The 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is done for another year with top honors going to "Penny" the Doberman Pinscher, but all well-loved and cared for dogs are winners.
This week, thousands of spectators came to New York City to attend the most prestigious dog show in the United States - with thousands more watching online. Breeds were evaluated based on their specific standard - not other competitors, but to the ideal proportions, weight, size, head shape, gait and overall temperament of the breed. Only one dog is titled "Best in Show," but it's a great time to celebrate all canines, their attributes, and their importance to those who love them.
Enjoy these photos.
Attending dog shows is a wonderful way to learn about the different breeds and their care. This is an Australian Shepherd, a very intelligent, energetic, and loyal breed that is known for its boundless energy and love for companionship.
This is the Xoloitzcuintli – pronounced SHOW-LOW-ETZ-QUEENT-LEE. It is also known as the Mexican Hairless. It comes in three sizes – toy, miniature and standard. The breed is one of the world’s oldest and rarest breeds, and is said to be the first dog of the Americas.
The Yorkshire Terrier is a breed that needs a lot of grooming for its silky, long, straight coat.
You may recognize this breed – one of my favorites. The affectionate and playful French Bulldog is best known for its wrinkly face and bat-like ears.
Poodles come in three size varieties: standards should be more than 15 inches tall at the shoulder; miniatures are 15 inches or under; and toys stand no more than 10 inches. All three varieties have the same build and proportions. This Poodle is shown in the continental cut where the face, throat, feet, tail, legs, and hindquarters are shaved.
The Shar Pei is a breed from southern China. It is well known for its deep wrinkles around the head, neck, and shoulders.
I am quite fond of the Keeshond – I once had one of my own. This is a medium-sized sturdy breed that is smart and eager to learn.
The Black and Tan Coonhound is a large, powerful hunting dog known for its exceptional scent skills and friendly demeanor. It stands tall at 23 to 27 inches and weighs between 50 to 75 pounds. Their coat is short with a distinctive black coat and tan markings.
Owners stay with their dogs in the benching area, so visitors can meet the different breeds. The Pomeranian is a compact, short-backed, active toy dog of Nordic descent. The coat consists of a short dense undercoat with a profuse harsh-textured outer coat. The heavily plumed tail is among its distinguishing characteristics.
This is a Biewer Terrier – a small dog breed that originated in Germany in the 1980s. It is similar to the Yorkshire Terrier, but has a tricolored silky coat combination of white, blue, black and gold.
The Whippet is a British breed of sighthound that closely resembles the Greyhound, but smaller. The Whippet is loved for its speed and agility and is excellent in a variety of dog sports, including racing and lure coursing.
The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno is a small hunting dog originating from Portugal. Bred for hunting rabbits, they have a rich history dating back to ancient times.
Here is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the red and white colored variety called Blenheim.
The Swedish Vallhund is an ancient herding breed native to Sweden and recognized for its intelligence, energy, and sociable nature.
The Pug is an ancient dog breed that originated in China around 2,000 years ago. The Pug became a favorite of royals around the world, and today are very popular companion animals especially for those with smaller homes.
This Lhaso Apso is a Non-Sporting dog breed originating in Tibet. The breed was largely used in the Buddhist monasteries, to alert the monks to any intruders who entered.
The Coton de Tulear is a small, fluffy dog breed originally from Madagascar and known for its affectionate and clownish personality. They typically weigh between eight to 13 pounds and stand about nine to 11 inches tall.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large-sized dog breed from South Africa. It is an all-purpose hound whose distinctive mark is the ridge, or stripe of backward-growing hair, on its back. Ridgebacks are cherished family dogs whose owners must understand its independence and strong prey drive.
Teaching a dog to be still is very helpful when brushing out their coat or trimming hairs on their feet. The Schipperke, Belgium’s “little captain,” is the traditional barge dog of the Low Countries. This breed is curious, lively, fun-loving, intense, and can be quite mischievous.
The Irish Wolfhound is a large sighthound breed known for its impressive size and gentle temperament. Originally from Ireland and used for hunting wolves and large game, it is recognized as the tallest of dog breeds.
Dalmatians are medium-sized dogs known for their iconic spotted coats and energetic personalities, historically used as carriage dogs and firehouse mascots.
And this is a Borzoi – large Russian sighthounds that resemble some central Asian breeds such as the Afghan hound and Saluki. Borzois have silky and flat coats that are often wavy or slightly curly. And at the end of the day, all these dogs are best friends and family members to those that care for them.
A four-year-old Doberman Pinscher named "Penny," is this year's top dog after winning "Best in Show" at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
This week, more than 3000 dogs representing more than 200 breeds and varieties competed for the coveted title. The annual show runs for three days. It kicks off with the Masters Agility Championship, where performance dogs climb, jump, weave, and sprint their way through a series of course obstacles. And then two days are dedicated to breed competitions. Dogs are exhibited in seven different groups, organized by the original work that each breed was developed to do. The groups include Herding, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Working, Hounds, Terriers, and Toy breeds.
Here are more photos, enjoy.
One of my favorite breeds is the Chow Chow, which originated from Northern China where it was used for guarding and hunting. It is known for its lion-like mane, dense double coat, and dignified manner. My own champion Chow Chows did not compete at Westminster this year, but my dogs have been entered in years past and have shown wonderfully.
Here are three of the eight that competed. Chows Chows are excellent performers and this breed loves to compete.
The Chow Chows showed in the same ring as the French Bulldogs did earlier in the day, also under Judge Ekarat Sangkunakup.
This dog is shown in a stack, which refers to the technique of positioning the dog’s body and legs to highlight its physical structure, balance, and attributes.
Dogs are walked around the ring to show its overall gait and movement.
A dog’s gait is crucial in conformation competition. The dog’s back feet must move in proper synch with its front, with its head well balanced as it moves.
Here, the judge is giving the handler a direction to take his dog, so he can see its gait from the front and the back.
Chow Chows can come in several colors, including red, black, cream, blue, and fawn.
Chow Chows are also known for the distinctive blue-black tongue. This trait is caused by high levels of melanin, the pigment responsible for the color variations in skin, hair, and eyes.
Here’s a Chow relaxing in the bench area. This breed is generally very calm and stable when socialized properly.
And while they may be cautious with strangers, these dogs form strong bonds with their owners and families. They are loyal and intelligent.
Other breeds showing at Westminster include this Brussels Griffon, a small, smart, and affectionate breed of dog in the Toy Group.
The Australian Shepherd, often called an “Aussie,” is a medium sized herding dog known for its high activity, intelligence, and loyalty. And do you know… despite its name, it was actually developed on the West Coast of the United States.
The American Eskimo Dog is a double white coated breed that is friendly and playful and comes in toy, miniature and standard sizes.
In dog showing, there is also a category for junior handling. Children nine to 18 years old learn basic handling abilities, and how to care for, and present, different breeds in a competition. While Juniors are judged by an official AKC Judge, it’s the quality of their presentation that is judged, not the dog. This junior handler is showing her Ibizan Hound.
These Pulis are heading to their ring. The Puli is a small to medium sized Hungarian herding breed known for its long, corded coat. The curls are similar to dreadlocks.
The Beauceron is a large herding breed. It is known for its strength, versatility, and intelligence.
The Irish Wolfhound is one of the tallest dog breeds and loved for its gentle and calm demeanor. Males can stand nearly three-feet tall.
This medium sized dog is called a Mudi. It can have a wavy or smooth coat and is very spirited, energetic, and highly trainable.
If you’re ever in New York City this time of year, be sure to check out the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – it is informational and so much fun for the entire family. Congratulations to all the dogs that competed this year.
If you’re in New York City today, head to the west side Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. This is the 150th year of the show, with more than 3000 dogs from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 17 additional countries competing for top honors.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of the few “benched” shows in this country - entered dogs are required to remain in assigned areas when not in the ring, so spectators could meet the breeds and talk to their owners - it's a wonderful way to learn about the many different types of dogs and their temperaments, as well as their feeding and grooming requirements.
The “Best In Show” competition takes place tonight at New York’s famous Madison Square Garden.
Enjoy these photos.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show launched in 1877, and is now one of the longest continuously running American sporting events, second only to the Kentucky Derby.
My longtime driver, Carlos Villamil, attended the show yesterday as I was away traveling for business. The event runs over three days with individual breed judging Monday and Tuesday.
Before any dogs are shown, there is a lot of grooming that takes place. This is an Old English Sheepdog getting brushed out.
This is a Border Collie just after its bath.
Show dogs are very used to all the grooming. Some breeds need more grooming than others – it is important to consider this whenever thinking of adding a dog to your family.
The Pumi is a medium-small breed of sheepdog from Hungary. Known for their corkscrew curls and whimsical ears, these dogs are intelligent, agile, and very capable herders.
Here’s a Yorkshire Terrier, or Yorkie, heading to its grooming table. The tapes and tied to the hair are used to wrap he coat to prevent it from getting dirty, tangled or broken. They will be removed before show time.
Another breed that needs a lot of grooming is the Lhasa Apso. This old breed originally served as sentinels in palaces and monasteries isolated high in the Himalayas of Tibet. It’s distinguishing characteristics include its long, flowing coat, curled tail, bushy eyebrows, and flattened nose.
And one of my two favorite breeds, the French Bulldog. This affectionate and playful breed is best known for its wrinkly face and bat-like ears.
The French Bulldogs showed very early, right at 9am. In all, there were 48 dogs entered in this show – a big class compared to others.
French Bulldogs are members of the Non-Sporting Group – a classification of breeds with unique traits including an ability to thrive and adapt to many different environments. Frenchies come in a variety of colors including fawn, cream, brindle, and pied.
But this is the girl we’re watching today, Dezperado’s Goldshield Pop The Cork! Also known as “Clicquot.” She is being handled by Perry Payson, the same handler who shows my dog, Luna Muna. This girl is also bred by Luna’s breeder, Hilary Branscum.
The ideal French Bulldog standard characteristics include a distinctive short face and body.
The Frenchie is a small, muscular dog with a smooth coat. The body is compact and well-proportioned, with a broad chest and a short, but strong neck.
Originally hailing from France, French Bulldogs were bred to be companions and lap dogs for lace workers in the 19th century. It remains a very popular breed today. They’re sociable, lively, playful, and intelligent.
When on the table, the judge looks for a well-balanced body structure.
The judge also looks for a square and broad skull, and short, wide muzzle.
On the floor, the judge walks by to see its stance. He or she will also ask the handler to walk the dog up and down the ring to see its movement and gait, which should be effortless and with good reach.
With such a large class, the Frenchies showed for more than an hour. The judge was very thorough in his selections.
Perry kept Clicquot engaged and happy as the judge made his cuts.
She was showing so beautifully.
And then she won Best of Breed for the Frenchies under Judge Ekarat Sangkunakup and advanced to the group competition last night. How very exciting for dog and handler.
Here is “Sensation” – a gorgeous Pointer and the Westminster Kennel Club mascot. I’ll share more photos from the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in my next blog – stay tuned.
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