Before organizing your Black Friday shopping plans or running around trying to get all the side dishes cooked at the same time this Thanksgiving. I have a fun and adorable activity that has become a tradition in my family, that I would like to share with yours. You see, in my family, it is a tradition to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We all gather around the living room, watching the colorful floats, balloons and of course, Santa Clause pass by, just enjoying each other’s company. Afterwards, however, once the parade is over, we participate in another tradition and that is watching the National Dog Show right after.
Broadcasted on NBC directly after the parade, The National Dog Show is a dog show organized by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. Originally starting in 1879 and broadcast since 2001, The National Dog Show is an event where dogs of all shapes and sizes, coming from all over the country, compete to win “Best in Show.” The show is split up into seven groups: Terrier, Toy, Working, Sporting, Hound, Non-sporting, and Herding, so all breeds have their time in the spotlight. It’s also fun to see new breeds you didn’t know even existed, marveling over how cute they are as well. Every year we sit with our cocker spaniel, Dunkin and aww at all the cute canines who parade around the arena. I mean, just look at them! Warning: Cuteness Overload Ahead.
Courtesy: Montco.Today
The show itself is quite the spectacle. It’s funny to see how some of the handlers resemble their dogs. I mean, hey, who is to say only poodles can rock the puffy hair and socks? And even though these pooches have some creative names, like the veteran toy category winner, Banana Joe the Affenpinscher, I like to rename some the dogs they showcase because let’s face it, we all want to secretly own all of these dogs. The funniest part of it all is that people have shown that it’s not only a fun show to watch with their family, but with their own dogs too! Whether they are rooting for their own breed or not, I think we can all appreciate the idea of dogs supporting other dogs.
Courtesy: @WilliamBelroni
Watching the show is not only a great activity to do between watching the parade and wolfing (no pun intended) down pounds of turkey and mashed potato, but the competition is so pure and lighthearted, it matches the Thanksgiving and holiday atmosphere perfectly. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not only because of the delicious food, but because it is about sitting around the table (or couch) and enjoying this shared time with your family. That is why I think the dog show is so great to watch, anybody of any age can enjoy it. And even though only one dog can win best in show, all of our furry friends are still winners in my heart. To me, Thanksgiving is about celebrating the day with your loved ones and that includes man’s best friend.