The 149^th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (WKCDS) came home this year. The longest continuously running sporting event (next to The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks) was back at Madison Square Gardens in mid-town Manhattan, New York City on February 10 and 11, 2025. You might have seen it on television.

Established in 1877, The WKC Dog Show has been hosted at The Gardens even before it was called Madison Square Gardens. Not a pandemic, and the shuttering of larger public venues, defeated the show. In 2021 and 2022, it ran as planned at an upstate New York private residence. (Dog breeding has never hid its deep pocket roots). But it wasn’t open to the public those years.

Westminster’s Journey Home

Then, apparently, because the event had to lobby its position and time slot at the historic venue back, the Superbowl of dog shows hoisted its flag in Flushings, Queens, NYC for two summers in 2022 and 2023.

Yes, summers. Somehow not sloshing through slush to line up outside The Gardens (thanks to general admission seating for most) wasn’t the same.

The tennis venue in Flushings sufficed for the day events and was pleasantly pretty. But posed some logistical problems for evening spectators, which was reflected in the evening attendance on both nights.

But the event has prevailed, and even in the face of political turbulence, the 149^th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show celebrated all things dog, by crowning Best in Breed, Best in Groups, and the final night big one: Best in Show. (2025 Winner: Monty the Giant Schnauzer)

Westminster Dog Show Winner 2025

Everyone roots for their favourites, and there are clearly some more favoured than others, usually those who are the most popular as pets. And sometimes even those who are not breed fans. Granted, dog breeding has its issues and is not without controversy. In fairness, some of those are issues the WKC has addressed.

But being among the fellow dog obsessed at this event is remarkably validating, particularly for those like me for whom their pets are the centre of their world. The love of dogs of all sizes is contagious, and even a bit overwhelming.

Celebration of the Canine

I’m a convert. I could write a book (or at least a chapter) called, “How I learned to love dog shows thanks to Westminster.” Yet, mutts are still my preferred dog variety, which is why my favourite part of Westminster is the Saturday celebration of dog sports.

The Celebration of the Canine gets the party started on Saturday at the Javits Center, a twenty-minute walk from Madison Square Gardens. The Masters Agility Championships, Obedience competitions, and the newly added Flyball tournaments entertained audiences with an upbeat vibe.

If you can attend only one day of all three, I’d recommend this one. The place pulses with competitive but positive energy and happy pups excited to do their thing. (More upcoming on dogtrotting.net).

The Big Dog of the Dog Shows

Monday and Tuesday afternoon of the Westminster Dog Show hosts breed-specific confirmation classes (dog show judging) during the day at the Javits Center. The winners of Best in Breeds move on to represent their breed in Group classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings at Madison Square Gardens.

Monday night at the 2025 WKC Dog Show selected the best from four Groups:

• Sporting (2025 winner: Freddie the English Springer Spaniel)
• Non-Sporting (2025 winner: Neal the Bichon Frise)
• Toy (2025 winner: Comet the Shih Tzu)
• Herding (2025 winner: Mercedes the German Shepard)

Tuesday night at the 2025 WKC Dog Show selected the best from three Groups:

• Working (2025 winner: Monty the Giant Schnauzer)
• Hound (2025 winner: Bourbon the Whippet)
• Terrier (2025 winner: Archer the Skye Terrier)

Then the winners from all seven groups compete for Best in Show. The dogs are judged against breed standards, and not necessarily each other. Tuesday evening is the event most people are familiar with thanks in part to the film Best in Show – and maybe the scene in Sex and the City where Charlotte makes a dog show appearance with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel despite not winning the necessary regional shows. (But we’ll let that slide).

Yes, you must earn your way to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, if you’re a competitor. But if you’re a spectator, simply buy a ticket. Or several tickets – both day shows and both evening shows require individual tickets. To see it all, including Saturday, you’ll need five tickets.

Breed Specific Alliance Not Needed

Love mutts? Me too. Frankly, I think the entire Westminster Dog Show experience is even better if you have mixed pup, like I do. That gives you two, three, maybe even more breeds to cheer for without dividing loyalties. Personally, I had theoretical money on both the Cocker Spaniel and Springer Spaniel – so I was thrilled when an English Springer (who looked a lot like my pup’s mum), won the Working Group title on Tuesday evening in 2025.

However, I confess. This year my loyalties were tested.

Recently, while waiting on a shuttle bus moving both spectators and participants from the dog show judging venue to the hotel, I met a dog named Echo. Actually, I shared a seat with Echo, a two-year-old Entlebucher Mountain Dog, because she wedged herself between me and her handler on the bus bench seating. As we waited, this sweet pup kept nudging my hand for more pets, despite being a bit overwhelmed by this new public transportation experience.

“She’s not mine,” the handler told me, “but I love this dog. She’s young and we’re practicing right now, but we expect great things from this girl.”

Echo is a Entlebucher Mountain Dog, a fairly rare breed and the smallest of the mountain dogs. Echo is about the size of a Beagle, with short shiny fur like a Lab, but the beautiful black, brown, and white markings of a Burmese Mountain Dog.  To me, she was perfect in every way.

The Entlebucher Mountain (Under) Dog

Fast forward to a short time later, Monday night at Madison Square Gardens during the Group judging rounds of the Westminster Dog Show. Imagine my surprise when I look up. There, on the screen during the Herding Group round, is Echo representing the Entlebucher Mountain Dog. Win this group, and she moves to Best in Show.

As the dogs are shown alphabetically, Echo does her best trot around the show ring, so young but eager to please. Then she returns to her place by the square yellow ‘Entlebucher Mountain Dog’ sign where she sits and wiggles, inching toward her handler for cuddles and holding out her paw for reassurance.

Echo didn’t make the judge’s final cut, nor did she therefore win the Herding Group – that honour went once again to a German Shepherd. Obviously, an oversight in my view. Yes, the Shepard was beautiful, but Echo’s won a special place in my heart and deserves every accolade she gets. Maybe I’ll see her next year.

The exact dates of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2026 are still to be announced, but it will be the 150^th Anniversary, so expect great things – yes, at Madison Square Gardens in New York City.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria.Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!