The 144th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show unfolds over the weekend, finishing up with the main events Monday and Tuesday.
Taking place in Madison Square Garden — as it has since 1877 — the Westminster is the largest and most prestigious dog show in the United States. For those who can't make it to New York, the main events Feb. 10-11 will be broadcast primarily on Fox Sports 1.
Unlike last year, the National Geographic channel will not be broadcasting any dog show coverage.
Here's a guide to everything you need to know about the 144th running of the Westminster Dog Show, including a full TV schedule and a history of previous winners. You can follow Sporting News' live updates and results from the main event here Monday and Tuesday.
LIVE: Tracking breed results, winners, Best in Show for 2020
Westminster Dog Show schedule 2020
The 2020 edition of the Westminster Dog Show will be broadcast Feb. 10-11 on FS1, FS2 and the Fox Sports app.
Monday, Feb. 10, 2020
| Event | Time | TV/streaming channel |
|---|---|---|
| Breed judging (Terrier, Non-Sporting and Toy breeds) | 8:30 a.m. ET - 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox Sports App |
| Junior handler preliminaries | 8:30 a.m. ET - 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox Sports App |
| Breed judging (Selected coverage) | 1-3 p.m. ET | FS2 |
| Pre-show programming | 7-7:30 p.m. ET | FS1 |
| Group competitions (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups) | 7:30-11 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Tuesday Feb. 11, 2020
| Event | Time | TV/streaming channel |
|---|---|---|
| Breed judging (Sporting and Working breeds) | 8:30 a.m. ET - 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox Sports App |
| Junior handler preliminaries | 8:30 a.m. ET - 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox Sports App |
| Breed judging (select coverage) | 1-3 p.m. ET | FS2 |
| Pre-show programming | 7-7:30 p.m. ET | FS1 |
| Group competitions (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding groups), Best in Show | 7:30-11 p.m. ET | FS1 |
2019 PHOTOS: The cutest dogs at last year's Westminster Dog Show
How to live stream the Westminster Dog Show
The Westminster Dog Show will be shown online this year via the Fox Sports app.
Westminster Dog Show schedule of events
Here is the Westminster Kennel Club's full daily schedule of events, along with a television schedule for Monday and Tuesday. Below is detailed information about selected events.
(All times Eastern)
Masters Agility Championship
The Masters Agility Championship event runs on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Pier 94. Preliminaries take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the finals take place between 7-9 p.m.
Masters Obedience Championship
The Masters Obedience Championship takes place Sunday, Feb. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Pier 94.
Westminster Dog Show
The main event begins on Monday, Feb. 10, and runs through Feb. 11. The daytime sessions will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Pier 94 on both days. The evening sessions will take place at Madison Square Garden from 7:30-11:30 p.m., with Best in Show being award on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
2019 DOG SHOW: Breed results, winners, Best in Show
What is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an annual event showcasing nearly 3,000 dogs. The all-breed benched show is held in Madison Square Garden.
The dogs competing are sorted into groups based on its breed. Those groups are hound, toy, non-sporting, sporting, working, herding and terrier. The group winners advance to the Best in Show competition.
The show also includes the Masters Agility Championship and Masters Obedience Championships held in the same week at Piers 92 & 94 in New York.
History of the Westminster Dog Show
The event's origins can be traced back to the inaugural show in 1877 at Gilmore's Garden (the predecessor to Madison Square Garden) in New York. 1,201 dogs competed in the event that lasted over the course of four days.
The name "Westminster" comes from a former hotel in Manhattan where a group of sporting gentlemen used to gather and swap stories. They eventually formed the Westminster Kennel Club and thus the world's greatest dog show was born.
The show predates the invention of the light bulb, the automobile and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is also the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the U.S. The Kentucky Derby's been staged longer by a mere two years.
Westminster Dog Show winners
While the event itself has been held annually since 1877, the Best in Show award has been given out every year since 1907. The Terrier group has won the award 47 times, the most of any group. The Sporting group has the second-most wins at 18.
Previous Best in Show winners
| Year | Winner | Breed | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Rocky Top's Sundance Kid | Bull Terrier (Colored) | Terrier |
| 2007 | Felicity's Diamond Jim | Spaniel (English Springer) | Sporting |
| 2008 | K-Run's Park Me In First | Beagle (15 Inch) | Hound |
| 2009 | Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee | Sussex Spaniel | Sporting |
| 2010 | Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot | Scottish Terrier | Terrier |
| 2011 | Foxcliffe Hickory Wind | Scottish Deerhound | Hound |
| 2012 | Palacegarden Malachy | Pekingese Toy | Toy |
| 2013 | Banana Joe V Tani Kazari | Affenpinscher | Toy |
| 2014 | Afterall Painting The Sky | Fox Terrier (Wire) | Terrier |
| 2015 | Tashtins Lookin For Trouble | Beagle (15 Inch) | Hound |
| 2016 | Garbonita's California Journey | Pointer (German Shorthaired) | Sporting |
| 2017 | Lockenhaus' Rumor Has It V Kenlyn | German Shepherd | Herding |
| 2018 | Belle Creek's All I Care About Is Love | Bichon Frise | Non-sporting |
| 2019 | Kingarthur Van Foliny Home | Fox Terrier (Wire) | Terrier |