Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Whippet Chanel wins hound group

Ch. Starline's Chanel, a 2-year-old female whippet owned by Lori and Carey Lawrence, beat a top-ranked petit basset griffon vendeen to win the hound group at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Monday.

Handler Lauri Wilson, who guided Chanel to Monday's victories and will accompany her in the best-in-show ring Tuesday night, told USA Today that the dog stays in top athletic condition by chasing tennis balls. (See, show dogs might look nicer than the average couch-potato canines, but they're not really any different from ball-chasing mutts like ours, deep down.) "She also loves jumping straight up and down," Wilson told USA Today. Well ... everyone needs a hobby.

The American Kennel Club categorizes the 164 breeds it recognizes into seven groups. To take the hound title, Chanel first had to be named best of breed in a competition held earlier in the day. Four groups -- hound, toy, non-sporting and herding -- were judged Monday evening at Westminster. The remaining three groups -- sporting, working and terrier -- will be judged Tuesday evening, followed by the best-in-show competition, in which the seven group winners go head to head.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: A hectic place for a bulldog (or a Scottish terrier or a golden retriever)

NEW YORK — By noon, it had been quite a day for Razzle Dazzle.

She'd already walked off with a repeat ribbon as the best bulldog at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Monday, and now it was time for a catnap. So she put her big, wrinkled head down in her crate and tried to take a snooze.

No luck. Minutes later, the backstage crowd at America's most prestigious dog show kept clamoring for a closer look. The 3-year-old bruiser woke, raised up and unleashed a full, throaty bark.

Co-owner Robert Speiser did his best to shield her from all the commotion, pressing his body against the front of her crate.

"Go back to bed, honey," he whispered.

Madison Square Garden was steamy for the opening session of the two-day event. More than half of the 2,500 dogs were housed right off the main floor and thousands of fans jammed in on a holiday to see them.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Day 1 in photos

The big daddy of American canine competitions, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, is underway at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Westminster, now in its 134th year, runs for two consecutive days. (For those who, like us, couldn't make it to New York to see it in person, the show will be televised Monday from 8 to 9 p.m. on the USA Network and from 9 to 11 p.m. on CNBC; and Tuesday from 8 to 11 p.m. on USA.)

Of course, what's a dog show without elaborately coiffed, trimmed, powdered, rubber-banded and headgear-wearing dogs of all shapes and sizes? Nothing, that's what. We've assembled some of our favorite photos from the first day of Westminster competition, from beagles to bichons frises and Chinese cresteds to Chihuahuas.

Above, a chow chow named Jackson relaxes backstage at the Garden. See more photos of the purebred set after the jump!

Scottish terrier Sadie wins AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show in Long Beach

A Scottish terrier named Ch. Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot (Sadie for short) is having one heck of a year in the world of dog shows.  Sadie -- who earlier this year won the Terrier group at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show and, more recently, was named Best in Show at the prestigious National Dog Show -- took top honors this past weekend at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show in Long Beach.

Sadie bested the winners of the six other AKC groups -- an Irish setter from the Sporting group, a standard poodle from the Nonsporting group, a greyhound from the Hound group, a boxer from the Working group, a toy poodle from the Toy group and a rough collie from the Herding group -- to be named the event's top dog.  Her owner, Amelia Musser of Michigan, received a $50,000 cash prize (as if the bragging rights alone weren't enough).

In all, nearly 5,000 dogs competed at the National Championship show, with many opting for performance events like obedience and agility instead of the conformation section won by Sadie.

Westminster winner Stump the Sussex spaniel has connections in the dog-show world

America's new favorite canine senior citizen, Westminster champ Stump the Sussex spaniel, seemed at first an unlikely Best in Show winner.  The long, low spaniel -- 10 years old and having survived a severe illness that nearly killed him (he was saved by vets at Texas A&M University, where he spent 19 days) -- came out of retirement and beat the No. 1 show dog in the nation (giant schnauzer Spirit) and other front-runners including Lincoln the Brussels griffon.

Appearances aside, Stump -- plain-looking though he may be (he really does look a lot like the tree stump after which he was named) -- was actually groomed for stardom from birth.  Stump's co-breeder, Doug Johnson of Clussexx kennels, also bred Brady, the Clumber spaniel who took Best in Show in 1996.  His handler and co-owner, Scott Sommer, also handled Special Times Just Right (also known as J.R.), the Bichon Frise who won Westminster in 2001.  Stump and J.R. are housemates now.

His triumphant turn at Westminster marked his first dog show in more than four years; his preparation for the big comeback consisted of little more than a practice spin around Sommer's driveway.  "To bring a dog into the Garden who hasn't been showing, [Sommer] was a little insane," said judge Sari Tietjen, who gave Stump the nod for Best in Show.

That aside, Tietjen said she didn't recognize Stump or realize how old he was.  "He's just everything that you'd want in the breed, and I couldn't say no to him," she said in an interview.  As for Stump?  He's now officially retired -- again -- and Sommer says retirement will stick this time. 

"Stump's going to travel back to Houston and kind of stay there," the owner-handler told the New York Times. "He doesn’t travel that much."

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: It's not that kind of bowl, Stump! Credit: Chris McGrath / Getty Images

Stump, a 10-year-old Sussex spaniel, named Best in Show at Westminster

Stump, the 10-year-old Sussex spaniel who only recently emerged from retirement, has been named Best in Show at the 133rd annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show.  He's the oldest dog to ever win that title.  (An 8-year-old papillon won in 1999.)

In making senior-dog history, Stump (registered name: Ch. Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee) beat six other group winners, among them Spirit, the giant schnauzer who's ranked the No. 1 show dog in the nation; Lincoln, the smooth-coated Brussels griffon who was considered a favorite; Yes the standard poodle; Sadie the Scottish terrier, whose breed has won Westminster seven times before; Tiger Woods the Scottish deerhound; and Conrad, the cord-coated puli.

The Associated Press explains Stump's five-year absence from the show ring:

Stump won the sporting group at Westminster in 2004, then went into retirement. Soon after, he nearly wasted away and spent 19 days in a pet hospital.

"It was very traumatic," [handler Scott Sommer] said.

Once he recovered, Stump mostly spent his days hanging out with Sommer, living a dog's life. That was more than fine with Sommer. He'd already handled a great bichon frise to the best in show at Westminster in 2001, and wasn't looking for Stump to try again.

Then five days before this show, Sommer thought Stump might enjoy one last walk on the green carpet at the Garden. And what a walk it was.

Vegas odds expert John Avello, who compiled odds for this year's Westminster show, gave the Sussex spaniel odds of 275-to-1 to win it all.  But Stump showed Westminster watchers that age does, once in a while, trump youth.  Take that, whippersnappers!

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images

Giant schnauzer "Spirit" wins Westminster's working group

To the surprise of -- well, no one -- Ch. Galilee's Pure Of Spirit, a giant schnauzer best known simply as Spirit, won the working group at Westminster.

Spirit, a 4-year-old female owned by Mary Hayes, Joe Sanchez and Carla Sanchez, is ranked the No. 1 show dog in the country.

"Rarely does a breeder ever believe that they have a realistic chance to go best in show at the Garden, but I believe Spirit has as good a shot as any of the other top contenders there," Maryann Bisceglia, who owns the kennel where Spirit was born, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Rounding out the top four were a boxer named Ch. Winfall Brookwood Styled Dream, an Alaskan malamute named Ch. Nanuke's Still The One and a Tibetan mastiff named Ch. Drakyi Gold Standard.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Peter Kramer/Associated Press

Brussels griffon "Lincoln" wins Westminster's toy group

Ch. Cilleine Masquerade, a popular pick to win best in show, has won Westminster's ultra-competitive toy group, beating out Taser the affenpinscher.  Lincoln, as he's known for short, has been on many Westminster watchers' short lists of "dogs to watch" at this year's show.

Lincoln is a smooth-coated Brussels griffon, perhaps less familiar to many than the rough-coated variety, one of which was featured prominently in the film "As Good as It Gets."  He's 4 years old and owned by the Gregory and Jahlelka families.

Rounding out the top four toy dogs were a pug named Ch. Tupelo Shoboat Tu China Tu, a Pekingese named Ch. Pequest Match Point and a pomeranian named Ch. Velocity's Shake Ur Bon Bon.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Seth Wenig / Associated Press

Sussex spaniel "Stump" wins Westminster's sporting group

Ch. Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee, a Sussex spaniel who goes by the nickname Stump, won Westminster's sporting group. 

Stump, owned by Cecilia Ruggles, Beth Dowd and Scott Sommer, is a veteran of the Garden: he won the sporting group title there in 2004, after which he went into retirement.  He's 10 years old -- much older than the majority of Westminster competitors.  He's the only Sussex spaniel to ever win his group at Westminster.

Following Stump on the winners list were a golden retriever named Ch. Toasty's Treasure Island, an English setter named Ch. Chebaco Blames It On Trabeiz, and a labrador retriever named Ch. Beechcroft Study's Top Secret, in that order. 

One well-known sporting dog was notably absent from tonight's group competition.  Holly, the pointer who won the prestigious AKC/Eukanuba National Championship show in December and is ranked the No. 2 show dog in the country, was ineligible for competition because she's owned by a Westminster Kennel Club member.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Stump in action during sporting group competition.  Credit: Peter Kramer / Associated Press

Beauty isn't easy for this Shih Tzu

Author Kahlil Gibran said, "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

But for Bell the Shih Tzu, a light in the heart -- while it might provide the animated showmanship that Westminster judges are so fond of -- isn't enough to win dog show prizes.  The process that goes into getting Shih Tzus (as well as other long-coated breeds like the Yorkshire terrier and Maltese) ready for the ring is nothing if not intense. 

Our colleague, sports columnist T.J. Simers, is on the scene at Madison Square Garden and shares some of his observations:

Hair spray is everywhere, many of the poodles also getting a touch of mascara and makeup, while a pinch of Vicks or vanilla is applied under the nose of males in an effort to keep them focused around females in season. Who says NBA players couldn't learn some new tricks?

For more photos from the Garden, check out the 133rd annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show photo gallery.

--Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Chris McGrath / Getty Images