Thanksgiving National Dog Show 2021: Start Time, Channel and How to Watch

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The annual broadcast of the National Dog Show takes place on Thanksgiving. This year marks the 20th edition of the show, which sees 200 or so dogs compete in the canine competition.

The National Dog Show Presented by Purina will be hosted by author and Broadway actor John O'Hurley (known from Seinfeld and Dancing with the Stars television series) and David Frei, an expert analyst and judge licensed by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

2021 Thanksgiving National Dog Show Start Time and Channel

The National Dog Show is a beloved Thanksgiving tradition. The show's been aired on NBC for the past 19 years, reaching an audience of over 15 million viewers each Thanksgiving Day.

The latest competition will be aired from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in all time zones on Thanksgiving Day, which this year falls on November 25.

The show immediately follows the broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

NBC correspondent and sports broadcasting Hall of Famer Mary Carillo will also be reporting from backstage at the show, as well as inside the show ring.

 The 2019 National Dog Show winner.
A Bulldog named "Thor" wins the "Best in Show" award at the 2019 National Dog Show in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Mark Makela/Getty Images

How to Watch The 2021 National Dog Show

The show will be broadcast on the NBC television channel.

Viewers can also stream the National Dog Show at the NBC website and the NBC app, which is available on all mobile and connected devices, including via Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

The show can also be streamed on other streaming apps including Hulu Live and YouTube TV.

Medals at the 2019 National Dog Show.
Medals and trophies displayed ringside at the 2019 National Dog Show held in Pennsylvania. Mark Makela/Getty Images

2021 National Dog Show Highlights

The 2021 contest showcases a new AKC-sanctioned dog breed to a national audience, bringing its total recognized breeds to 209.

This year's event welcomes the Biewer Terrier (from the toy group), an intelligent, amusing and devoted breed "whose only purpose in life is to love and be loved," describes the AKC.

While the Biewer Terrier is small in stature, it is "a very hearty, athletic dog and an excellent hunter of vermin," the AKC says.

They are a lighthearted breed, with a childlike attitude and like to carry toys in their mouths. They're quick to alert you to company but are not constant barkers.

Since the first National Dog Show aired in 2002, a total of 50 new breeds have been introduced at the event.

The winner of last year's National Dog Show was "a graceful Scottish Deerhound named Claire," who earned the "Best in Show" title, according to NBC.

The three-year-old, third-generation champion hound was crowned the top dog among the seven group winners.

Dogs in the 2019 National Dog Show.
"Best in Group" dogs waiting backstage before competing for the "Best in Show" award at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on November 16, 2019 in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Mark Makela/Getty Images

About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean


Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more