The National Dog Show is hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1879 and has been held annually since 1933.
Only purebred dogs registered with the American Kennel Club, which sanctions the event, may compete. There are seven groups: shepherd, hound, non-sporting, sporting, terrier, toy and working.
Best in breed is determined first, followed by first in group. The winner of each group then competes against each other for the coveted title of Best in Show.
In 2024, a ‘suspect’ pug named Vito from North Carolina won Best in Show. Since the show began airing on NBC, various breeds have won the coveted title, including a French Bulldog named Winston in 2022, an American Foxhound named Jewel in 2013, and a Doberman named Raisin in 2003.
Connected: How to watch the National Dog Show 2025 on Thanksgiving
What do judges look for in dog shows?
When judges look at dogs at a dog show, they determine how well the dog matches the “perfect” image described by the breed’s official standard. Dogs are judged on their appearance, as well as their temperament and conformation, relative to the breed standard.
Meet the Newest Breed at the 2025 National Dog Show
There’s a new dog on the block: the Danish-Swedish Farmdog!
The Danish-Swedish Farmdog joined the AKC’s list of official dog breeds on January 1, 2025. The breed entered the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Services Program (AKC FSS) in 2011. Part of the Working Group, the Danish-Swedish Farmdog is a companion dog that enjoys a challenge.
What are the dog groups in the National Dog Show?
herding group
Hound Group
non-sports group
sport team
terrier group
toy group
working group
herding group
Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Shepherd
bearded collie
Beauceron
Belgian Malinois
belgian sheepdog
Belgian Tervuren
bergamasco
berger picard
border Collie
bouvier des flandres
Briard
canan dog
cardigan welsh corgi
collie (hard)
collie (smooth)
Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Finnish Lapphund
German Shepherd Dog
Icelandic Sheepdog
lancashire healer
Miniature American Shepherd
mudi
Norwegian Buhund
old english sheepdog
pembroke welsh corgi
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
pulley
pumi
Pyrenean Shepherd
Shetland Sheepdog
spanish water dog
Swedish Vallhund
Hound Group
afghan hound
American English Coonhound
American Foxhound
Azawakh
basenji
Basset Hound
Beagle (13 Inch)
Beagle (15 Inch)
Black and Tan Coonhound
sniffer dog
Borzoi
Cirneco dell’Etna
Dachshund (long haired)
Dachshund (smooth)
Dachshund (wirehaired)
english foxhound
greyhound
ibizan hound
Irish Wolfhound
otter dog
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
pharaoh hound
Portuguese Podengo Pequeno
redbone coonhound
Rhodesian Ridgeback
saluki
Scottish deerhound
Sloggi
Treeing Walker Coonhound
years of age
non-sports group
American Eskimo
Bichon Frise
Boston Terrier
Bulldog
Chinese Shar-Pei
Chow Chow
Coton de Tulear
Dalmatian
French Bulldog
Keeshond
lhasa apso
Lochen
Norwegian Lundehund
Poodle (miniature)
Poodle (Standard)
Schipperke
Shiba Inu
tibetan spaniel
tibetan terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
sport team
barbet
boykin spaniel
bracco italiano
brittany
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Clumber Spaniel
Cocker Spaniel (ASCOB)
Cocker Spaniel (Black)
Cocker Spaniel (parti color)
curly-coated retriever
english cocker spaniel
english setter
english springer spaniel
field spaniel
flat-coated retriever
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Golden Retriever
gordon setter
Irish Red and White Setter
Irish Setter
Irish Water Spaniel
labrador dog
Lagotto Romagnolo
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
indicator
Spinone Italiano
sussex spaniel
Vizsla
weimaraner
welsh springer spaniel
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
wirehaired vizsla
terrier group
airedale terrier
American Hairless Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
australian terrier
Bedlington Terrier
border terrier
cairn terrier
colorful bull terrier
dandy dinmont terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
irish terrier
kerry blue terrier
Lakeland Terrier
Manchester Terrier (Standard)
miniature bull terrier
miniature schnauzer
norfolk terrier
norwich terrier
parson russell terrier
rat terrier
russell terrier
scottish terrier
sealyham terrier
sky terrier
Smooth Fox Terrier
soft coated wheaten terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
welsh terrier
West Highland Terrier
white bull terrier
toy group
beaver terrier
brussels griffon
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chinese Crested
English Toy Spaniel (B&PC)
English Toy Spaniel (KC&R)
Havanese
Italian Greyhound
japanese chin
long coat chihuahua
Maltese
miniature pinscher
papillon
Peking’s
pomeranian
Monkey
Russian toy
shih tzu
silky terrier
smooth coat chihuahua
toy fox terrier
toy manchester terrier
toy poodle
Yorkshire Terrier
working group
akita
Alaskan Malamute
Bernese Mountain Dog
black russian terrier
boxer
bullmastiff
cane corso
Chinook
Danish-Swedish Farmdog
Doberman Pinscher
dogo argentino
dog de bordeaux
German Pinscher
giant schnauzer
great Dane
great pyrenees
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
komondor
leonberger
big dog
Neapolitan Mastiff
Newfoundland
Portuguese Water Dog
rottweiler
saint bernard
Samoyed
siberian husky
standard schnauzer
Tibetan Mastiff
Connected: What to know about the 2025 National Dog Show
NBCSports.com also includes highlights from TV specials and behind-the-scenes videos that capture the backstage canine energy of one of the nation’s oldest and most famous dog shows.
For the 24th consecutive year, a two-hour special aired on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It attracts an annual audience of more than 20 million people as America’s most prominent and widely watched spectacle for the sport.
Watch NBC’s coverage of the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, from 12-2pm local time on NBC, right after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. PeacockNBCSports.com and NBC Sports App.
<a href=