Dog Show 101: What's what at the Westminster Kennel Club

Westminster's agility and obedience competitions were added only within the last decade. So far, almost all the agility championships have gone to border collies, and nearly all the obedience titles to Labs. One Lab, named Heart,While Westminster has said there a few mixed-breed entrants in early shows, the best in show prize wasn't awarded until 1907 and has gone only to purebreds.

The focus on purebreds irks groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which regularly protests Westminster as a reprehensible canine beauty pageant. The kennel club says it celebrates all dogs while highlighting “preservation breeding” of those with skills and traits that have been honed over generations.Bragging rights and trophies.

“We can all talk about dogs,” says dog expert David Frei, who hosted the Westminster telecast for over two decades. “That's the beauty of the sport, and the beauty of dogs.” Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Dog Show 101: What's what at the Westminster Kennel ClubTo the casual viewer, competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show might look as simple as getting a dog, grooming it and leading it around a ring. But there’s a lot more to getting to and exhibiting in the United States’ most prestigious canine event. The 147th annual show starts Saturday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. More than 2,500 dogs from 210 different breeds and varieties signed up to vie for the best in show trophy that gets awarded Tuesday night. Contestants range from tiny Chihuahuas to long-legged Irish wolfhounds.
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