Glossary

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, held in New York since 1877, is the best-known US conformation show and ends with a Best in Show award.

Also called: Westminster, Westminster dog show, Westminster Kennel Club, WKC, Westminster Best in Show

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a US dog show held in New York since 1877. It is one of the oldest continuing sporting events in the country. The club that runs it was named after a New York hotel where its founders gathered.

The show is a conformation event in which champion-level purebred dogs compete by breed, then by group. The winners of the seven groups meet for Best in Show, broadcast to a large audience. Westminster also runs a junior showmanship competition and an dog agility event that includes mixed-breed dogs.

The show tells you which dogs were judged best by the judges that day, not which breed makes the best pet. Winning breeds often rise in popularity, but the breed is not necessarily right for every household. Ask a breeder and a rescue group about the real daily needs.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Best in Show The top award at an all-breed dog show, given to the dog chosen from the seven group winners as the best example of its breed. Conformation A dog show event in which each purebred dog is judged on how closely its structure and movement match its written breed standard. Junior showmanship A show competition for young handlers in which the person, not the dog, is judged on how well they present and handle a dog. Dog agility A timed sport in which a handler directs a dog over an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles and ramps, open to purebred and mixed-breed dogs.