Key Updates:
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June 13, 2021, 9:38 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:38 p.m. ET
Striker the Samoyed wins the working group. Don’t lose him in a snowstorm.
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June 13, 2021, 8:40 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:40 p.m. ET
Jade, a German short-haired pointer, is headed in the right direction.
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June 13, 2021, 6:58 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 6:58 p.m. ET
Here’s how the judging works: Seven group winners, one Best in Show.
June 13, 2021, 10:29 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:29 p.m. ET
Dogs, handlers and judges rarely sit during Westminster weekend. It’s the thrill of victory … and the agony of de feet.
Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Kathy Willens/Associated Press
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June 13, 2021, 10:28 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:28 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Reid!
June 13, 2021, 10:19 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:19 p.m. ET
OK, coming into Best in Show. I’m taking the Samoyed. Who does everybody else like?
June 13, 2021, 10:21 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:21 p.m. ET
I like the Samoyed, but my understanding is that nothing happens around here unless the Westie wants it to. So I guess the question is: Whom does the Westie want to win?
June 13, 2021, 10:27 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:27 p.m. ET
I’m all in on the Samoyed. You can’t resist the smile.
June 13, 2021, 10:17 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:17 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
“Boy” the West Highland white terrier wins the terrier group. Big night for lovely white dogs so far.
June 13, 2021, 10:18 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:18 p.m. ET
That dog is blinding!
June 13, 2021, 10:19 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:19 p.m. ET
The dog “looks pretty happy to win.” I think that was the chicken treat talking.
June 13, 2021, 10:14 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:14 p.m. ET
Dr. Antkowiak says the West Highland white terrier is prone to chronic lung disease.
June 13, 2021, 10:15 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:15 p.m. ET
“With the heart of a hunter and a brain determined to outwit every adversary….” Sorry, this West Highland white terrier has killed HOW MANY people?
June 13, 2021, 10:12 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:12 p.m. ET
This is really a lot of terriers.
June 13, 2021, 10:13 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:13 p.m. ET
We could use a mutt interlude, or maybe a poorly behaved dog contest in which we see which dogs don’t jump on the counter or chew up children’s socks.
June 13, 2021, 10:10 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:10 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Convince me that shows don’t keep some of these long-haired breeds around as part of some secret plan to prop up the slow-motion replay industry.
June 13, 2021, 10:10 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:10 p.m. ET
It’s a rug with legs.
June 13, 2021, 10:08 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:08 p.m. ET
I’m not convinced these dogs with hair over their eyes have any idea where they’re going without the leash.
June 13, 2021, 10:07 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:07 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
“The exact origin of the Norwich terrier is unclear” feels like a disqualifying sentence for the entire breed.
June 13, 2021, 10:07 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:07 p.m. ET
The DOG is happy to be at Westminster? I’m no therapist but that seems like some projection.
June 13, 2021, 10:05 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:05 p.m. ET
Do we think the owners train to have a good gait? They must practice this jog/walk. It is not natural.
June 13, 2021, 10:03 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:03 p.m. ET
Wow, one of the announcers just brought up the film “Best in Show” and everyone seemed desperate to move on from it quickly — is that a sensitive subject?
June 13, 2021, 10:04 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:04 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
There’s no quicker way to end a dog show interview than bringing up a movie that famously made fun of dog shows and the people who love them.
June 13, 2021, 10:00 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:00 p.m. ET
Barry Bonds is there! Andy, are there rules against these dogs taking performance enhancing drugs?
June 13, 2021, 10:03 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 10:03 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Who’s checking the pee? Not me.
June 13, 2021, 9:58 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:58 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Being named the best terrier is like winning the South Korean Olympic archery trials. The hardest part of the journey is surviving that. If you don’t win the gold — or the silver bowl — after that, it’s on you.
June 13, 2021, 9:56 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:56 p.m. ET
Thirty-four minutes until Best in Show! What is this pacing?!
June 13, 2021, 9:56 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:56 p.m. ET
They keep saying “we’re getting closer” but I know it’s not true.
June 13, 2021, 9:57 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:57 p.m. ET
My dog has fallen asleep. Not sure how these dogs are still awake.
June 13, 2021, 9:48 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:48 p.m. ET
Veterinarian fact: There is a huge shortage of vets in America right now, exacerbated by the pandemic. It takes about a year to hire a new vet, and Dr. Antkowiak is hiring, if you’re a DVM out there and looking for a job.
June 13, 2021, 9:44 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:44 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Again with the “intelligent” humblebrag. I wonder what the bio for humans would be if a dog wrote it.
June 13, 2021, 9:42 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:42 p.m. ET
This bull terrier is a descendant of Spuds MacKenzie, for those who remember ’90s-era Bud Light TV ads.
June 13, 2021, 9:43 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:43 p.m. ET
IS THAT TRUE?!
June 13, 2021, 9:44 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:44 p.m. ET
Well, a metaphysical descendant.
June 13, 2021, 9:39 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:39 p.m. ET
Time for a quick catnap. Er…
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
June 13, 2021, 9:38 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:38 p.m. ET
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Striker, the Samoyed who won the working group, is a heavy hitter. He’s the No. 1-ranked dog in the country, a metric built out of competitions won and dogs defeated that I won’t even pretend to understand or explain. He’s also Canadian, from Toronto, and as white as he looks on television. Just an immaculate dog.
June 13, 2021, 9:37 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:37 p.m. ET
Guys, I’m not loving these hairless dogs.
June 13, 2021, 9:40 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:40 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Richard Sandomir, who covered this show wonderfully for years, can hear you, Reid.
June 13, 2021, 9:33 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:33 p.m. ET
Was this event black-tie optional?
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
June 13, 2021, 9:31 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:31 p.m. ET
Important update from Dr. Antkowiak: He says dogs can see the television. Though I have to tell you mine has not been interested in the dog show tonight.
June 13, 2021, 9:28 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:28 p.m. ET
New breed, old tricks.
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
June 13, 2021, 9:21 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:21 p.m. ET
Sure. Eat chicken. Run around. Sit for three-hour blow outs. Seems like a pretty good life.
June 13, 2021, 9:21 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:21 p.m. ET
This is going by quickly.
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
June 13, 2021, 9:20 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:20 p.m. ET
OK, maybe we’ve had views of the announcers before but this is the first time I noticed them, and I was shocked to realize they are in opera attire.
June 13, 2021, 9:20 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:20 p.m. ET
Did you guys hear that commentary just now? “He just wants to be a dog right now,” she said. As opposed to what?
June 13, 2021, 9:20 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:20 p.m. ET
AS OPPOSED TO CAITY WEAVER! And who could blame him?
June 13, 2021, 9:19 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:19 p.m. ET
Striker the Samoyed wins the working group! Up next are the terriers.
June 13, 2021, 9:14 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:14 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
That the standard schnauzer used to be known as the “ratter” feels like something the schnauzers wouldn’t want people to broadcast on national television.
June 13, 2021, 9:13 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:13 p.m. ET
Readers, thank you SO MUCH for sending us all your dog photos at #nytdogshow. Here are a few more of our favorites:
And now the Epstein dogs-in-heaven section.
My sister’s dog, Oliver, a great Alaskan Husky who passed away last week.
And thanks to my mother, this is my childhood Labrador, Roxie.
Read more
June 13, 2021, 9:12 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:12 p.m. ET
Snack break anyone?
Credit…Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
June 13, 2021, 9:12 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:12 p.m. ET
Apparently Samoyeds are “the happiest dogs on the planet,” Dr. Antkowiak says.
June 13, 2021, 9:13 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:13 p.m. ET
I’d LOVE to have the happiest dog on the planet, but there’s no way I could keep a white dog that white.
June 13, 2021, 9:13 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:13 p.m. ET
They smile to keep the drool from forming ice on their face? That does not seem that happy of a story.
June 13, 2021, 9:14 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:14 p.m. ET
That’s why I smile too.
June 13, 2021, 9:10 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:10 p.m. ET
Why is the back of this Portuguese water dog shaved? Looks like it’s not wearing pants. “It’s the dog best suited for Zoom calls,” Dr. Antkowiak says.
June 13, 2021, 9:10 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:10 p.m. ET
Like most people, I know the Portuguese water dog as “The Obama Dog” — and I’m so glad they never groomed theirs like this! That cold booty!
June 13, 2021, 9:07 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:07 p.m. ET
Everyone is saying the Neapolitan Mastiff is supposed to have tons of loose flapping skin, but no one is saying why. Why???
June 13, 2021, 9:08 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:08 p.m. ET
Just God’s vision, I guess.
June 13, 2021, 9:05 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:05 p.m. ET
The Leonberger is “comfortable performing virtually any job set before it.” OK, Leon — do my job. Write for the New York Times Style section.
June 13, 2021, 9:04 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:04 p.m. ET
Furball coming through.
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
June 13, 2021, 9:03 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:03 p.m. ET
We’ve been waiting all night for the Komondor, a cross between Rick James and a ’70s shag rug.
June 13, 2021, 9:03 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:03 p.m. ET
Dr. Antkowiak says he’s never seen a Komondor in real life — it may only exist for dog shows.
June 13, 2021, 9:03 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:03 p.m. ET
THIS IS MY FAVORITE DOG!
June 13, 2021, 9:04 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:04 p.m. ET
Komondor wins for being a Komondor. Pack it up, everyone.
June 13, 2021, 9:01 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:01 p.m. ET
I’m sorry, did they say we’re halfway through the working group? When I got this assignment I specifically asked “Isn’t that like 700 hours?” and was assured it was not. But we’ve gotten through 1.5 groups in the TWO HOURS I’ve been watching.
June 13, 2021, 9:02 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:02 p.m. ET
It is definitely 700 hours. And we were definitely deceived on this assignment.
June 13, 2021, 9:00 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 9:00 p.m. ET
Reporting from the show in Tarrytown, N.Y.
The Boerboel, I think, and now the Alaskan Malamute just let out a few loud, low barks. It’s always strange hearing a bark at a show, since it’s always such a disciplined group.
June 13, 2021, 8:56 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:56 p.m. ET
OK, a dog tail fact from Dr. Antkowiak: Dogs cannot, in fact, wag their tails so much that they injure them. But! Dogs can get swimmer’s tail, when they wag their tail into an ocean wave and sprain the base of their tail and then it hurts to wag.
June 13, 2021, 8:55 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:55 p.m. ET
THE GREAT DANE HAS NO KNOWN CONNECTION TO DENMARK?!
June 13, 2021, 8:55 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:55 p.m. ET
That Great Dane looks kinda small to us here.
June 13, 2021, 8:55 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:55 p.m. ET
OK, so every single thing about it is a lie.
June 13, 2021, 8:40 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:40 p.m. ET
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Jade, the German short-haired pointer that just won the sporting group, has great blood lines: She is the daughter of C.J., the pointer who won Best in Show in 2016 with the same handler, Valerie Nunes-Atkinson.
But it was a poignant victory for Nunes-Atkinson, too. Her beloved C.J. died in September after a sudden illness. His daughter Jade now has a chance to follow in his footsteps. “She’s a lot like him,” Nunes-Atkinson said.
June 13, 2021, 8:31 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 8:31 p.m. ET
For these dogs, beauty is a full-time job.
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
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June 13, 2021, 7:55 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 7:55 p.m. ET
We’ve brought in an outside expert for dog show commentary: Dr. Matthew Antkowiak, the owner of AtlasVet in Washington and the veterinarian for my dog, Nellie. He’s here to help us navigate tonight’s festivities and will give us a heads up if any of these dogs are injured — so long as Nellie stops licking his face.
June 13, 2021, 7:42 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 7:42 p.m. ET
We asked on Twitter for dog photos, and you answered. Here are a few of our favorites that came in via #nytdogshow, like Buster, a fellow New York Times dog:
Archie, a Labrador ready to go swimming:
Autumn, a Llewellin setter enjoying the mountains:
Charlie, a way-too-small toy poodle:
And Pepper, a very tall dog owned by our friends at The Washington Post:
Read more
June 13, 2021, 7:34 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 7:34 p.m. ET
Hugs from tall dogs, flyaway hairballs, a mastiff’s mug and a convenient place to keep a comb: Here are scenes from the daytime competitions that led to tonight’s prime-time finale.
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
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June 13, 2021, 7:25 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 7:25 p.m. ET
Welcome to our live coverage of the final night of the Westminster Dog Show, the night when they separate the dogs from, well, the other dogs.
There are four new breeds at the show this year and three new voices in our coverage: Lisa Lerer and Reid Epstein from the New York Times politics team, who are well versed in preening showboats, and Caity Weaver, whose last article was about the website for the 1996 movie “Space Jam,” which makes her an honorary sportswriter. But she writes for Styles, and if there’s anything we’ll need tonight, it’s a bit of style.
June 13, 2021, 6:58 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 6:58 p.m. ET
Credit…Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York Times
Thousands of dogs compete against others from their breed: collie against collie, Saluki against Saluki. The 200 or so breed winners advance to compete against similar breeds in the group finals. The seven group winners then vie for the big prize: Best in Show, this year to be judged by Patricia Craige Trotter of Carmel, Calif. The decision is hers and hers alone.
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The hounds are hunting dogs and include beagles and whippets. (Saturday’s winner: Bourbon, a whippet.)
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The toys are small lap dogs like Shih Tzus and pugs. (Saturday’s winner: Wasabi, a Pekingese.)
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The nonsporting group might well be called the miscellaneous group. It includes dogs that don’t fit elsewhere like Dalmatians and chow chows. (Saturday’s winner: Mathew, a French bulldog.)
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The herding group was bred to herd and includes German shepherds and Border collies. (Saturday’s winner: Connor, an Old English sheepdog.)
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The sporting dogs are retrievers and include Irish setters and various spaniels. (Winner chosen tonight.)
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The working group consists of dogs bred to perform a task and includes Great Danes and Doberman pinschers. (Winner chosen tonight.)
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The terriers include a host of varieties including fox terriers, Border terriers and many others. (Winner chosen tonight.)
This video from the American Kennel Club describes a typical dog show process in more detail:
Read more
June 13, 2021, 6:38 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 6:38 p.m. ET
Credit…John Minchillo/Associated Press
More than 200 breeds are recognized by the American Kennel Club and are therefore eligible for the Westminster show. The four new entrants in 2021 are:
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The barbet, a curly haired bearded dog;
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the Belgian Laekenois, a shaggier shepherd;
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the Biewer terrier, a longhaired, three-colored toy terrier;
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and the Dogo Argentino, a white muscular dog with a smooth coat.
Here’s this year’s barbet competition:
The Belgian Laekenois round:
And the Biewer terrier judging:
Read more
June 13, 2021, 6:01 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 6:01 p.m. ET
For the first time, Westminster is being held at Lyndhurst, the Gothic Revival mansion and estate in Tarrytown, N.Y., once owned by the robber baron Jay Gould. Gould and his family loved dogs, though probably not having them hang out in tents and cars all over their lawn. Oh well. That’s what we have.
June 13, 2021, 5:32 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 5:32 p.m. ET
Credit…Ryan Christopher Jones for The New York Times
Handicapping a dog show field is a bit harder than picking the winner of the fourth race at Belmont. It is commonly said that terriers are the best bet, and the wire fox terrier does have the most wins, with 15. But terriers have won only two of the last 10 Westminsters, so prediction is difficult.
There may even be terrier fatigue: When King, a wire fox terrier, won best in show honors in 2019, not everyone was thrilled. “Boos and grumbles filled Madison Square Garden when the judge handed King the coveted pewter cup,” The New York Times wrote then.
Video
King, a wire fox terrier, won best in show at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday. Wire fox terriers have won best in show more than any other breed in the competition’s history.CreditCredit…Ryan Christopher Jones for The New York Times
There are show favorites and crowd favorites, and those are not always the same breeds. Golden retrievers and Labradors, for example, are two of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, but neither has ever won best in show at Westminster.
“If you had a popularity contest, we would win,” Christine Miele, the Eastern vice president of the Golden Retriever Club of America, told The Times in 2019.
Read more
June 13, 2021, 5:03 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 5:03 p.m. ET
Mathew, French Bulldog (Non-Sporting Group)Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Connor, Old English Sheepdog (Herding Group)Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Bourbon, Whippet (Hound Group)Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Wasabi, Pekingese (Toy Group)Karsten Moran for The New York Times
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There will be a whippet named Bourbon and a Pekingese named Wasabi. A French bulldog named Mathew — wait, shouldn’t that be Mathieu? — won the nonsporting group, and an Old English Sheepdog called Connor was judged the best of the herding entries. (He also looked big enough to eat a couple of rivals if the result had not gone his way.)
Read more
June 13, 2021, 5:02 p.m. ET
June 13, 2021, 5:02 p.m. ET
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
The nation’s top dogs are getting a weekend in the country.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has been a midwinter tradition in New York City for more than a century, but this year the event moved from Madison Square Garden, its longtime home, to Lyndhurst, a riverside estate in Tarrytown, N.Y., north of the city, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The change to a warm-weather, outdoor show was necessary, organizers said, to ensure the event could take place and still comply with the “ever-changing government restrictions” brought on by the health crisis. The Lyndhurst grounds have a long history as the host of dog shows, including dozens of events run by the Westchester Kennel Club.
The Lyndhurst estate, once owned by the robber baron Jay Gould, is now maintained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The vast collection of antique furniture inside its iconic Gothic Revival mansion will, presumably, remain off-limits, even to champions.
The change in venue, which was made possible when two other shows agreed to surrender the June dates, allowed the Westminster show to extend a continuous run that dates to 1877, and includes 100 years of shows at various iterations of Madison Square Garden. Only the Kentucky Derby, which was first run in 1875 and crowns a horse, not a dog, as its champion, has had a longer run among American sporting events.
Here’s a look at the setup for this weekend:
Read more