The 2015 Westminster Dog Show
Watch it live 8-11 p.m. EST Feb. 16 on CNBC and Feb. 17 on USA.
The Competition
Round 1 - All dogs from each breed compete for Best of Breed.
Examples: Irish Setter, Bulldog, Golden Retriever, Poodle, Great Dane
Follow live coverage on Twitter @Purina
Round 2 - The Best of Breed winning dogs compete against all of the other breeds
within their group.
Groups: Herding, Terrier, Toy, Hound, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Working
Round 3 - The 7 Group winning dogs compete for Best In Show
History
Dog Shows:
The first dog shows were small events held in English
pubs in the 1800s. At the first official dog show, the
winners were given guns instead of trophies.
The Westminster Kennel Club:
Manhattan’s own dog show can trace its roots back to 1877.
“In a sense, a dog is an
extension of you. I think
they’re character builders.
You can reach great
potential with a dog anybody can do it.”
Location:
This year the 139th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog
Show goes down in Madison Square Garden in NYC.
– Bob West,
Director, Breeder Enthusiast Group
Past Winners Include: Wire Fox Terrier (2014), Affenpinscher (2013),
Pekingese (2012), Scottish Deerhound (2011), Scottish Terrier (2010)
The Judging
As the judges evaluate each dog, they ask themselves:
• Is this dog able to perform the job the breed was originally bred to do?
• Does this dog have all of the physical characteristics typical of their breed?
• How fit is the dog? Do they have the correct gait?
• Lastly, the judges study the expression on the dog’s face and general demeanor.
Judges look for happy dogs that enjoy competing in the show.
Note: The best dog handlers should appear invisible, giving all attention to the dog.
Hound Group
The Seven Groups
For more information on the breeds,
visit: purina.com/dogbreeds
Most of these breeds were developed to
hunt somewhat independently for their
humans, who usually followed on foot
or on horseback.
Examples: Greyhound (pictured), Puli,
German Shepherd
Non-Sporting Group
The Non-Sporting Group is literally
every breed that isn’t classified as part
of one of the other groups.
Examples: French Bulldog (pictured),
Poodle, Dalmatian, Bichon Frise
purina.com/nonsporting
purina.com/hound
Toy Group
Toy dogs are bred for one duty: to be
companions to their humans. Many
have been bred down from and still
resemble their larger cousins.
Examples: Pomeranian (pictured), Pug,
Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, Maltese, Papillon
purina.com/toy
Herding Group
Herding is a natural instinct of dogs in
this group. Their traditional job has
been to gather and move livestock from
one place to another.
Examples: Border Collie (pictured),
Puli, German Shepherd
Working Group
The Working group includes working
farm dogs, police and military dogs, and
guide & service dogs.
Examples: Alaskan Malamute (pictured),
Boxer, Rottweiler, Mastiff, Great Dane
purina.com/working
purina.com/herding
Terrier Group
Sporting Group
Terriers are feisty, energetic dogs.
Generally, all breeds of terriers are very
good at hunting for low-lying animals
like rats, badgers, and otters.
The invention of the gun led to the
development of the sporting or gun
dogs, to aid in hunting by performing at
the direction of the hunter.
Examples: Norfolk Terrier (pictured),
White Bull Terrier, Russell Terrier
Examples: Irish Setter (pictured),
Vizsla, Golden Retriever, Pointer
purina.com/terrier
purina.com/sporting
What do they eat?
94 of the top 100 all-breed show dogs in the
country are fed Purina® Pro Plan®, so it’s
simply more likely that a Pro Plan® dog will
emerge victorious.