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Westminster Dog Show
Shar peis stand in the Breed Showcase area during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Dog Show 101: What's what at the Westminster Kennel Club

To the casual viewer, competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show might look as simple as getting a dog, grooming it and leading it around a ring

By Jennifer Peltz
Published - May 11, 2024, 12:21 AM ET
Last Updated - May 27, 2024, 12:59 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — To the casual viewer, competing at the 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 148th year. It's a year that has been challenging for the kennel club: the show chairman died last fall and a planned judge was charged in March with possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Here are the ins and outs of Westminster, which is set to start Saturday with an agility competition at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York:

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