Pumi dog — A pumi is seen during a New York press conference to announce the new breeds eligible to compete in the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The three new breeds added to the competition were the American hairless terrier, the sloughi, and the pumi—an ancient Hungarian herding breed.

Photograph by Timothy A. Clary, AFP, Getty Images

WEIRD & WILD

Westminster's Newest Dog Breeds Strut Their Stuff

A German shepherd took best in show at the annual event—and cats made a buzzworthy appearance.

ByCatherine Zuckerman

February 15, 2017

4 min read

Forget Fashion Week. Supermodels of a different breed—make that breeds—have been strutting their canine stuff in New York since Sunday, delighting onlookers with their jaunty gaits, perfectly coiffed coats, and heart-melting charisma.

They’ve been in town for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the crème de la crème of canine competitions, whose Best In Show winner was announced last night: A five-year-old female German shepherd named Rumor. (See "Dogs Are Even More Like Us Than We Thought.")

Rumor, a German shepherd, that won the Westminster Dog Show — Rumor leaps to lick her handler and co-owner Kent Boyles after winning Best in Show.

Photograph by Julie Jacobson, Associated Press

The annual Madison Square Garden event—at which dogs are judged for their agility, temperament, physique, and overall exemplification of their breed—has understandably been a longtime favorite for dog lovers.

(American Dog Breeds Hail From Pre-Columbian Times)

The British shorthair cat—known for its affectionate, easygoing personality—is one of several cat breeds brought in for educational purposes at this year's Westminster.

Photograph by Juniors Bildarchiv, Alamy Stock Photo

But this year, the appearance of several cats garnered the show a little extra buzz.

Felines were included as a novel addition to the non-competitive “Meet the Breeds” portion of the event, where people can pet and take photos with the animals and learn about their countries of origin.

With green eyes and a dark, chocolate-colored coat, the Havana brown cat—seen at the Westminster this year—is particularly striking.

Photograph by Alamy

To be clear, the cats were not there to be officially judged, says Westminster’s director of communications, Gail Miller Bisher.

Sloughi — A five-year-old sloughi is introduced during the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Meet The Breeds event. The sloughi—an ancient, rare breed from northern Africa—is one of three new breeds to compete for the first time this year.

Photograph by Gary Gershoff, Getty Images

“They were brought in for educational purposes only.”

America's Favorite

Back in the ring, three new dog breeds became eligible to compete this year: The American hairless terrier, known for its intelligence, trainability, and friendly demeanor; the pumi, an ancient Hungarian herding dog characterized by curly hair and high spirits; and the sloughi (pronounced SLOO-ghee), an alert, elegant hound from North Africa. (Related: "The Fast and the Furless: Explaining Newly Recognized Dog Breeds.")

Though the German shepherd took top prize, it’s the Labrador retriever that continues to win the popular vote.

For the last two decades straight, the American Kennel Club—which is the governing body for the Westminster Kennel Club—has pronounced the friendly, people-loving lab America’s favorite dog.