‘National Dog Show’s John O’Hurley Shares His Thanksgiving Traditions (Exclusive)

Thanksgiving in the O’Hurley household involves good food, good company and, of course, dogs.

Hosted by John O’Hurley national dog show Since 2002, broadcasting to millions every Thanksgiving Day.

While families across the country have added the annual show to their holiday traditions seinfeld The actor told People that aside from the competition, his family has a few traditions of their own, which have been filmed before the big day.

“I spend every single Thanksgiving in New York City and I go to a typical Italian restaurant,” says O’Hurley, 71. “We have a wonderful – either traditional or Italian – Thanksgiving dinner.”

Airs before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade national dog show every year, and O’Hurley says his family always attends the float-filled parade.

“We’re always at the beginning of the Macy’s parade. It’s been a tradition historically and in our family since my son was born. He’s turning 19 this year,” he shared. “There were many years we didn’t have him. He grew up at the show. He grew up at the beginning of the parade every year. It’s always been a wonderful tradition.”

during national dog show Herself, O’Hurley says her teenage son has begun to get more involved, interviewing expert dog show analysts as well as handlers and their talented dogs.

hosting and being such an important person national dog show Used to be “An honor” for O’Hurley.

He told People, “The truth is that it has become a national tradition. When we first started it, it was a leap into the abyss. No one knew it would be as successful as it has been.” “We’re now on the air for our 24th year. We have between 20 and 30 million viewers who watch every Thanksgiving, and over the years they also watch during reruns.”

O’Hurley’s love of dogs is well-documented, as the actor has written several books about the life lessons he learned from the furry friends, including It’s okay to miss the bed on the first jump (2006) and Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, You Gotta Do It First: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog to a Young Boy And perfect dog (2008).

He says the show is “a wonderful celebration of the rich history of dog breeds.”

He says, “Dogs are lucky to be our companions, but they have to be given a function of historical life, so that in order for us to survive as humans, we need dogs.”
“We wouldn’t be here without them. They have become our lifesavers and continue to be so today.”

He added, “Not only have they been used historically for their form and function, but today, they have also expanded their ability to become wonderful service animals.” “They’ve been wonderful in the military. They’ve been wonderful in search and rescue. They meet the delicate edges of our lives.”

national dog show, Presented by Purina, the American Kennel Club (AKC)-accredited competition for Best in Show features 2,000 dogs representing nearly 200 different breeds. The show itself was inspired by the critically acclaimed film, best in Show, A satirical look at the world of purebred dog shows, which premiered in September 2000.

national dog show Streaming on November 27th from 12pm to 2am ET on NBC.