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It really feels like this year just flew by, as it’s almost time to get out the turkey for Thanksgiving. While what’s on your plate might be the most exciting part of the holiday, it’s also time for the annual National Dog Show presented by Purina. Every year, the show airs with an array of dog breeds who are each hoping to take home the biggest prize of the day: Best In Show. The highly-competitive program is perfect for every dog lover, as some of the most beloved dog breeds compete annually.
This year’s show promises as much as all the previous years, with a special twist: a brand-new dog breed has been included in the competition. While most of us might have grown accustomed to spoiling our dogs and treating them like our children, these dogs are highly trained and competitive. So grab your much more relaxed pup and get ready to see which dog breed takes home the trophy this year.
Here's everything you need to know about watching The National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day 2025.
How to watch The National Dog Show 2025?
Bill McCay/NBC
While the National Dog Show takes place on November 15th and 16th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, it will air on Thanksgiving Day on NBC. It will also be available to stream on the network’s online platform, Peacock.
What time is The National Dog Show on TV?
Bill McCay/NBC
As always, the National Dog Show will follow the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and begin at 12 pm, right after Santa rides his sleigh down 34th Street. Ho ho ho!
What Are The Categories?
Bill McCay/NBC
This year’s dog show will include 2,000 dogs from 190 breeds. These breeds will be sorted into seven different groups: the Terrier group, Toy group, Working group, Sporting group, Hound group, Non-sporting group, and the Herding group. While there are nearly 200 breeds competing, each group includes some of America’s favorite breeds.
- The Terrier group is home to breeds like the Bull Terrier, the Miniature Schnauzer, the Scottish Terrier, and the West Highland White Terrier.
- The Toy group is perfect for fans of little dogs that you can fit right in your purse, and includes the Chihuahua, Maltese, Pomeranian, and the Yorkshire Terrier.
- The Working group has some of the most beautiful and beloved larger dogs, such as the Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard, Samoyed, and the Siberian Husky.
- The Sporting group features medium to large-sized dogs, including the Cocker Spaniel, English Setter, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and the Pointer.
- The Hound group is pretty self-explanatory as it includes all the hound dogs like the Beagle, Bloodhound, Dachshund, and the Scottish Deerhound.
- The Non-sporting group has the American Eskimo, Boston Terrier, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, French Bulldog, Poodle, and the Shiba Inu, amongst others.
- The Herding group includes breeds like the Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, German Shepherd, Old English Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and the Shetland Sheepdog.
How Does Judging Work?
Bill McCay/NBC
The National Dog Show judging is based on the dog’s appearance, temperament, and structure. The judges are also looking for the characteristics of each dog that match the function they were bred for. In order for a dog to become a champion, they must earn 15 points at the American Kennel Club shows. When a dog defeats another dog of the same sex and breed, they will earn a point.
To move on to group judging, a dog must be named the best in show at multiple prior shows in its breed. Once a dog is named the best in its category, it will be considered for Best in Show. Out of the 2,000 dogs competing, one will be crowned the winner of The National Dog Show.
What To Know About The Brand New Breed In This Year’s Show
Bill McCay/NBC
This year, there’s an exciting new addition to the National Dog Show. While all the popular and beloved breeds viewers see every year will return, a brand new dog breed will also compete for the Best In Show title. The Danish-Swedish Farmdog is a new breed that spent four years in the miscellaneous category, but in January 2025, the American Kennel Club recognized it as the 202nd breed. While the Danish-Swedish Farmdog, also known as the “little big dog,” is new to the National Dog Show, it has actually been around longer than Denmark and Sweden have. The adorable new breed will join the Working group alongside some very familiar dog faces.
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