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National Dog Show 2018: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Top Breeds and More
November 21, 2018
It's not just about football or turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
The National Dog Show is one of the top events in the nation for show dogs. It joins the Westminster Dog Show and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship to make up what's known as the Triple Crown in the United States.
The Philadelphia-based event features more than 3,000 dogs in 150 breeds. The top 50 contenders will be featured on the two-hour NBC broadcast that begins at noon ET on Thanksgiving Day.
National Dog Show Viewing Information
Date: Thursday, Nov. 22
Time: Noon-2 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
This is one of the oldest dog shows in the nation. It was known as the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show from 1879 through 2002, and it was renamed the National Dog Show in 2002.
The National Dog Show is a benched event, meaning that while all the dogs will show off their skills and their looks in front of the judges, there is more work to be done before and after they have been put through their paces.
All dogs are assigned benches, and they must remain there and maintain their composure while their competitors show off their skills.
Pets by Nature @petsbynatureCongratulations to Newton, winner of #BestinShow at this year's #NationalDogShow! Such an adorable face, it's easy to see how the Brussels Griffon inspired Star Wars characters like Chewbacca and the Ewoks #dogshow #dogbreeds #Newton #BrusselsGriffon #Ewoks #StarWars #Chewbacca https://t.co/7Iun9i6Qc0
Newton, the Brussels griffon, won the Best in Show award at last year's National Dog Show. Some of the other top breeds include the Portuguese water dog, whippet, English springer spaniel, American Staffordshire terrier, French bulldog and the old English sheepdog.
The AKC has sanctioned one new breed for the 2018 show, and the Nederlandse kooikerhondje will join the competition in the Miscellaneous Class.
There were no new breeds added last year, but the American hairless terrier (Terrier Group), pumi (Herding Group) and sloughi (Hound Group) were added in 2016.
The dogs will compete in the National Dog Show from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups.
List of recent Best in Show winners
2017 winner: Newton. Breed: Brussels griffon
2016 winner: Gia. Breed: Greyhound
2015 winner: Charlie. Breed: Skye terrier
2014 winner: Nathan. Breed: Bloodhound
2013 winner: Jewel. Breed: American foxhound
2012 winner: Sky. Breed: Wire fox terrier
2011 winner: Eira. Breed: Wire fox terrier
2010 winner: Clooney. Breed: Irish setter