Commentators/Co-Hosts David Frei & John O’Hurley talk to The Inside Reel about legacy, humor, knowledge and the essential nature of dogs in regards to the 2024 edition of “The National Dog Show” on NBC.
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00:00It's about balancing, especially if to bring it back to this balancing with the national
00:24dog show, the heart and the humor, just sort of that traditional sort of feeling that you
00:29get when we watch you guys do this.
00:31Can you talk about that, about the warmth and humor between you guys, and how that's
00:36evolved over the years?
00:37Well, you know, David and I just kind of hit simpatico point there that first year, realizing
00:43that we were finishing each other's sentences, and it was a pretty good pairing.
00:50Unfortunately, I didn't know much about the world of dogs, and so I've been living in
00:55his shadow for the past 23 years, and have tried to pick up what little scraps I can.
01:01But I'm very fortunate to always be able to turn to him and know that some intelligent
01:06words will be coming out about the wonderful words of dogs.
01:25And David, can you sort of talk about that, you know, very well behaved.
01:38That's great.
01:39The dog's very well behaved.
01:40I thought you were referring to David, so we were all confused.
01:47That's the funny thing.
01:48I mean, well, because training is involved a lot with the dogs.
01:51But the thing is, is that teaching and education, both with dogs, but also with the layman,
01:57is a very important thing.
01:58Can you talk about that, and how that's evolved from your perspective with John over the years
02:05in that way?
02:06Well, we hit it off right away personally, and as I watched him learn about the dogs
02:11and talk about the dogs, I knew that he already knew a lot about dogs and about the things
02:15that they do for us in our life.
02:18But also then growing through the dog show world, he's gotten a pretty good eye through
02:23the years.
02:24And we can sit there and we can debate about who we think should win a particular competition
02:28where I'll pick one and he'll pick the other, and the judge will pick another one totally
02:32different.
02:33So we go through the same thought processes.
02:37What happened to the judge along the way here to find my dog?
02:41And we have great fun with that.
02:42But we also, I think, are using the dogs in the human experience and the things that they
02:47do for us every single day.
02:49And John has a great appreciation for that as well.
02:51And I think that's where we really hit it off and have fun with the dog show.
03:17Now, David, just to ask to follow up with that, when you look at what makes a great
03:22dog in the best show and all that, is it about poise?
03:26Is it about behavior?
03:28What are the things that you're looking at that you see that always have to come through
03:32beyond that sort of that ether thing that the dog has to have to sort of gain that sort
03:38of notoriety?
03:39Well, the first thing is the dog's got to be a great specimen of its breed and how close
03:44they come to matching the standard that describes that.
03:48But at the same time, it's a dog show and you got to show.
03:51And that's when we see the dogs go out and perform like any other performer, like John
03:56does on stage virtually every night.
03:59And having the idea of what you're doing is fun for you and it's fun for everybody else
04:04and everybody in your world being a part of it.
04:07And that's what we're trying to give to you with the dog show and with our commentary
04:13on it.
04:44John, how is when you look at dogs, do you think different things when you're watching
04:54the show?
04:55Is it just like, oh, this is what I've seen before.
04:58This is what I'm going to add on to.
04:59Where do you find the balance in how you appreciate what these dogs are able to accomplish versus
05:05what you're looking at as a commentarian?
05:07Well, I have grown in my sense of being able to recognize what a good dog is and what a
05:15dog that is deficient in certain areas.
05:20And that just comes with experience.
05:21I feel comfortable many times during the show saying to David, I'll look at Golden Retriever
05:27and say this is one of the best retrievers that we've had in recent memory.
05:31And I'm looking at the top line of the dog and underneath and I'm watching the dog move
05:37and I understand exactly some of the parts of the written standard that each dog has.
05:44So it's been a wonderful learning experience for me.
05:47I did have a large learning curve to go through.
05:51The first year I had no idea what a dog show was and I proved it by some of the things
05:57that I said.
05:59But it's been a wonderful learning experience as I say I've been able to live in David's
06:04shadow for 23 years.
06:34But you guys create such a tradition every year.
06:53Everybody so much looks forward.
06:54I look forward to seeing what you guys do every year.
06:57Could you talk about the not necessarily expectation but the responsibility of that because you
07:01come into people's homes.
07:03It's a tradition.
07:05What does that mean to you each individually but what is the National Dog Show in terms
07:10of that kind of institution that people look forward to every year?
07:14Well I think what we do on television is a great reflection of what's going on in the
07:17arena because the dog show itself is a benched dog show which means the dogs are benched
07:23according to their breed.
07:24You can wander around, get up close and personal with them.
07:27You can even hug them if it's okay with the owners.
07:29You don't get to do that in a baseball game or after a football game.
07:34So you can talk to the breeders and owners and handlers and find out about the breed
07:39and we try to have that role for you in the telecast so that maybe we're helping you find
07:45the dog that fits your lifestyle and fits your family best and that's what it's all
07:49about with these dogs.
08:19Are you guys able to go around and talk to a lot of people?
08:33Do you do that sort of pre-show?
08:36Are you able to do any of that and how much does that help the moment of when you're watching
08:42all this unfold?
08:44Well because it is a benched show it's wonderful to be able to, it's a very interactive and
08:47very educational experience to be able to walk up and down the aisles and see the dogs,
08:52watch them being primping and preening while I'm primping and preening myself.
08:58But it's a wonderful educational experience for everybody who goes there, especially for
09:02children because kids grow up in a neighborhood where they see five different dogs and figure
09:07that's all there are and not realizing that the AKC has registered 213 different varieties.
09:16We'll have 205 showing up for this year's show, representing 2,000 of the top dogs.
09:22So it's a very educational experience to realize that all of these dogs in addition to being
09:29companions had a form and a function in our lives, many of them helped us stay alive.
09:46And my last question, thank you very much John, for you David is the aspect of how the
10:07breeds they go in and out as far as what people have them for, how they're buying or the trends
10:14or all that kind of stuff.
10:15Can you talk about looking at how the breeds have evolved, not just in how they're perceived,
10:22but how they approach it?
10:23I mean, obviously with the dog right there, there's that aspect as well.
10:27It's a very specific poise.
10:29Could you talk about that and sort of the evolution of the breeds again, not in evolving,
10:35but in how they're perceived?
10:37Well, almost all these dogs came to us, all these breeds came to us to perform work for
10:41humans. And then through the years, they've kind of moved out of the barnyards and out of
10:47the garages and into our living rooms and bedrooms and kitchens.
10:51And they are more members of a family than they are labor for us doing things.
10:58Because the industrial revolution means we don't need Rottweilers necessarily to drive our
11:05cattle to market.
11:06And we don't need terriers to keep the rats out of our homes because we've got the pest guy.
11:12We've got ATVs for the Rottweilers.
11:15And so there really are members of our family and they're doing things with us every single day.
11:20And it's a great thing to know that there are members of our family being very productive for all
11:26of us.