Six newly recognized breeds will be introduced to the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year. The competition begins Monday in New York and dogs from across the country will compete in the world's most famous dog show against top entries in their breed and group.
The prestigious show will feature more than 2,000 dogs and the six new breeds will bring the number of dog varieties up to 185 kinds.
The six breeds that will be competing for the first time in the show include: American English Coonhounds (three entries in Hound Group), Cesky Terries (three entries in Terrier Group), Norwegian Lundehunds (five entries in the non-sporting group), Xoloitzcunitlis (ten entries in the non-sporting group), Entlebucher Mountain dogs (four entries in the herding group) and Finnish Lapphunds (eight entries in the herding group).
While the new breeds will be welcomed into the competition, it seems unlikely the new competitors will win Best in Show on Tuesday. David Frei, the Westminster Kennel Club's spokesman and show announcer, told the Daily Beast that the fastest a dog has ever gone from being a newbie to winning the crown was 27 years.
Meet the six new breeds that will be competing in the Westminster Dog Show in Feb. 13 and 14.
The six new breeds that will make their first appearance in competition at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show stand together with their handlers during a news conference in New York on Feb. 9, 2012. From left are Katrina, a Cesky Terrier, Nils, a Norwegian Lundehund, Hoss, an Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Armani, a standard Xoloitzcuintli, Myles, a Finish Lapphund and Game Changer, an American English Coonhound. REUTERS/Mike SegarThe 136th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show continues Tuesday in New York with its second day of canine primping, prancing and prize-winning. The second day of the competition will feature dogs in the Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups. Details on dogs for day two of the competition. Pictured here is a Cesky Terrier. REUTERS/Mike SegarHoss, an Entlebucher Mountain Dog and one of the six new breeds that will make their first appearance in competition at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.The Entelbucher is believed to have descended from large molossers brought to Switzerland by the Romans in the first century B.C. It has only been described as a separate breed since 1889. REUTERS/Mike SegarArmani is a standard Xoloitzcuintl and one of the six new breeds that will make their first appearance in competition at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.The Xoloitzcuintli breed is over 4,000 years old and their remains have allegedly been found in the graves of some Aztec rulers. There will be three sizes competing at Westminster and some will have hair while others will not. REUTERS/Mike SegarOwner Jose Barrera holds Alma Dulce, a two-year-old Xoloitzcuintli or Mexican Hairless dog as photographers crowd around to take pictures at an event to introduce six new breads of dogs that will compete for the first time in the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. REUTERS/ Mike SegarA Bedlington Terrier stands with other dogs at a news conference ahead of the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.The Bedlington is often described as having a lamb-like look with a wedge-shaped head and almond-shaped eyes. The Bedlington can gallop at great speeds and they can easily squeeze into tight underground dens when hunting prey. The dogs were originally used to hunt rodents underground and work with packs of foxhounds. REUTERS/Mike SegarOwner Jose Harvey Sanderson sits with Eowyn, a six-year-old Norwegian Lundehund at an event to introduce six new breads of dogs that will compete for the first time in the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, Spitz type dog with six toes. It was originally created as far back as 1600 to hunt puffins and their eggs along the Norwegian coast. The dog's flexibility and extra toes makes it perfect for hunting in nearly inaccessible places like cliffs and caves. REUTERS/Mike SegarGame Changer, a 17 month old American English Coonhound walks with his owner Richard Moore across Seventh Avenue to an event to introduce six new breads of dogs that will compete for the first time in the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.The American English Coonhound traces its ancestry back to the Foxhounds first brought to the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries. The breed has various colorations from "redtick" to "bluetick" patterns. The American English Coonhound has become a popular night hunting dog and its nose is able to track both small and large game. REUTERS/Mike SegarFour of the six new breeds that will make their first appearance in competition at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show stand together. From left are Hoss, an Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Armani, a standard Xoloitzcuintli, Myles, a Finish Lapphund and Game Changer, an American English Coonhound.REUTERS/Mike SegarFour of the six new breeds that will make their first appearance in competition at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show stand together with their handlers. Seen from left are Nils, a Norwegian Lundehund, Hoss, an Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Armani, a standard Xoloitzcuintli, and Myles, a Finish Lapphund. REUTERS/Mike SegarHickory (R) a Scottish Deerhound that won Best in Show at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, leads six new breeds across Seventh Avenue to an event to introduce the new breads of dogs that will compete for the first time in the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. REUTERS/Mike Segar
