Read About Thanksgiving Dog Show

Thanksgiving Dog Show - Facts

1. Type of Competition:

   The National Dog Show is an annual dog show organized by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and it is sponsored by Purina, a popular brand of dog food.

2. Location:

   From the beginning, the dog show was conducted at the Philadelphia Civic Center. In 1995, the venue was changed to Philadelphia Convention Center and the show was held there until 2000. In 2001, the venue was again changed and this time it was the Fort Washington Expo Center and the show is being held there since 2001.

3. History:

   This is one of the oldest kennel clubs of America and is older than the American Kennel Club, which was formed in 1884. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia has been presenting dog shows for more than 125 years since 1879. The club's first benched dog show was organized in 1912 and the club has been consistently conducting shows every year since 1933. This is one of the largest and famous dog shows attracting more than 4,200 participants every year.

4. Sanctioned:

   The National Dog Show is sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

5. Entrance Procedure:

   As this is an AKC sanctioned show, the dogs have to meet the eligibility criteria of AKC shows. The conditions are: The dog should be 6 months old or older; it should be registered with AKC under any of the seven groups that are considered in the show; the dog should not be spayed or neutered; and the dog should be according to the breed standards that are specified by AKC.

6. Classes:

   The groups of dogs that can be entered in the show are Sporting group (Brittany, Cocker Spaniel, English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointer etc.), Hound group (Afghan Hound, Black Coonhound, Basset Hound etc.), Working group (Bermese Mountain Dog, Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, Giant Schnauzer etc.), Terrier group (Airedale Terrier, Bull Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer etc.), Toy group (Chinese Crested, Shih Tzu, Toy Fox Terrier, Miniature Pinscher etc.), Non-Sporting group (Bichon Frise, Lhasa Apso, Dalmatian, Chow Chow etc.) and Herding group (Bearded Collie, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Shetland Sheepdog etc.)

7. Judging:

   In a conformation round the judges will evaluate the dog's appearance, physical attributes, gait, and temperament. Judges will be judging the dogs in obedience and agility disciplines also.

8. Awards:

   The highest award the dog can get is the Best in Show award. There are many awards in the dog show like the Best in Breed and First in Group.