The 149th edition of the Westminster Dog Show is almost here.
The highly anticipated event returns to New York City live from the Javits Center and Madison Square Garden for the first time in five years.
The 12th Annual Master Agility Championship is Saturday from 4:30-7p.m. ET on FOX.
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Fox Sports announcers John Strong and Jenny Taft prior to the United States playing Uruguay at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium July 1, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
After watching the Super Bowl on FOX on Sunday, the conformity part of the show begins with best of breed judging from the Javits Center Monday, Feb. 10, from 1-4 p.m. ET on FS2. Group judging then begins at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 in Madison Square Garden.
Group judging will continue on Tuesday, Feb. 11, on FS1, where best in show is awarded.
The host of FS1’s primetime coverage, Jenny Taft, and Fox Sports play-by-play announcer John Strong talked with Fox News Digital about the upcoming Westminster Dog Show and its history.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the festivities.
What is the signifigance of the Westminster Dog Show?
“This is the 149th edition. I mean this is the second-oldest continuous sporting event in American history. So, there is an incredible amount of history to this and, obviously, next year will be big to celebrate the 150th edition,” Strong said.
For anybody in the dog show world, winning at Westminster is like winning the Super Bowl.
“There is no greater title than Westminster. There is no greater show than Westminster. There is no greater honor for a dog, breeder, handler, owner than best in show at Westminster,” Strong said.
Being a part of Westminster is an honor for not just those with the dogs competing.
“Winning Westminster is like the ultimate honor, but also judging Westminster is the ultimate honor,” Taft said.
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Winner of best in show, miniature poodle GCHG CH Surrey Sage, owned by Cathy Gauche and shown by Kaz Hosaka, during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. (Lucas Boland/USA Today Sports)
How does the Westminster dog show work?
There are two parts to the Westminster Dog Show, the conformation and the agility championship.
Just qualifying for Westminster is an accomplishment. All the dogs competing in New York City are champion dogs from around the world.
“There’s a lot of different ways you can qualify to get to Westminster. But, really, they’re all champion dogs, so they’ve all done well and competed and won in different events. There is a certain number that you have to qualify for and participate in so you can kind of get those certifications throughout the country,” Taft said.
“You can show at different places, and you have to have a certain number of awards to then qualify for Westminster.”
Once a dog qualifies, the first round they have to get through is best of breed. Best of breed is dogs of all the same breed competing against each other, and judges are looking for certain things.
“There is a certain gait. There is measurements. They are looking at their teeth. You can see that the judges kind of feel around the body type, and so there is different things that they are specifically looking for,” Taft said.
Strong said in the best of breed judging is like a “science” because judges compare all dogs within the same breed.
The Westminster Kennel Club’s standards are on its website.
“Each breed has a STANDARD, a written description of the ideal specimen of that breed. Standards are written, maintained, and owned by the national breed club or “parent club” of each breed and are approved by the American Kennel Club,” according to the Westminster Kennel Club.
“Generally relating form to function, i.e., the original function that the dog was bred to perform, most standards describe the desired general appearance, movement, temperament, and specific physical traits such as height and weight, coat type, coat color, eye color, and shape, ear shape and placement, feet, tail, and more.”
If a dog makes it out the best of breed round, it advances to to the group classes.
Here are the seven different group classes, and how they are categorized. All definitions of the groups are from the American Kennel Club.
- Sporting groupDogs in the sporting group were bred to assist hunters. A lot of the breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that are resistant to harsh weather conditions when hunting.Breeds in the hunting group include the Labrador retriever, German shorthaired pointer, cocker spaniel and golden retriever.
- Dogs in the sporting group were bred to assist hunters. A lot of the breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that are resistant to harsh weather conditions when hunting.
- Breeds in the hunting group include the Labrador retriever, German shorthaired pointer, cocker spaniel and golden retriever.
- Hound groupDogs in the hound group were bred to warm-blooded quarry. They possess strong prey drives and rely on their powerful noses to track down animals or escaped convicts.Breeds in the hound group include bloodhounds, dachshunds, and greyhounds.
- Dogs in the hound group were bred to warm-blooded quarry. They possess strong prey drives and rely on their powerful noses to track down animals or escaped convicts.
- Breeds in the hound group include bloodhounds, dachshunds, and greyhounds.
- Working GroupDogs in the working group were developed to assist humans. From pulling carts, guarding homes and protecting homes, they are described as dog-kind punch-the-clock, blue-collar workers. They are some of the world’s most ancient breeds and are known for stature, strength and intelligence.The boxer, Great Dane and rottweiler are among the breeds in the working group.
- Dogs in the working group were developed to assist humans. From pulling carts, guarding homes and protecting homes, they are described as dog-kind punch-the-clock, blue-collar workers. They are some of the world’s most ancient breeds and are known for stature, strength and intelligence.
- The boxer, Great Dane and rottweiler are among the breeds in the working group.
- Terrier GroupDogs in this group were first bred to go underground in pursuit of rodents and other vermin. They are popular companion dogs today.The terrier group has won best in show more than any other group, with 47 wins. The wire fox terrier has won 15 times, the most among any breed.Other breeds in the terrier group are the bull terrier, Scottish terrier, and West Highland white terrier.
- Dogs in this group were first bred to go underground in pursuit of rodents and other vermin. They are popular companion dogs today.
- The terrier group has won best in show more than any other group, with 47 wins. The wire fox terrier has won 15 times, the most among any breed.
- Other breeds in the terrier group are the bull terrier, Scottish terrier, and West Highland white terrier.
- Toy GroupThese dogs are smaller, as they can fit comfortably in the lap of their owners. They are attentive, affective companions who are popular with those who live in a city, as their size makes them a good fit for an apartment.The Chihuahua, pug, and shih tzu are among the breeds included in the toy group.
- These dogs are smaller, as they can fit comfortably in the lap of their owners. They are attentive, affective companions who are popular with those who live in a city, as their size makes them a good fit for an apartment.
- The Chihuahua, pug, and shih tzu are among the breeds included in the toy group.
- Non-Sporting GroupAll the breeds in this group have two things in common: wet noses and four legs. This is a patchwork group of breeds who defy categorization from the other groups, so they fit in this one.Breeds in this group include the bulldog, dalmatian and poodle.
- All the breeds in this group have two things in common: wet noses and four legs. This is a patchwork group of breeds who defy categorization from the other groups, so they fit in this one.
- Breeds in this group include the bulldog, dalmatian and poodle.
- Herding GroupThe breeds in this group are developed for moving livestock like sheep and cattle. These breeds are naturally intelligent, and their responsiveness makes them very trainable. Herding breeds are commonly trained for police work.Some breeds in the herding group include the border collie, German shepherd Dog, Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Icelandic sheepdog.
- The breeds in this group are developed for moving livestock like sheep and cattle. These breeds are naturally intelligent, and their responsiveness makes them very trainable. Herding breeds are commonly trained for police work.
- Some breeds in the herding group include the border collie, German shepherd Dog, Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Icelandic sheepdog.
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Hallmark Jolei Out Of This World, owned by Bonnie J Miller DVM & Luke & Diane Ehricht, competes in the best of show contest during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. (Lucas Boland/USA Today Sports)
The dogs that win best of breed then move onto their respective groups. For example, the boxer who won best of breed for the boxers, now moves onto to compete against all the best of breed winners in the working group.
Then judging becomes less of a science because the dogs do not compete against their own breed.
Strong then says that, for the competition in the later stages, it is time for the dog’s personalities to shine.
“One of the things I’ve been really fascinated to understand in doing this is how, when you get later in the competition, that’s when it becomes about personality as much as anything else. And some of these dogs, man, I’m telling you, they know they’re on,” Strong said.
“They know they’re on live television. They know they’re in Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena, and they perform. That’s a big part of it, and that’s really cool to see where the dogs that understand that it’s their time to shine and that they’re the star.”
To move on to the best in show competition, the dogs must be first in their group. So, all the dogs who finished first in the herding, non-sporting, sporting, terrier, toy, working and hound groups move on.
What makes the best in show judging a little bit different is the judge has not seen any of these dogs before.
“You’ve gone from 200 breeds down to those final seven, and, at that point, you have a judge who has been sequestered away, who has no clue what they’re about to see. They don’t know anything about the dogs, they don’t know anything of who’s won. They’ve been kept in a blackout for two days, and they’re going to show up in that ring. And they’re going to basically say, ‘Of these seven dogs, which is the most incredible example of this dog that I’ve ever seen in my life,’” Strong said.
That judge then gives out the best in show and reserve best in show. The best in show is the winner, and the reserve best in show is the dog who finished in second place.
The other thing for the judge who oversees the best in show, is that the judge only judges once.
“Judging Westminster is the ultimate honor. Once you’ve judged, you actually don’t judge ever again. That’s a one-time thing, which is kind of cool,” Taft said.
Because there is no points system going into best of show, there is no way to predict the winner.
“(The judging) is talked about in a way that, like everyone, has a different best in show, right? I mean, if you talk to a miniature poodle fan, and they were probably so happy that Sage won last year and there were some that were saying, ‘What a second, so-and-so should have won,’ but it comes down to the judge, and that’s what I think is really unique about it,” Taft said.
“It ultimately is a personal choice. There are no points going in, and it’s how they present themselves in the ring. When I’m watching, they all look beautiful. They all have an amazing gait, own the crowd. But, at the end of the day, it’s the best in show judge that makes that choice. It’s kind of fun because you don’t know what to expect in that way.”
The winners of best in show do not receive any prize money, just bragging rights and the honor of winning at Westminster, the pinnacle of all dog shows.
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Judge Rosalind Kramer poses for a photo with the winner of best in show, miniature poodle GCHG CH Surrey Sage, owner Cathy Gauche and handler Kaz Hosaka during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. (Lucas Boland/USA Today Sports)
What is the significance of the Westminster Dog Show returning to Madison Square Garden?
The past four years, the Westminster Dog Show has not been at Madison Square Garden, but the show is making it’s return to New York City, where Strong said it belongs.
“There is something about Madison Square Garden. There is something about Manhattan. New York City is the great American city, and we’ve loved being at Lyndhurst and being out at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center, super cool. But Westminster is home at Madison Square Garden. Westminster is home in Manhattan, and that has been its home going back to the very very beginnings, even prior iterations of Madison Square Garden itself,” Strong said.
“My first show was in 2020, just before the pandemic really took hold of our lives. So, I got to experience (Westminster in Madison Square Garden) once, and the last four years have been different. So, there will be a, I know Monday night when the first group is called out, when those first dogs come out there is going to be an incredible amount of energy and emotion to that moment, which I am really excited to able to watch.”
How does the agility master championship work?
This part of the dog show gives the dogs a chance to show off their athleticism.
The course is shown to the handlers 30 minutes before they compete, and they have to lead their dog through a course they have never seen before.
“Agility is really fun to see in person, and that’s on Saturday. Seeing a papillion jump and go as fast as possible through the teeter totter, it’s just unbelievable, the weave pulls, like it gives me a headache watching,” Taft said.
Strong is not only impressed with the dogs’ athleticism but the handlers’ athleticism.
“What’s cool about it is you get such a variety because you get these midsize dogs like border collies and, man, do they fly. Their speed and athleticism, and the humans are trying to keep up with them. And the athleticism the handlers have to show is because they have to get out in front of them and have got to tell them. The dogs have never been on this course before. And so they have to receive the instructions for where they’re supposed to go,” Strong said.
Yet, no matter how they perform, the dogs are always happy.
The winner of this agility championship is the dog who completes the course in the fastest time with the fewest faults.
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FOX’s coverage of the Westminster Dog Show sandwiches the network’s Super Bowl coverage.
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