Traditions usually involve Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, followed by plenty of food and hours of football. But in recent years, another cherished piece of entertainment has emerged: Co-hosted by actor John O’Hurley and dog expert David Frei, the annual parade of pedigreed pooches has become one of the most popular events of Thanksgiving day. 'You've got the family gathered, and you're going to have some people who want to watch football.
You'll have others who want to watch something else,' Frei said in a news release.'But the dog show works for everybody, whether it's a three-year-old or their great grandmother.' Hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, this year's event marks the 22nd anniversary of NBC's telecast. Its history, however, dates back to well before it was ever introduced to the masses on television.Purebred dogs were first exhibited in the Philadelphia area in 1876 at the Centennial International Exposition, the first official'World's Fair' to be held in the U.