Blue Ribbons and Tail Wags: The National Dog Show
A dog show is a competitive event in which judges evaluate dogs on their physical appearance and condition. In this photograph, a woman parades a doberman pinscher for the judges’ review.
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The National Dog Show, presented by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and the American Kennel Club, took place over the weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, fully returning for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the show went on without spectators. Instead, cardboard cutouts sat in the audience and the dogs competed without applause.
The National Dog Show has aired on television every Thanksgiving Day after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade for 20 years. This year the show was open to vaccinated spectators as well as well-behaved dogs. While the judges announced best in breed winners, the “Best in Show” winner will not be announced until the show airs on Thursday, Nov. 25.
The bichon frise is a popular show dog. This photograph shows bichons frises lined up for judging at a dog show.
AP Photo
The American Kennel Club (AKC), the best-known dog registry in the United States, classifies dog breeds into seven major groups for exhibition in dog shows. The seven groups are (1) sporting dogs, (2) hounds, (3) working dogs, (4) terriers, (5) toy dogs, (6) nonsporting dogs, and (7) herding dogs. The AKC also has a miscellaneous category for dogs that are growing in popularity but that have not yet been accepted for registration.
This weekend over 1,500 dogs made their way to the Philadelphia area to compete with their owners, handlers, milk-bones, and hair dryers. There are 209 registered breeds in the show this year competing in the 7 group competitions. Each breed competes to be “Best of Breed.” Those winners participate to be “First in Group” in each of the seven groups. From the seven dogs named “First in Group,” the judges name the overall champion as “Best in Show.”
The American Kennel Club added a new breed to the registry this year. The Biewer terrier, a German toy breed, is making its debut on the show. The breed, pronounced like“beaver,” is a relative of a Yorkshire terrier with white, tan, and brown fur. They are known as friendly and athletic companions.
Last year, Claire the Scottish deerhound, a type of hound, won “Best in Show.” In 2019, a bulldog named Thor won after taking the non-sporting group. A whippet, a hound breed, named Whiskey won in 2018. This year perhaps a Biewer terrier will take home the blue ribbon.
