Westminster Dog Show 2022: How It Works, New Breeds, and How to Watch

The Best in Show action begins June 21 on FS1. By Austin Cannon June 13, 2022 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
Bearded Collies lined up for judging at Westminster Dog Show in 2021 Credit: Timothy A Clary / Getty

Late last year, the Westminster board opted to postpone the show originally scheduled for January at New York City's Madison Square Garden because of the surging COVID-19 omicron variant. Instead, the show will be held next week at Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, N.Y. It's the second year in a row the big, fancy house has served as the show's backup location.

Along with the conformation show that will crown another Best in Show, Westminster also hosts agility and obedience competitions. Here's how to catch all the action, how the show works, and which breeds to keep an eye on.

When Is the 2022 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?

The slate of events begins Saturday, June 18, and runs through Wednesday, June 22. The agility competition starts Saturday while the obedience trials begin Monday.

Breed judging for the main event, the conformation show, will begin Monday, lasts through Tuesday, and culminates with the Best in Show ring Wednesday night.

RELATED: Baxer the Flat-Coated Retriever Wins Best in Show at 2022 Crufts International Dog Show

How to Watch the 2022 Westminster Dog Show

If you watch live television through cable, satellite, or a streaming service, you can watch much of the show on FOX and FS1. (Some of the breed judging and obedience and agility events will be streamed on the Westminster website.)

The main primetime broadcast on Tuesday, June 21, begins at 7 p.m. eastern time on FS1. That night will feature group judging for the hound, toy, non-sporting, and herding groups. The Wednesday broadcast also starts at 7 p.m. eastern on FS1 and includes judging for the sporting, working, and terrier groups before culminating with the Best in Show ring.

Those interested can also stream the action on the FOX NOW and FOX Sports apps.

RELATED: Bayou the Giant Schnauzer Wins Best in Show at the 2021 AKC National Championship

How Does the Westminster Dog Show Work?

The most important thing to remember in a conformation dog show is that the dogs are judged against their breeds' standards—written guidelines, maintained by the breed's parent group, that describe the ideal features of the breed. So, the dogs aren't really competing against each other. Judges decide which dogs most closely match their breed's standards.

Hundreds and hundreds of dogs from the 211 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club are eligible to compete. At first, each dog competes for the Best of Breed title. So, all the Great Danes show together in one group, for example, and the judge decides which one of them best conforms to the breed standard.

The Best of Breed winners are then allocated into the seven groups: herding, hound, non-sporting, sporting, terrier, toy, and working. Continuing with our example, the Great Dane would compete in the Working Group. The dogs are again measured against their breed standards.

Seven dogs each win their group and advance to the Best in Show ring. This year, Donald Sturz Jr. will judge the group winners and decide who wins Best in Show.

RELATED: 'The Cream of the Crop': How the National Dog Show's Top Judge Evaluates Dogs in the Best in Show Ring

Are There Any New Breeds in 2022?

Two in fact: the Russian toy and the mudi, both of which earned AKC recognition in January, allowing them to compete.

The Russian toy will—surprise—compete in the Toy Group. These outgoing dogs used to be a favorite of aristocrats, but they now love chasing toys and snoozing in laps.
Mudi—pronounced "moody"—dogs are Hungarian sheepdogs and are considered rare in North America. They'll compete in the Herding Group.

Who Won the Westminster Dog Show in 2021?

That would be Wasabi. The decorated Pekingese beat out a star-studded Best in Show ring to become the fifth of his breed to take home top honors at Westminster since 1907 (which is as far back as the show's records go).

Will he repeat this year?

RELATED: National Dog Show 2021 Winner: It's Claire the Scottish Deerhound—Again!

Which Breeds Have Won Westminster the Most?

Westminster is the second-oldest continuously running sporting event, so we've had a few repeats. If you're planning to fleece your family members in a friendly dog-show wager like I am, it's good to know the most successful breeds based on Best in Show wins:

Wire fox terrier: 15
Scottish terrier: 8
English springer spaniel: 6
Pekingese: 5

Which Popular Breeds Have Never Won Westminster?

Many of them! In fact, half of last year's 10 most popular breeds have never won Best in Show:

Labrador retriever
French bulldog
Golden retriever
Rottweiler
Dachshund

Maybe there is such a thing as being too popular.

Who Does the Daily Paws Staff Want to Win?

Chad Taylor, staff writer: A Lab! They've been the most popular dog breed in the U.S. for over three decades but have never won Best in Show.

Tracey Kelley, staff writer: Neither the Pembroke Welsh corgi nor the Cardigan Welsh corgi have won either! How can those stubby little legs be refused?

Jessica Comstock, editor: Echoing the stubby leg love, I'm rooting for a dachshund victory.

Jody Tramontina, art director: I'm rooting for the little one, the Yorkie. It hasn't taken home the trophy since the '70s.

Karman Hotchkiss, editorial director: Any dog who doesn't look like a mop!

Me: Newfoundland. Specifically, Matthew, who I met at the National Dog Show last year. He's big, fluffy, and highly ranked this year. If he competes, I hope he goes all the way.