preparation by handlers, breeders and owners who ready dogs for the conformation ring. Conformation shows such as the National Dog Show also influence breeding practices: breeders are often rewarded for producing dogs that closely match most popular dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, which encourages the use of titled dogs as breeding stock and helps shape which physical and temperament traits are propagated in purebred lines.

Beyond competition mechanics, the National Dog Show gives viewers a look at the range of breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. While Soleil’s victory spotlighted the Belgian Sheepdog, the AKC’s most popular registered breeds for 2025 remain led by the French Bulldog at No. 1 for a third consecutive year, followed by the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

Judges weighing Best in Show consider how closely each finalist meets its breed’s ideal and how well it performs the functions implied by that standard. At the Best in Show level, a judge compares the seven group winners — including herding, working, sporting and others — and selects the dog that best exemplifies its breed’s written standard and shows correct structure, movement and temperament. What are the key criteria judges use when selecting a Best in Show winner?

The 2025 National Dog Show continued the program’s tradition of celebrating conformation, handler skill and the work of breeders and owners. As families watched from living rooms across the country, Soleil’s victory provided a familiar holiday moment: a mix of competition, canine athleticism and the communal spirit that organizers say keeps viewers returning each Thanksgiving.

Original reporting: view the original article. A clip of the announcement and post-win interview is available on YouTube.