2026 WKC Dog Show: Everything To Know About This Year's Competition

To the casual viewer, competing at the 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show might look pretty simple: Get a dog. Groom it. Pose it. Lead it around a ring.

But there's a lot more involved in reaching the pinnacle of U.S. canine events, now in its milestone 150th year. 

Here are the ins and outs of Westminster, which started off with a bang on Saturday with the 13th Annual Masters Agility Championship Finals at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York:

The 150th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show continues Monday and Tuesday in New York City, with competitions held at both the Javits Center and Madison Square Garden. The seven breed group winners will compete in the final round, known as Best in Show, on Tuesday evening at MSG. Find the full streaming schedule here.

"This is a full circle moment for The Westminster Kennel Club and Madison Square Garden," said Dr. Donald Sturz, President of The Westminster Kennel Club. "An idea that sprung from the historic Westminster Hotel in 1876 came to life at Gilmore’s Garden, marking the very first Westminster Dog Show – 150 years later, here we are in The World’s Most Famous Arena celebrating the love of dogs with unforgettable moments made only in New York."

Over 3,000 champion dogs representing all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and 17 additional countries, will compete in this year's highly anticipated event. 

What's more, all 202 eligible American Kennel Club-recognized breeds will be represented at this year’s show. The largest entries by breed are Golden Retrievers (52), French Bulldogs (48), Labrador Retrievers (35), Rhodesian Ridgebacks (34), Australian Shepherds (33), Pomeranians (33), Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (32), Vizslas