Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

Arts & Entertainment

Photos: All The Best Dogs Showed Up For The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Claire Lampen

Published Feb 11, 2019

Modified Feb 11, 2019

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

David "Dee" Delgado / Gothamist

View all 24

Claire Lampen

Published Feb 11, 2019

Modified Feb 11, 2019

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

A chaotic symphony of shrill shrimpy yips and robust, meaty borks clashed beautifully with the chorus of "God Loves a Terrier" looping inside my brain on Saturday, as I joined the enthusiastic thousands coursing through Piers 92 and 94. We were there to Meet the Breeds—the borzois, the bloodhounds, and other exemplary specimens representative of the various different dog types competing in the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this week—and also, to enjoy feats of canine athleticism displayed during concurrent agility tests.

All the dogs were very good: there is a reason that the American public has fiercely cleaved to the Westminster tradition for well over 100 years, and it is that there exists no purer form of pleasure than strolling through a dog fair and petting all the smiling eager pups at your leisure, even if you do have to brave Midtown and hordes of equally eager strangers to do it. The contestants stood at the ready, their tails wagging their whole butts as they beckoned you over to their booths. Some sprawled languorously across Persian rugs trucked in to enhance their elegance; some waded out into the fray to lean on lucky passersby; some (the pugs) hunkered costumed and confused on table tops, apparently unsure about so many unknown hands.

I introduced myself to as many of these magnificent beasts as I could. A gangly, gamey otterhound licked me straight across the face. A beaming Bernese Mountain Dog, already 96 pounds at nine-and-a-half months old, parked his rump in my lap, and it was an honor. A coolly incurious Aghan Hound named Arya—full name Aryadanceswithswords, all one word, yes she is a model—permitted me to pet her but declined to acknowledge my presence, her long satin locks a wall of shiny platinum indifference.

"They're violently intelligent," professional groomer, breeder, and handler Anna Stromberg firmly assured me, clearing up the apparently widespread misconception that Afghan Hounds lack intelligence. The rumor has persisted not because their glamorous appearance—their streaming satin hair used to sell your hair products and Hondas—prompt people to assume a vapid interior life, but because "they look through you," Stromberg explains. "They're like, 'You mean nothing to me.'" Arya's owner, Diana Kassir, described her as "very stubborn" but actually quite personable: you must earn the Afghan Hound's affection.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi required less convincing. Paisley, a two-year-old corg-o who enjoys herding sheep, regarded me with large trusting eyes (one ice blue, one brown) and happily accepted scratches behind her big velvet ears. Cardigan Welsh Corgis are "the corgis with the tail," breeder Angela Reilly clarifies, not to be confused with their arguably more famous cousins, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi—the ones that look like little foxes crossed with Wonderbread loaves, historically preferred by Queen Elizabeth II. "They're very versatile dogs," capable of corralling larger animals (and sometimes their humans) with gentle nips and head bumps; of completing obstacle courses; of eradicating vermin from barns. Corgis have many talents.

The same could really be said of every dog who showed up for Saturday's meet and greet, though: bulldogs, according to breeder Laura Aline, "can sniff out a donut a hundred feet away." Shar Peis, according to some signage I saw, are "overly active, perpetual yappers, [and] neat drinkers." Rose-eared Pharaoh Hounds can spring to roughly the height of a 10-year-old, according to one attendant's visual estimation.

I feel ill-equipped to qualify excellence, and of course, everyone's understanding of what makes a champion will be different: even the tiny, wind-up toy breeds fully embodied their own particular brand of compact beauty. Objectively speaking, though, when it comes to Tuesday's Best in Show competition, the Bernese Mountain Dog should win. Statistically speaking, a terrier probably will.

Tagged

dogs

meet the breeds

westminster

westminster dog show

westminster kennel club dog show

original

Claire Lampen

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE arts-entertainment

Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.

A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.

Sonia Rao

Published Sep 26, 2026

There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.

See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.

Hannah Frishberg

Arts & Entertainment

There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.

See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.

Hannah Frishberg

A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.

Hannah Frishberg

How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest

Sonia Rao

NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says

Hannah Frishberg

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .