More than 2,000 dogs of every breed went head to head competing for best in show, and the results have people wondering if Chewbacca competed this year.
This Thanksgiving was a day for dog lovers to be thankful for food, family, and the thousands of incredibly adorable dogs they saw strut their stuff at NBC’s annual National Dog Show.
NBC broadcast of the 2017 National Dog Show from the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania brought in the best looking dogs from every breed and group nationwide and a panel of judges had the super tough job of trying to pick the best from every group.
The results are in, but judges did not have an easy time choosing! With a record 191 out of the 202 available American Kennel Club-sanctioned breeds and varieties on display, this year’s dog show made history.
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Now as much as I love dogs, I scratched my head a little at some of the categories. What’s the difference between a Toy breed and a non-working breed?
Here is a breakdown of the official category types and descriptions to help us non-experts understand the divisions a little better.
The competition was kicked off by the hound group, which displayed a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and coat styles. The Whippet beat out the rest for this group.
Despite the controversy over its pit bull cousins, the American Staffordshire Terrier went to bat for his breed and came out on top as best in the Terrier category.
Some well-known and beloved breeds competed for the best of the best in the working group, such as the Rottweiler, Siberian husky, and Bernese Mountain Dog. But the lesser well-known Portuguese Water Dog won first place in this category.
A French Bulldog came out studded in a diamond collar, and nobody could deny that she was the most posh and chic among the rest! She took it home for the non-working breeds.
While English Springer Spaniels often beat out the rest in sporting dog competitions, it’s for a reason. They are personable, adorable, and highly capable of performing their jobs. This year’s competition was no exception to America’s love for this breed, and an English Springer took home the gold for the working breeds once again.
The beloved Komondor (aka: “mop dog”) turned quite a few heads for the Herding round, but was beat out by an Old English Sheepdog.
None of the dogs competing for best in the Toy group resembled mops, but that didn’t stop choices from being tough. For this category, the judges had a hard time choosing who was cuter between a long coat Chihuahua and her adorable six year old handler!
But it was a Brussels Griffon named Newton that not only beat out all the other Toy breeds, but beat out every single other dog to take home the award for Best In Show for 2017.
Newton’s hilariously cute face had people wondering if a dog won or if Chewbacca had entered this year’s competition!
Newton and his handler, Susan Dipew, planned on going out for ice cream to celebrate their hard-earned victory and soak in Newton’s newfound star status.
Here are the winners for the 2017 National Dog Show Competition. Which was your favorite?
- Working: Portuguese Water Dog
- Terrier: American Staffordshire terrier
- Herding: Old English Sheepdog
- Hound: Whippet
- Sporting : English Springer Spaniel
- Toy: Brussels Griffon
- Non-sporting: French Bulldog
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