The National Dog Show returns on Thanksgiving — here's how you can watch it

Thanksgiving is synonymous with turkey, but the holiday also goes to the dogs.

The 2023 National Dog Show is one of the pre-eminent dog shows in the world. Run by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and authorized by the American Kennel Club, the event has been going on for more than 125 years.

“See up to 2,000 of the top American Kennel Club sanctioned dogs from across the country,” the show’s website says. “Two hundred five breeds and varieties are eligible to compete for best of Breed, First in Group and the coveted title of Best in Show. Each day brings different competitions and attractions.”

John O’Hurley and David Frei will host the show, while Mary Carillo will also provide commentary.

Here is all the vital information you need for this year’s show.

How is the show organized?

“Each of the 209 AKC registered breeds and varieties are assigned to one of seven groups representing characteristics and functions the breeds were originally bred for,” the show says on its site. “The First In Group from among each of these seven groups compete against each other for Best In Show.”

Those seven groups are terrier, toy, working sporting, hound, non-sporting and herding. The winner of each group advances to compete for the best in show title.

When does the show take place?

The National Dog Show takes place on Thanksgiving every year. This year, the show falls on Nov. 23. NBC, which has aired the show since 2002, will broadcast from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. local time.

How can I watch the show?

The show is available to watch on multiple platforms. In addition to watching it on NBC, it can also be streamed on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app at noon ET on Nov. 23.

What does a dog need to do to win?

“First, you got to be a great specimen of your breed,” Frei told TODAY on Nov. 22 when he appeared with O’Hurley. “And, secondly, it’s a dog show and you got to show. So, they got to have some enthusiasm and some personality out there.”

What should viewers expect?

Variety. O’Hurley pointed out that the number of breeds in the show has exploded over the years.

“When we started this off some 22 years ago, we had 165 different breeds. We have over 200 right now,” he said. “So, we like to think that we’ve made some sort of an impact on the visibility of dogs in America.”

What’s at stake?

The top dog is quite literally that, with the best in show winner earning a $20,000 prize. Last year’s winner was a 3-year-old French bulldog named Winston.

Where is the show?

The National Dog Show is held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com