Thanksgiving Goes to the Dogs

The NBC Thanksgiving Day special "The National Dog Show Presented by Purina" will crown one of America's great show dogs as its 2008 champion while offering special coverage of famed Uno the Beagle (pictured) and introducing the newest American Kennel Club-sanctioned breed, the Dogue de Bordeaux.

The holiday special follows the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC and is watched annually by a total of almost 20 million viewers. Over 150 breeds vie for "Best in Show" honors at the tradition-rich Kennel Club of Philadelphia competition.
The 7th annual, two-hour NBC special will also feature:

The appearance of Uno, the Beagle, who became an instant celebrity earlier this year when he won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Uno received congratulations from President George W. Bush in a White House visit and he threw out the first pitch at two major league baseball games this past summer. Uno will also appear on NBC during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, riding on the Peanuts float while fellow famous beagle Snoopy is elsewhere on the parade route in his annual role as a giant balloon.

The Thursday TV special, set for 12-2 p.m. in all time zones, is hosted for the seventh straight year by John O'Hurley, the "Seinfeld" ensemble actor who emerged as the ultimate champion on ABC's inaugural presentation of "Dancing With The Stars." O'Hurley will be joined by expert analyst David Frei, who is the face and voice of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on USA Network.

Unlike traditional dog show coverage, the two-hour special offers family-oriented features on dogs and pet care, facilitated by the open format of the event, one of only five remaining "benched" shows in which the dogs are on display all day for the visiting public.

[Source: Market Watch.]