Tonight is the beginning of what many people think of as the Super Bowl for show dogs… The Westminster Dog Show.  The 2 day event will be shown on CNBC Monday night and on USA Network on Tuesday.  It has been televised since the 40s.  A total of 2,721 dogs from all 50 states were entered this year.  The highest entry breed is the Golden Retrievers with 61 followed by 54 Labs and 50 Rhodesian Ridgebacks. 

                Tonight’s competition includes Hounds, Toy, and Non-Sporting and Herding groups.  Tomorrow’s lineup is Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups followed by the presentation of Best In Show.  Last year’s Best In Show was a Pekingese. 

     A Fox Wire Terrier has won Best In Show the most, 13 times.  Next is the Scottish Terrier with 8 BIS wins followed by the English Springer Spaniel with 6 Best In Show wins.  These are the only 3 breeds to win more than 4 times.

     It was first held in May 1877 and is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the US.  Only the Kentucky Derby has a longer streak of events.  It was started as a show for gun dogs by a group of hunters that met at the Westminster Hotel in Manhattan.  They created a kennel club for the purpose of holding a dog show. 

     Enjoy the show the next 2 nights and feel free to comment on what you liked or didn’t like!

        Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta provides pet sitting, dog walking and cat care services for Roswell, East Cobb, Woodstock and Kennesaw, GA.  You can see the happy pets by following us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/fetchnwatlanta/.