While most families sit around to watch parades and football games, there is another program that occupies my family’s television on Thanksgiving Day. Purina Dog Food sponsors the American Kennel Club’s National Dog Show and is filmed in my hometown of Oaks, Pennsylvania every year. The town is filled with thousands of the prettiest pooches in the country for the weekend before Thanksgiving. There are two days of the show. The first day consists of the Best in Show Competition; the part of the show that is aired on Thanksgiving Day. The second day consists of agility events, frisbee catching, and obedience competitions.
The Best in Show competitions start with preliminary rounds. Purebreds of each breed compete against each other. They are judged on temperament, physical quality, and grooming. Every dog breed that is recognized by the AKC competes in these rounds. This ranges from Golden Retrievers to Boston Terriers to Great Danes. The winner of each breed then competes in their group. There are seven classifying groups; the sporting group, the hound group, the working group, the terrier group, the toy group, the non-sporting group, and the herding group. Again, each dog is judged on their breed’s aspects and then pinned against the other dog in their groups. The best from each group is then chosen to compete for Best In Show. This year, a Border Collie named Zayne won. Border collies are part of the herding group and are known for being the smartest of all dog breeds.
The next day was filled with much more running around, literally. Agility is when dogs are tasked with finishing an obstacle course as quickly as possible. They jump, weave and climb to success while being guided by a coach. Frisbee catching is pretty self explanatory. Dogs perform tricks while catching flying disks in their mouths. Finally, obedience training is when a dog shows its immense intelligence and skill with following commands.
The show also has a ton of different booths around to improve your pets’ lives. There were booths for genetic testing and chiropractors. There were different food supplements, toys, and treats. There were even booths selling doggy clothes, jewelry, and other accessories. Everything a dog would need to live a happy, healthy, and swaggy life.