Photos: Meet the Dogs of Westminster Week 2019

Every year the Westminster Dog Show brings 204 different breeds and varieties of dogs to Madison Square Garden where they are judged on criteria such as general appearance, movement, coat and more to determine which dog will be crowned Best in Show. Now in its 143rd year, this illustrious competition produced by the Westminster Kennel Club had a humble origin New York City. The Kennel Club was created by a group of sportsmen who named their club after the (now gone) hotel that they used to gather and socialize in. Since those early years, the Westminster Dog Show has become known worldwide and brings with it an entire week of accompanying activities. Untapped Cities got to take part in two of these exciting events, the American Kennel Club’s Meet the Breeds and the Westminster Masters Agility Championship, which lead up to the final night of competition this evening.

The American Kennel Club’s Meet the Breeds event allows guests to meet and learn about 100 different dog breeds. Each breed has a booth designed to reflect that breed’s country of origin, historical purpose, function, and attributes as a family pet. This is a great way to discover which breed of dog might be best for your family. There were even near forty different cat breeds to meet and greet as well thanks to The International Cat Association.

At the 6th Annual Masters Agility Championship, 330 dogs competed in a Standard Agility course and a Jumpers with Weaves course. After those two rounds, the 10 dogs with the highest combined scores from each height class moved on to the “Championship Round.” In the end, the winner was a border collie named Verb. In honor of the winner, the Westminster Kennel Club donates $5,000 to the AKC training club of the winner’s choice or the AKC Humane Fund and another $5,0000 to the AKC European Open Junior Agility Team.