Written by: Haley Miller
Edited by: Devlin Smith

There are good dogs, there are great dogs, and then there are the ones who create a new standard—the best of the best. These dogs came, saw, sniffed and conquered the 2026 Westminster dog show, and we are here to tell you all about them! …yes, and their breeders. We all know Penny the Doberman won best in show and yes, we will get to her, but first, the other top dogs in their groups. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show celebrated their 150th year in NY between Madison Square Garden and the Javits Center. In this blog post you’ll find the top-ranking dogs, their breed standards, their breeding origin and the linked videos to watch their wins on YouTube from the Westminster page directly! 

Junior Showmanship

Starting with the Junior Showmanship category. Junior showmanship is a way for kids aged 9-18 years old to get involved in canine confirmation. The judging is based on the handling skills of the dog and not based on whether the dogs fit into the standard set by the kennel club. This is the 92nd year of the sport and highlights the future handlers of Westminster. This helps engage younger generations into the proper handling, health, and temperament testing of generations of dogs to come. This year the winner will have a $10,000 scholarship for post-secondary schooling. Our 2026 winner for junior showmanship is 8-year-old toy manchester terrier Simon handled by Hadrian Towell. Out of the 99 entries into the showmanship sport, one among them all is top dog. He is from Norfolk Virginia, competes in the Langley Kennel Club, and is a skilled handler recognized by the AKC. Hadrian is only 14 years of age and is recognized by his previous success in the show ring. What about Simon’s breeders? They health and OFA test! Simon is bred from Sunkissed Manchester’s Taylor Blankenship and Joyce DeBraganca based out of Alabama. Simon is sired by GCHB Darkside’s Walker Stalker aka Ricky and GCHS Passport Sea Air. We congratulate them for their big win!

Some dogs are here for the ring; others are here to defy their breed stigmas or make a comeback as an ancient breed. These groups did just that this year at Westminster.

Hound Group

Hound group – hounds are an ancient type of dog originally known for hunting, tracking, and speed. This year’s winner is Zaida, an Afghan hound bred out of Chile by Ramon Podesta Valenzuela Sired by Multi Ebn Jaysito Von Haussman and Luu-Luu Aswad Bint Benazir Von Haussman. This breed was originally recognized by the AKC back in 1926. According to the AKC, on average, these dogs are 25-27 inches tall at the withers, will weigh about 50-60 pounds, and you can expect them to live from 12 years to 18 years of age. These dogs are moderately social and can make good family pets. These dogs come in nine colors with five marking variations. This breed is defined  as “an aristocrat, with a whole appearance of dignity and aloofness with no trace of plainness or coarseness,” (AKC). As with many breeds who place in dogs shows, their popularity rises but when it comes to grooming that’s a lot of coat maintenance. These dogs will continue to take the world by storm as ancient breeds are making a comeback in the dog show world, taking us back to why we do it in the first place. 

Toy Group

Toy group – the underdogs, the small dogs of the world. Most of these dogs are descended from the Pekinese breed, bred for companionship now suitable for fashion accessories? (Soul Dogs does not support the use of dogs as fashion accessories) These dogs are good companions and apartment dogs. 

Coming in on top is Maltese named Cookie Bred by Tammy A Simon & Dr. Diana Egnor owned by her breeders. She is sired by Ta-Jon’s Steal The Spawtlight and Ta-Jon’s So Fly. 

The Maltese was recognized by the AKC in 1888. This dog was bred as a companion for status and fashion. These dogs sat in the sleeves of important women in ancient times. These pets are described as “hardy and adaptable” for their temperament and trainability. A Maltese dog lives 12-15 years with a weight under 7lbs, and they stand at 7-9 inches. Their coat requires routine daily maintenance and brushing. These dogs have low exercise requirements making them a good companion for the elderly or those with disabilities who wish to own a pet. (Please reach out to us to help determine what type of pet is right for you.) These guys are the ultimate family dog who come in one breed standard color of white with black points. Be aware of proper health testing and coloration from breeders if purchasing a pet. We also do breeder consultations to help you find a breeder right for you.

Non-Sporting Group

Non-Sporting group – These dogs are in a miscellaneous category, these dogs vary greatly in size, temperament, and purpose but are great competitors in the right with dedicated owners and breeders. 

First is JJ, a Lhasa Apso aka Ta Sen Westgate Jingle Juice Bred and owned by Susan S. Giles & Cindy Segnert. Susan Giles was named breeder of the year. This dog is the product of Siimline’s Love legacy Truth and Ta Sen Westgate Efffervescence. This breed was recognized by the AKC in 1935 and their popularity has been decreasing steadily over time. These dogs come in eight standard colors with 6 standard markings. These dogs are “generally a robust, healthy dog,” (AKC) with the potential to have a mild to severe kidney dysfunction, so finding the right breeder is important. This coat, along with many others, requires daily maintenance and regular 3-4 week grooming. A benefit of this breed is they are small but mighty, these dogs usually have a lot of energy and excel by walking around town and playing games with their owners or being a sport dog in agility, scent work and potentially herding. They are a very good therapy dog prospect based on their social adaptability and friendliness with family. These small dogs are very smart and can become bored with the same training methods, they enjoy games and this breed needs a human- like mind. 

Herding Group

Herding group – this group is well-aged group, created in 1983, and the original working dogs. They are known to be intelligent, energetic, with a natural control of livestock or stalking pray (and children without proper supervision) with ancient breeds for starters the Old English sheepdog Graham Bred by Milan Lint & Heather Johnson & Douglas Johnson & Michelanne Johnson & Colto. Sired by Bugaboos’ Courage of Conviction and Bugaboos’ Let Go Blu Mtn.

This breed was recognized by the American kennel Club in 1888 with their popularity decreasing over the last 10 years. This is a “strong, compact, square, balanced dog.” This is considered an agile and fit type of dog. They are great for a family setting due to their nature to be great with family and young children. This is another breed that requires daily coat maintenance due to their thick double coats, their iconic coats come in 5 approved standard colors. These dogs stand up to 21-22 inches at the shoulders and weigh about 60-100 pounds based on muscle definition. These adaptable family dogs are expected to live anywhere from 10-12 years…and no, their show coat is not a requirement, you can keep it short to be able to see your pup’s eyes. 

Sporting Group

Sporting dogs – These dogs are becoming a very popular type of dog, upticks in agility and dock diving among others canine sports are on the rise. This group of dogs was developed to work hand in hand with humans for survival and companionship This year’s number one is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Cota. Cota was bred by Adam Levy sired to Next Generation’s Have Mercy and Next Generations Off the Rails. This dog is owned by Melissa Schumann & Dana Bleifer & Dr. Katherine Scribner & Adam Levy & Dr. Trevor Gerardi-Miller. 

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a dog bred for water or land, able to work under harsh weather conditions. They are a strong, well-balanced animal recognized by the AKC in 1878. These dogs have 8 standard colors and can weigh anywhere between 55-80 pounds. They can stand at 21-26 inches based on their gender and are expected to live for 10-13 years with proper nutrition and stimulation needs being met. This breed is a socialite and can be protective to their families and handlers; they are highly trainable with a striking level of energy. This dog “embodies the classic traits of a good retriever; loyal, upbeat, affectionate, and tireless,” (AKC). They are smart in their own right and can make excellent watchdogs, athletes, and companions. 

Working Group

Working group – This group consists of 32+ breeds. They are strong, alert dogs developed to assist humans in guarding, pulling, and even rescuing people. These dogs now include service and therapy dogs. Most of the dogs in this group are large and are highly trainable but also “stubborn” in their own right. 

This year the winner was the Doberman Pinscher Penny aka Conquest Best of Both Worlds bred by Theresa Connors-Chan & Gregory Chan. Owned by Francie Sparagina & Diana Sparagina & Theres Connors-Chan and Gregory Chan. Penny is sired by Conquest All the Right Reasons and Conquest Fallen Angel 

The Doberman is a well-rounded family dog  as long as they are from the correct breeder who does proper health testing. These dogs are at risk of bloat which could be deadly and DCM Dilated cardiomyopathy which is a life-threatening heart condition in deep chested breeds. These dogs are muscular powerhouses with endless energy. They make great family, protection, therapy, or service dogs. This sleek powerful breed is low on coat maintenance but high in mental stimulation and exercise needs, they come in four approved standard colors. These dogs are a versatile breed and are a valuable asset in the right homes. 

Terrier Group

Terrier group – The terrier group consists of 32+ breeds of feisty dogs who were bred to kill smaller vermin like mice and rats in barns. This is now a largely recognized sport called barn hunt. These dogs, high in energy and small in size, make up for it with family companionship and social adaptability. 

The winner of this category was a fox terrier called Wager aka Aimhi Side Bet. Bred by Amy Rutherford, owned partially by his breeder, Barbra Miller & Peter Holson. Sired by Aimhi Side Hustle and Aimhi Dover Soul

These dogs stand at 15 ½ inches tall. With an average weight between 15-18 pounds based on sex. These agile dogs live from 12-15 years based on health and genetics and overall care. These dogs are great social dogs and good family dogs. They are open and playful in nature and are highly adaptable in various settings. They are willing to train for games and fun, they tend to be a vocal dog so they don’t make the best apartment dogs. They come in with 5 approved colors. These terriers are feisty but can be very loyal. These dogs tend to get into trouble without good boundaries, although that is a very common trait among terriers. These dogs are at an elevated risk for heart conditions and patellar luxation which is the moving of their kneecap. Keep an eye on their weight to reduce the risk to their knees and keep up with exercise to maintain longevity. 

Best In Show

So which dog won best in show at the 2026 Westminster kennel Club Dog Show? If you have access to the internet or social media, you will know it was Penny the Doberman Pinscher. How do dogs get to this ring in confirmation? Dogs start in their breed and group. The best of the group (the dogs we have highlighted) step into the final ring to determine the best in temperament and look that fits to breed standard. They are based on standards to improve the breed’s health and genetics. Penny’s handler Andy Linton has been showing since 1974, learning from some of the top handlers like Clay Coady, Tim Brazier and Bob and Jane Forsyth. His first notable win was in 1989 at the Westminster with Doberman Indy and again this year he ran with Penny winning the best in show yet again. He has been a Doberman handler for over 50 years. Penny is the 42nd bitch to win the Westminster best in show and the first doberman since 1989 when Andy last showed with Indy. This was a monumental win for Linton and Penny. Linton has been battling Parkinson’s disease and has significantly reduced his work in the pet world. This year he had a goal…a goal to win – and he did just that.