Chinese breeds vie for top prize at annual Westminster Dog Show

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As the Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Dog, New York City has become ground zero for the world’s top dog breeders and owners. Among the 120 breeds, almost 3,000 dogs are putting their best foot forward in a bid to win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

Winning the top prize can be time-consuming and costly – some dog owners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars preparing for the show. Though the achievement comes with no prize money, it does bring exposure, prestige and breeding opportunities.

The breed that has won the most Best in Shows is the wirefox terrier. It has taken home the top prize 13 times since Westminster was first staged in 1877.

Tabitha the Chow Chow and Stella the Pekingese are shown during a presentation of a group of Chinese breeds, displayed in honor of the Chinese Year of the Dog, at a preview media event for the Westminster Dog club in Manhattan, New York, US, Jan. 30, 2018 / VCG Photo

Among Chinese dogs, the Pekingese has won more than any other. Emerging in western China more than 2,000 years ago, it was the companion dog of Buddhist monks. The breed has won Best in Show four times.

Another popular Chinese dog – the pug – won in 1981. It was once a favorite among Chinese emperors and is best known for its pushed-in nose and bulging eyes.

“You have to watch for eye abrasions and you don’t take them running at high noon and humidity. So other than that, they're really a sturdy little breed and they’ve a great sense of humor and a lot of fun,” said Janet McLaughlin, a pug breeder.

A more domineering breed is the Chow Chow – once used as temple guards in Mongolia. Known for its purple tongue, it is often referred to as the “puffy-lion dog” and like the lion it can be a fierce protector.

“They had to protect the castle. I think it was Genghis Khan who had over a thousand of them in his army. Right now, they just hunt to the refrigerator. That’s as far as they go,” said Linda Albert, a Chow Chow breeder.

A Chinese crested dog competes at the 142nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at The Piers, February 12, 2018, in New York City / VCG Photo

A Chow Chow has yet to win a Best in Show.

Another Chinese dog – the Shih Tzu is among the top 20 most popular breeds in America but it has also failed to snag the top prize at Westminster.

And what about the Chinese crested dog? Beloved by many, it too, has never won a Best in Show but it has won several world’s ugliest dog contests – something owner Cindy Kumpfbeck isn’t too bothered about.

“To be fair, any dog who has no teeth at some point and has bad skin is going to look ugly to other people. And to be fair, many of those dogs are mixed breed Chinese crested so they’re not as pretty as ours,” said Kumpfbeck.