Behind the Scenes at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
I can't get enough of the Spitz breeds.
First, let’s get the big news out of the way. Monty the Giant Schnauzer captured Best in Show at the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show presented by Purina Pro Plan at Madison Square Garden on February 11. Bourbon the Whippet took home Reserve Best in Show for a third time. Always the bridesmaid.
I returned to Westminster as a reporter this year and spent some time snapping photos backstage at the Garden and during the day at the Jacob Javitz Center during the Best of Breed competitions. Below are a few of those moments.
Westminster judge Margaret Reed of Wilton, Connecticut, judging the Silky Terriers during Best of Breed judging at the Jacob K. Javitz Center in Manhattan on Feb. 10, 2025. In Ms. Reed’s first Westminster judging assignment, she also judged Shih Tzu and selected Comet for Best of Breed, sending him to the Toy Group at Madison Square Garden the following evening.
The view from the working press section at Madison Square Garden during the Hound Group at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 11, 2025. The Toy Group winner, 5-year-old Comet, is seen on the Garden’s Jumbotron. Journalists gather here to take in the action and report from the floor. You don't know what you are missing if you’ve never followed The New York Times, Sarah Lyall, and Andrew Das’s live commentary on Best in Show night.
Backstage at Madison Square Garden right after Comet won the Toy Group. After the official win photos are snapped in the arena, group winners exit the show floor and linger to be interviewed by the press. This impressive Shih Tzu has won an outsized 116 Bests-in Show. He’s seen here with his “team of handlers” taking questions.
As a Norwegian elkhound breeder, I am fond of other northern breeds, often referred to as Spitz breeds from Scandinavia, Russia, and Asia. They share common characteristics such as prick ears, a pointy muzzle, a thick double coat, and a curled tail over the back. When I go to Westminster, I stop in and watch the judging of as many of these breeds as possible.
Finnish Spitz - I love these fox-like dogs known as “Finkies," initially from Russia but developed as a breed in Finland. These all-around hunters excel at tracking birds. They are affectionately known as the “Barking Bird Dogs” because of the variety of sounds they make, including rapid barks, yodels, and other noises. Finland has an annual contest for the best hunter in which the winner is crowned “King Barker.”
Keeshond - These beautiful dogs hail from Holland and were used as guardians and companions on the Dutch waterways. People often ask me if my Norwegian Elkhounds are Keeshonden because the colors, silver, grey, and black, and markings are so similar. The black area on the back is called the saddle, and the white stripe at the shoulder is called the harness marking.
Norwegian Elkhounds - Full disclosure: I have four loyal, loveable elkhounds sitting next to me as I write this. I admit the bias in my reporting. An ancient breed, breeders claim it is the “companion to the Vikings.” They can easily compete for that Kimg Barker award. At our home, my dogs compete for the Most Stubborn award. Although fanciers of the breed say, they are independent thinkers. They are friendly but can be bossy and bark when it’s time for dinner, usually starting about an hour before feeding time.
Icelandic Sheepdog - A herding breed with a long history traveling with the Vikings to Iceland as early as AD847. These friendly dogs excel at driving livestock by using their bark. They give the Norwegian Elkhound and Finnish Spitz a run for their money in the King Barker Award!
Norwegian Lundehund - While this unique breed hails from Norway, it looks slightly different than the other Spitz breeds with a long curved tail and shorter coat. It boasts six toes (which you can see in the photo above), an elastic neck that can bend over and touch their back, and legs that extend to the side. All these attributes helped them perform their original function of hunting Puffin birds among the cliffs on the rocky Norwegian Island of Vaeroy.
