Westminster Dog Show for 2025 is Back in Manhattan at Madison Square Garden

Photo, Westminster Kennel Club

The 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed competition based on conformation. This year it will return to Madison Square Garden in NYC.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of a handful off benched shows in the United States. Dogs are required to be on display in their assigned locations (show benches) during the entire show except when shown in the ring, groomed for showtime, or taken outside to urinate or defecate. This type of presentation allows spectators and breeders alike to have an opportunity of seeing all the entered dogs. (In the more common unbenched shows, dogs are required to be present only at assigned ring times.)

The logo of both the Westminster Kennel Club and its Dog Show is based on a steel engraving by artist J. Wellstood of Sensation, a Pointer brought over from England by the organization in 1876 primarily for breeding purposes.

History

The first Westminster show took place on May 8, 1877, making it third only to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oakes in terms of continuously held sporting events in the United States. (All three events were held despite the Great Depression, World War, and pandemic years.) The show originated as a show for gun dogs, primarily Setters and Pointers, initiated by a group of hunters who met regularly at the Westminster Hotel at Irving Place and Sixteenth Street in Manhattan They decided to create a kennel club called the Westminster Kennel Club specifically to hold a dog show. The prizes for these first shows included such items as pearl-handled pistols, which were of use to the hunters and terrier men who worked these dogs in the field.

The Westminster Kennel Club predates the formation of the American Kennel Club by seven years and became the first club admitted to the AKC after AKC's founding in 1884. Breed parent clubs (e.g., the Collie Club of America) create the standards for judging their breeds, with the AKC administering the rules about shows and judging.

Dogs are judged by how closely they conform to a written description of the ideal specimen of that breed (the breed standard). While many breeds no longer need to perform their original jobs and are bred mostly for companionship, they are still judged on their innate ability and physical makeup to perform their original jobs. Standards also include items that seem somewhat arbitrary such as color, eye shape, tail carriage, and more.

The winning dog becomes "America's Dog" for the coming year. The reign begins with a media tour on the day following the show. Following the tour, the winner makes appearances on nearly all television network morning shows and visits the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building. The New York Stock Exchange also invites the winner.

Requirements for entry

In 1884, the AKC began requiring that all dog participants be registered with the AKC and recognized for conformation show competition. In 2025, there are more than 200 breeds and varieties eligible for Westminster. The dates of the 2025 Westminster Dog Show are February 8, 10 and 11 at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

https://www.instagram.com/westminsterkennelclub/reel/DBjahC4pfkV/?hl=enPortions Portions of this article are from Wikipedia