Updated on: February 3, 2026 / 11:53 PM EST / AP
A Doberman pinscher named Penny won Best in Show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, taking the top honor at the milestone 150th annual event.
Penny beat six other finalists at New York’s Madison Square Garden after two days of competition that featured about 2,500 dogs and more than 200 breeds. Judges evaluate each dog on how closely it matches the breed’s ideal.
The seven finalists included Zaida, an Afghan hound; JJ, a Lhasa apso; Cookie, a Maltese; Graham, an Old English sheepdog; Cota, a Chesapeake Bay retriever; and Wager, a smooth fox terrier. Penny receives a trophy, ribbons and the prestige that comes with Westminster’s most coveted prize.
The show supplied plenty of memorable moments beyond the winner. A Xoloitzcuintli named Calaco — a hairless breed — drew big cheers for a confident ring performance. A vizsla called Beamer delighted the crowd by hopping into a box set out for his handler’s tools. Storm, a Newfoundland, got laughs by standing almost as tall as his handler. Spectators cheered so loudly for a golden retriever named Oliver that they briefly drowned out the arena announcer, and fans chanted “Lumpy! Lumpy!” as Lumpy the Pekingese paraded before a judge.
One historic semifinalist was Millie, a Danish-Swedish farmdog. The breed became eligible for Westminster this year, and Millie advanced to the evening round after besting about 10 other farmdogs. “It’s been a very exciting journey” to establish the breed in the U.S., said Brita Lemmon, who competed with a farmdog named Coyote and who got her first farmdog in 2000.
Westminster winners often come from handlers or owners with long experience, but simply reaching the champions-only show is a major achievement for newcomers. Joseph Carrero and his Neapolitan mastiff, Dezi, made a notable appearance; Carrero, a heavy equipment operator from Indian Springs, Nevada, started showing Dezi at the breeder’s request and now breeds and handles his own Neapolitans while working full-time. “It’s really hard for us to do this, but we enjoy it, and he enjoys it,” Carrero said as visitors gathered around the 190-pound dog.
Boerboels, large guard dogs from South Africa, also made an impression. Natalee Ridenhour, who credits the breed with changing her life, brought Invictus, a 170-pound Boerboel, to compete. The dog didn’t advance past the first round, but visitors lined up to pet him. “Honestly, the big win is: You’re about the 50th person who’s gotten down in his face and loved on him,” Ridenhour said.