The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show presented by Purina® Pro Plan® has crowned hundreds of Best in Show winners in its tenure. While theoretically, any breed can take home the floor-sweeping Best in Show ribbon, the reality is that some breeds win more than others – and some win a lot more. Historically, terrier breeds like the Wire Fox Terrier and Scottish Terrier have won Westminster more than 40 percent of the time. (In fact, those two breeds alone have racked up 15 and eight wins, respectively.)
But as anyone who has sat amid the hooting and hollering of the opinionated Westminster audience knows, some breeds are automatic crowd favorites. Any dog that looks like a regular Joe, with a tousled coat or wrinkly skin, usually gets crowd support. But fussier, more primped breeds? Not so much.
Whether out of fealty or familiarity, Westminster fans also root for the breed that sits on the couch beside them. But chances are they might not get much satisfaction on that score, either. Of the top five dog breeds registered by the American Kennel Club, two have never won Best in Show at the Garden.
Here are some canine hopefuls that have yet to best their competitors at New York City’s famous dog show. On May 6 through May 9, tune in to watch breeds compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.