At that National Dog Show in Philadelphia, the Beauceron, the Bergamasco Sheepdog and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog were up for judging. Herding Group Three Members The 2025 winner, a Belgian sheepdog named Soleil, won Best in Herding Group before being crowned Best in Show.
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Belgian sheepdog Soleil has won the Best in Show award at the 2025 National Dog Show, beating more than 1900 dogs in this year’s competition.
As the crowd and her handler Daniel Martin of Princeton, North Carolina, accepted the award, the all-black, six-year-old Soleil appeared calm despite all the activity around her.
Martin says that Soleil’s attitude and movement helped him win the title. “He’s professional,” he said. “He loves the crowd and the big field. Great day.”
Soleil defeated six other finalists in the annual canine competition organized by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and broadcast by NBC on Thanksgiving Day in a group of seven categories. This includes working, non-sporting, sporting, terrier and toy groups. Soleil is part of the Herding Group. George, an American Foxhound part of the Hound Group, won Reserve Best in Show.
The American Kennel Club describes Belgian Sheepdogs as highly trainable shepherds that are “bright, alert and serious-minded”, adding that “these sensitive spirits crave human companionship and abhor neglect”. Their average lifespan is between 10 and 14 years.
The National Dog Show was established in 1879 and has been held annually since 1933. It has been broadcast on television since 2002, and has become a popular Thanksgiving tradition, with an estimated 20 million animal lovers tuning in to watch, according to Purina, who presents the show.
Many additional competitions are held behind the scenes, including a barking contest.
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