National Dog Show’s John O’Hurley Shares His Thanksgiving Traditions (Exclusive)

For the O’Hurleys, Thanksgiving is characterized by good food, good company and, of course, dogs.

John O’Hurley hosted THE National Dog Show since 2002, broadcasting to millions of people every Thanksgiving.

As families across the country have made the annual spectacle part of their holiday traditions, the Seinfeld The actor tells PEOPLE that his family has a few traditions of its own outside of the competition, which is filmed before the big day.

“I spend every Thanksgiving in New York and go to a specific Italian restaurant,” O’Hurley, 71, shares. “We have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, traditional or Italian.”

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs before National Dog Show every year, and O’Hurley says his family always attends the parade filled with floats.

“We are still at the start of the Macy’s parade. It is historic in our family and has been a tradition since my son was born. He will be 19 this year,” he shares. “There were several years where we didn’t have him. He grew up in the show. He grew up at the start of the parade every year. It’s always been a wonderful tradition.”

During the National Dog Show himself, O’Hurley says his teenage son began to get more involved, interviewing expert dog show analysts as well as dog handlers and their talented dogs.

Welcome and be a crucial figure in the National Dog Show has been “an honor” for O’Hurley.

“The fact that this has become a national tradition. When we started this, it was a leap into the abyss. Nobody knew it would be as successful as it was,” he told PEOPLE. “We’re on the air for our 24th year. We have an audience of 20 to 30 million people who watch every Thanksgiving, and in the rebroadcasts that they rebroadcast over the years.”

O’Hurley’s love of dogs is well documented, as the actor has written several books about life lessons learned from his four-legged friends, including It’s okay to miss the bed on the first jump (2006) and Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, You Must Do It First: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog to a Young Boy And The perfect dog (2008).

The show, he notes, is “a wonderful celebration of this rich history of dog breeds.”

“Dogs are lucky to be the companions we have, but they had to have some function in historical life and, for us to survive as human beings, we needed dogs,” he says.
“We wouldn’t be here without them. They became our saviors and continue to this day.”

“Not only are they used for the form and function they have historically, but today they have also expanded their ability to become wonderful service animals,” he continues. “They’ve been great in the military. They’ve been great in search and rescue. They round out the fragile edges of our lives.”

The National Dog Show, presented by Purina, features up to 2,000 dogs representing nearly 200 different breeds in an American Kennel Club (AKC) accredited competition for Best in Show. The series itself is inspired by the critically acclaimed film, Best of show, a satirical look at the world of purebred dog shows, premiered in September 2000.

The National Dog Show will air from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET on NBC on November 27.