The big show kicks off on Monday but I'm already ready! To get you as psyched up as I am, I've found even more fun trivia about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (and the past pooch winners). Don't worry, there's still time to brush up before the 133rd event!
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The bulldog wheezed and snorted his way to the number 10 spot for 2007, the first time in 70 years that this big smooshy made the list – did he do it again last year? Since we've already shared our predictions for the most popular breeds, check out the official results based on 2008 AKC registration statistics released today. Obviously, there are tons of unregistered and rescued pups that we love as well, but it's still fun to see if we often spot the same breeds on our daily walkies. Find the furry faces counting down to number one when you start this slideshow.
Remember that poll to help America pick a pooch for Barack Obama? Although rescuing is usually a good option, his daughters suffer from allergies, meaning a hypoallergenic dog would do best in this home. Timed to coincide with his acceptance of the Democratic Party nomination, the AKC's released the results: a Poodle. 
Personally, of the five finalists (Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Miniature Schnauzer, Poodle, and Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier), I was pulling for the mini Schnauzer — do you agree with the suggestion of any of the three sizes of poodles, or do you have a different idea?
Well, the big show kicks off tonight! I've looked for some fun trivia about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (and the past pooch winners) – let's get caught up to date in time for the 132nd event!
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I love to watch the purebreds at Westminster . . . but I love the mixed-breed pooches, too! Many competitions like Westminster (and the AKC) are limited to those member pups, but the American Kennel Club is considering a new program giving those mutt owners a chance to participate in some agility events and have access to an interactive website of their very own. While they're currently gaging interest with a survey, many dog owners still don't join this organization (even with purebred doggies), how about you?
Woof! I'm already getting ready for the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show! In fact, I'm so excited for the big event that I created this quiz to see if you're all set to go, too. Test your knowledge of the seven dog groups – and their furry member breeds!
What a great show this year! Even though it was filmed in Long Beach, Calif. back in December, the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship premiered on TV last night. Of course, this was a must-watch for North and I as we curled up with a couple friends and some popcorn and peanut butter. After going through each of the groups, the final seven pooches – five females and two males – came out into the ring. After closer inspection and some deliberation, this Sealyham Terrier was (figuratively) crowned best in show! With a full name of Ch Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice, the pooch is called Charmin for short . . . earning that ultra cute name because of his resemblance to a ball of white fluff! To learn which other dogs topped their groups (and see when you can catch the next airing of this show), read more
As interesting as I find the most-popular breed list, I know the types of dogs we see in cities around the country can vary . . . a lot. IMO, the bigger the city, the smaller the dog — housing is tight in cities like NYC and SF and many leasing companies have size restrictions. As if they were reading my mind, this year the AKC released lists of the top registered purebreds in the 50 largest US cities. Of course, I clicked on San Francisco right off the bat . . . and hooray! Boston Terriers hit the list in one very special city, none other than Fog City! Now I can't take credit as North is registered in NYC, but I'm happy to know that he has lots of smushed-face pals in playgroup. On our top 10, nearly all of those breeds were represented as Bulldogs, Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Boston Terriers made the list! If you want to learn more and see all the results, just read more
While the American Kennel Club releases an ordered list of the top 10 most popular dog breeds based on the previous year's registered numbers, I decided to host my own informal survey here on PetSugar to see which pooch our readers picked as the most common. Choosing from the most popular dogs from 2006, you decided that this year's list toppers would be . . .
Labrador retrievers! Whether chocolate, yellow, or black, these perennial favorites topped the list last year . . . so they're a likely bet to once again reign supreme. If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to take your pick because I'll be comparing our final rankings to the official ones released by the AKC in January.
