The Kennel Club of Philadelphia and Purina crowned a new winner at the annual National Dog Show, hosted on Nov. 15 and 16 in Philadelphia, and broadcast on NBC on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2014.

Millions of Americans tuned in to see who would be named the American Kennel Club’s top dog, and for one well groomed Bloodhound and his owners S. Carter, S VanCamp & H & Z Helmer, the honor was all theirs. Nathan, registered by Fleshner’s International, was chosen as the winner of the Hound Group, and went on to take home Best in Show later in the competition. Shown by Heather Helmer, Nathan was an impressive competitor who stood out among the other dogs in show.

Best in Show (Photo Credit)

Among the other dogs to be awarded Group honors were as follows:
Sporting Group – Saide the Setter; Owners: P Reilley & D Grant
Working Group – Bogey the Samoyed; Owners: A Kiell-Gree, A Gree, B Bruns & W Stamp
Terrier Group – Bradley the Smooth Fox Terrier; Owners: J Smith and D Gabel
Toy Group – Ben the Affenpinscher; Owners: W & Z Truesdale & L Wubbell
Non-Sporting Group – Freda the French Bulldog; Owners: Patricia Shaw
Herding Group – Zach the Bearded Collie; Owners: R & K Harrington & V & S Shafer

Group Winners (Photo Credit)

Over 2,000 AKC sanctioned dogs competed for best of Breed, First in Group, and Best in Show at the 2014 exhibition. And though the National Dog Show is not the biggest of its kind–the December 3 & 4 AKC/Eukanuba Championship has over 4,000 entries–it is certainly the most widely viewed, with over 10.7 million viewers tuning in to watch the 2014 competition hosted by John O’Hurley and David Frei.

The KCP-Purina National Dog Show is the highest viewed dog show in America, in part due to the annual broadcast on Thanksgiving Day. It is common for viewers to choose their favorite dogs and to root for “their” pooch to take home the trophy. And while hundreds of dogs invariably do not make it out of the Breed group, it is oftentimes easy for amateur viewers to pick the true finalists for each Breed based on appearance and demeanor. Favorites in our household this year included a Scottish Terrier, Pug, and Dalmatian, as well as the Best in Show Bloodhound.

Since judging is based on appearance, grooming is without exception one of the largest factors in the assessment of the dog as the “ideal” representation of the breed, the determining factor for which the top dog advances in each round. For this reason, it is imperative for owners of show dogs to read up on their dog’s breeding specifications and tailor their grooming routine to fit the breed’s standards. Owners and their show dogs are one of the many examples of customers who would benefit greatly from Splash and Dash’s signature low monthly cost grooming subscription. With the benefit of keeping their pup smelling fresh, regular grooming would also keep the prize winner at the top of their game. For more information on a franchise near you, click here. Interested in more information on owning your own Splash and Dash franchise? Contact us, or visit our website.