Philadelphia Dog Show: A New Holiday Tradition
When this writer was growing up, Thanksgiving had a lot of traditions attached to it. You had at least five starches on your plate, you had the day off school and you watched television. My Dad would watch football, but when the evening came, we would watch The Wizard of Oz (1939). Now, the Wizard has floated away to cable. But there is a new show to take up where the Wizard left off - the Philadelphia dog show.
Taped The Weekend Before
This is not a live event, but edited to a more digestible two-hour treat. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show lasts about four days. It is considered in the third most prestigious dog show in the nation, topped only by Westminster and the AKC/Eukaneuba National Championships. The event is taped the weekend before (during the same time as this writer's birthday, coincidently).
Although you can possibly find out in advance which dog won Best In Show in the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show, that kind of spoils the surprise. However, this writer lives in the Philadelphia area and loves dogs. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the wrong dog as winning in the 2007 show. The website of Purina, the corporate sponsor, also reported the wrong dog as winning Best In Show. So, there are still surprises to be had.
Something For Everyone
One of the good things about the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Show is that you do not have to know much about dogs in order to figure out what's going on. There isn't any tricky plot to follow or key plays to miss while you are grabbing a second piece of pumpkin pie. If you've ever seen a beauty pageant, then you pretty much know what to expect with a dog show.
Dogs have some of the most flexible genes in the animal kingdom, which humans have used to exploit in strange, beautiful and comical ways. There are over 150 breeds recognized by the AKC, and they all trot out here. The broadcast also explains the history of the breeds, and behind the scenes looks at the Philadelphia National Dog Show.
The broadcast was lucky enough to not only have an expert dog show commentator in David Friel, but also has the talents of comedian and dog-lover John O'Hurley. NBC decided ten years ago to air the Philadelphia Dog Show as a one-time event. However, when the ratings came in, NBC decided they had a new holiday tradition on their hands. The Philadelphia National Dog Show is the most watched dog show in America.
