2026 Westminster Dog Show winner crowned: What to know
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show winner Penny joined "Good Morning America" Wednesday, hours after earning the title Tuesday night.
Penny, a 4-year-old Doberman Pinscher, was named "best in show."
"She's just a great dog and fits all the criteria necessary to win a dog show like this," Penny's handler, Andy Linton, said on "GMA."
Her performance wowed the judges in a field of over 2,500 dogs.
"They all stand [an] equal chance at the beginning of the day, but as the evening narrows down to the end, there's gonna be one dog that's just a great dog having a great evening," Donald Sturz, president of The Westminster Kennel Club, added. "Andy's going through some personal health struggles that make some things harder. She was like, 'I got you.' And that special energy that was there, is what I saw, was the magic."
The Westminster dog show returned to New York City for its 150th show this year.
Here's everything to know about this year's annual dog show.
This year's show
The Westminster dog show has been televised for nearly 80 years, since 1948, and fans watched the show dogs strut their stuff at Madison Square Garden and on FOX, FS1, and FS2.
The final group judging show aired live between 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET and was available to stream on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.
What was new this year
This year's 150th show featured over 500 more dogs than last year, with a wide variety of popular breeds represented, including golden retrievers, French bulldogs, Labrador retrievers, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Australian shepherds, Pomeranians, cavalier King Charles spaniels, vizslas and pugs.
This year, the Danish-Swedish farm dog, which Westminster Kennel Club describes as a "little big dog," competed as the newest breed in the mix.
Last year's winner
In 2025, Monty, a regal, black giant schnauzer, emerged as the top dog among seven finalists.
Monty, a working dog, was 5 when he earned the crown and was the first giant schnauzer to take the title.
Monty's owner and handler Katie Bernardin told "Good Morning America" at the time that Monty's secrets to success included cold laser therapy, water treadmill exercises and the occasional carne asada treats.
