The Westminster Kennel Club dog show is returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2020, featuring top dogs from around the world competing for the best in show prize. The competition spans Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, with the best in show awarded on Tuesday night. The event is being broadcast on Fox Sports for those unable to attend in person.
About 2,500 dogs from 201 breeds and varieties are signed up to compete in the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, with the agility and obedience contests involving a few hundred more dogs. Dogs are raised, trained, and groomed to compete in the show ring, with some owners exhibiting their own dogs and others hiring professional handlers to campaign their dogs for national rankings.
Favorites in the competition include Monty the giant schnauzer, Mercedes the German shepherd, and Vito the pug, among others. Winners of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show receive bragging rights, ribbons, and trophies, with no cash prizes involved. Animal rights activists often protest outside and sometimes inside the show, but the Westminster club emphasizes responsible dog ownership and breed preservation.
