John O'Hurley says Thursday's "The National Dog Show" (NBC, noon-2 p.m.), which every year becomes a little more of a Thanksgiving TV tradition, has a lot in common with "Dancing With the Stars."
O'Hurley, who won "Dancing" in 2005 and has hosted "The National Dog Show" for nine years, says both put elegance on display.
"I love watching the Irish setters come into the ring," he says. "With their graceful stride and their coats flying. To me, they represent the best of what dogs are."
The big difference between the dogs and "Dancing," he says, is that the dogs often get a fairer shake when it comes to assessing performance.
"Viewers don't get to vote" on the dog show, he notes, because the judges make all the decisions. "So the results are based on a breadth of knowledge and fairness. Reality shows tend to be more popularity-based."
He adds that this isn't a knock on "Dancing," just another reason why the dog show, which is sponsored by Purina, has become a popular Thanksgiving Day transition between the Macy's parade in the morning and the blitz of football later in the day.
Compared to television's other major dog event, February's Westminster Kennel Club Show, "The National Dog Show" feels like it moves on fast-forward. Where Westminster takes six hours over two nights, this Philadelphia-based show whips through 150-plus breeds - including six new ones this year - in two hours.
But that's fine, says David Frei, who does the TV commentary for Westminster and co-hosts with O'Hurley here as well. All the breeds get their moment, and he gives concise descriptions.
"David is here because he's the expert and I'm here because I'm not," says O'Hurley.
O'Hurley, whose family has three dogs, says one of his greatest pleasures at the show is taking off the microphone and going backstage. Like Westminster, "The National Dog Show" is a "benched" show, which means all the dogs remain on the premises throughout the show and spectators can wander back to mingle.
"That was the most fun for me," he says. "That's how you get a real sense of the dogs - which is the most important thing for people who are thinking of acquiring one. They don't always get the right match, which is why rescue shelters are so overcrowded."
O'Hurley declines to pick a favorite breed. Frei isn't so reticent.
While he's "come to love all the breeds," he says, he can't help rooting for the dogs he raises himself, which used to be Afghan hounds and now are Brittany and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.
"My own dogs would never speak to me again if I rooted for another breed," he says.
Since the show is taped, Frei says both he and O'Hurley are back home with their families when it comes on TV.
"We sit and watch it like everyone else," he says. "I always like to see who's going to win."
dhinckley@nydailynews.com
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