PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The most widely viewed dog show in America will return to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center this weekend.
Nearly 2,000 dogs from across the country will be in Oaks on Saturday and Sunday to put their best paw forward in the nearly half-century-old show.
The storied competition brings 205 breeds and varieties of canines, sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. And this year, organizers welcomed a new breed: the Danish–Swedish farmdog.
On Monday, there was a pup-preview event, where dogs competed in a “bark off.” Robin Fittipaldi’s dog, Mason, a redbone coonhound with a strong howl, won “Best in Bark.”
Saturday’s competition is taped to air nationwide on NBC on Thanksgiving Day. By the end, only one will be named Best in Show.
“We have 25 million people watching the show, so we know we're reaching a lot of people as they're waiting for the turkey to come out of the oven,” said David Frei, one of the show’s hosts, who has provided expert commentary for 24 years.
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