National Dog Show Presented by Purina on Thanksgiving Day

One of the perks of being a blogger connected to Purina, is being able to also connect with other great dog and cat lovers. Just last week I was able to be part of a conference call about the National Dog Show presented by Purina, and hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. This cutie is from Best in Show of '07.

The hosts of the show, David Frei, an AKC-licensed judge, and John O'Hurley (yep, that would be Peterman from Seinfeld) talked about their participation and shared some stories with us. Also on the call were Carol Janson and Sharon Penosa, of NBC, the station that will broadcast the entire Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day at noon.  

The discussion last a good long time so I can only share a small amount with you, but...I wanted to be able to share their thoughts on the first puppy, so to speak.

As expected, the talk of the day was what kind of dog the new President-elect should get for his girls. (BTW, did you vote in our survey...see it there...on the left? do vote) One of the questions was, "I'm wondering if you think you'll have a special family tuning in this time, being the future first family, and if so, do you have any hints on hypoallergenci dogs for them?"

Well, we all know the answer. There is NO such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, but...here's what they said:

John: "Hypoallergenic, yes I know. I'm going to have to pick David's brain and find out what type of dog would match a lifestyle that is both extraordinary and ordinary, at the same time. I don't know."

David: "I've already done a couple of bits on this with MSNBC and Inside Edition, but in the first place he's going about it the right way. They're doing their homework. They're making a decision as a family. If somebody is telling him there is such a thing as a totally hypoallergenic dog - [that's a] story and it's probably a violation of some federal law somewhere."

He goes on to mention Poodles and Bichons, as possibilities because they don't shed as much as some dogs. Further on, he mentions Standard Poodles (a breed I would love to own), and a Portuguese Water Dog or an Irish Water Spaniel. So, our new first family has quite a few options...don't you think?

I hope you're all going to tune in to the show on Thanksgiving (make the sports fiends go in the basement to watch football; really now, what's more important: football or dogs?)

We do know that whatever dog wins at the show, he or she will cause a big increase in everyone around the country wanting to have that breed! Fact of life. The folks at the call said so, too. And, they also told us how much they love their dogs. It was heartwarming because, after all, you don't want people hosting a national dog show that don't love - really love - dogs.

Oh, yeah, I did ask if they all had turkey dinner in the back room after the show is over and...they said they did. Sort of. They go out to eat...I forgot to ask if they bring the dogs. Hmm...