The National Dog Show Presented by Purina is a conformation show sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. The National Dog Show has been ongoing since 2002. The show is held by The Kennel Club of Philadelphia a founding club of AKC, the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. It traditionally takes place on the third from last weekend in November over two days. The NDS’s motto: Dog before master. The National Dog show is one of the three major dog shows in the United States, along with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and the Westminster Dog Show. Winners may be invited to compete at Crufts. As with all AKC conformation shows, mixed-breed dogs are not eligible to participate. The show is nationally televised in the United States on NBC every Thanksgiving; the show immediately follows the network’s coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and airs at noon in all time zones. Actor, John O’Hurley is the program’s host, and the show’s presenting sponsor is Nestlé Purina PetCare, maker of numerous brands of dog food such as Alpo, Beggin’ Strips, Beneful, Dog Chow, and Purina ONE. The program drew an audience of approximately 18.7 million viewers in 2008, making it the most watched dog show in the United States.