Penny the Doberman pinscher wins the 150th Westminster dog show : NPR
Penny, a Doberman Pinscher, participates in Best in Show judging at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in New York.
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NEW YORK — The dog’s name was Penny. The victory was priceless.
A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, taking home America’s most coveted show dog award — and giving veteran handler Andy Linton another victory after nearly four decades. Linton got best in show in 1989 with another Doberman, named Indy.
Penny “is the best Doberman I’ve ever seen,” Linton told a crowd of support. Despite health issues, he guided the 4-year-old dog in an impeccably clean performance.
“I had goals, and this was one of them,” Linton said, later adding in a conversation with reporters that, as he winds down his career, winning at the 150th annual Westminster show is “extra-special.”
Runner-up — and equally loud cheers — went to a Chesapeake Bay retriever named Cota. While the Dobermans have won five times, including Tuesday, no retriever has ever won and their fans applaud every encouraging sign.
Cookie, a Maltese, participates in Best in Show judging at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in New York.
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Cota also seemed to enjoy the moment, especially when his handler, Devon Kipp Levy, let him play with the ribbon.
Other finalists included an Afghan hound named Zaida, a Lhasa apso called JJ, a Maltese named Cookie, an Old English sheepdog nicknamed Graham and a smooth fox terrier called Wager. The judge, David Fitzpatrick, a two-time winner at Westminster, called the line-up “one that will go down in history”.
Each dog is evaluated according to its suitability to the ideal of its breed. The winner receives a trophy, ribbons and bragging rights.
A crowd favorite at the Westminster 2025 show, Penny has been rocking the rings ever since. A crowd of handlers and other dog lovers cheered on the seemingly indisputable dog and Linton during the first round Tuesday afternoon.
Then, at ringside, Penny politely but pointedly nuzzled a visitor’s leg, looking for something – pets, as it turned out. She is usually “very cold”, Linton later said, “but she can be quite excited for a bad guy. Or a squirrel.”
Della, a Kerry blue terrier, receives a kiss from her owner during the terrier group competition at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in New York.
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Co-owner Greg Chan of Toronto said Penny is “very demanding and very intelligent,” but she’s also “a people pleaser – she’ll do anything for food.” (Her favorite snack? “Everything.”)
Penny came out on top after 2,500 dogs, representing more than 200 breeds, strutted their stuff at the show.
Even if they didn’t reach the final, many had memorable moments or lit up the crowd.
During two nights of the semifinals, spectators cheered loudly for a Xoloitzcuintli named Calaco, a hairless dog who circled the ring like he had nothing to prove. A vizsla named Beamer charmed the audience by jumping into a box reserved for his owner’s tools, and Storm the Newfoundland made people laugh when he jumped on her owner, who was as tall as she was. Spectators cheered so loudly for a golden retriever named Oliver that they drowned out the arena announcer and chants of “Lumpy! Lumpy!” rang out as Lumpy the Pekingese was paraded before a judge.
One dog that made history in the semi-finals was Millie, a Danish-Swedish farm dog. The lively little breed just became eligible for this year’s Westminster Show, and Millie beat out about 10 other farm dogs on Tuesday afternoon to make it to the evening round.
Westminster victories often go to dogs led by professional handlers or owners with decades or even generations of experience behind them. But just making it to the elite, a show only for champions, is a major achievement in the dog field, especially for newbies such as Joseph Carrero and his Neapolitan Mastiff, Dezi.
After dreaming of a Neo since he was a teenager, Carrero finally got one at the age of 35. A heavy equipment operator from Indian Springs, Nev., he started showing the dog only because the breeder wanted him to. Now, Carrero himself raises and cares for his Neos in the ring, while working a full-time job and more.
Joe, a miniature schnauzer, competes in the terrier group competition at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in New York.
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“It’s really hard for us to do this, but we appreciate it, and he appreciates it,” Carrero said as visitors gathered to greet the 190-pound cheeky dog.
Boerboels, fearsome guard dogs native to South Africa, played a major role in how Natalee Ridenhour met her late husband and why she ultimately left metropolitan life for a farm in Royse City, Texas.
On Tuesday, Ridenhour and a Boerboel named Invictus did something else she never imagined: take part in the Westminster show.
The dog did not make it past the first round. But as a passerby delightedly petted the 170-pound animal, Ridenhour said, “Honestly, the big victory is this: You’re about the 50th person to face it and love it.”
