Westminster Dog Show 2012: Who Were The Past Winners of 'Best in Show?' [PHOTOS]

Champion Palacegarden Malachy, a tiny, furry Pekingese, won the Best in Show title late Tuesday at the 136th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Malachy was ranked second at last year's Westminster and was the favored winner in the competition. He will retire this year at the age of four to live as a pet with co-owner and handler David Fitzpatrick.

The 4-year-old Lion Dog, a common nickname for the furry Pekingese, beat out six larger dogs in the Best in Show competition. Vogels chose the Toy dog over a Dalmatian, a Blue Kerry Terrier, a German Shepherd Dog, a Doberman Pinscher, a Wirehaired Dachshund and an Irish Setter.

He's a super dog who had a stupendous night, Judge Cindy Vogels told The New York Times of Malachy.

The Pekingese breed has only won the Best in Show title four times in the past. Moreover, the Toy group has only won Best in Show ten times in the history of the Westminster Dog Show. Vogels' choice to bestow Best in Show on Malachy is a shift away from the larger dogs that have won in the past few years.

Take a look at the most recent past winners of the Westminster Dog Show, including a Scottish Deerhound, a Scottish Terrier, a Sussex Spaniel, a 15-Inch Beagle, an English Springer Spaniel and a Colored Bull Terrier.