Her name was Penny. The moment was priceless.
A Doberman pinscher named Penny captured best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, earning the most coveted title in American show-dog competition — and delivering veteran handler Andy Linton another triumph nearly four decades into his career.
Linton last took best in show back in 1989 with another Doberman, a dog named Indy.
Penny “is as great a Doberman as I have ever seen,” Linton told the supportive crowd. Despite ongoing health challenges, he guided the 4-year-old through a razor-sharp, picture-perfect performance in the ring.
“I had some goals, and this was one of them,” Linton said.
Reserve best in show — and cheers just as loud — went to a Chesapeake Bay retriever named Cota. Dobermans have now won five times, including Tuesday, while no retriever has ever taken the top prize, so their supporters celebrate every sign that the breakthrough could be coming.
Cota seemed to love the spotlight too, especially when his handler let him have a playful moment with the ribbon.
Other finalists included an Afghan hound named Zaida, a Lhasa apso called JJ, a Maltese named Cookie, an Old English sheepdog dubbed Graham and a smooth fox terrier called Wager.
Each dog is evaluated on how closely it matches the ideal standard for its breed.
The winner walks away with a trophy, ribbons, bragging rights, and the distinction of claiming the milestone 150th annual Westminster title.
A crowd favorite at the 2025 Westminster show, Penny has been lighting up show rings ever since.
Handlers, breeders, and dog lovers packed the early rounds Tuesday afternoon, loudly rooting for both Penny and the well-liked Linton as they advanced.
Afterward at ringside, Penny gently — but very intentionally — nudged her nose into a visitor’s leg, clearly searching for something. It turned out she wanted exactly what you’d expect: attention and pets.
Co-owner Greg Chan of Toronto said the 4-year-old Penny is “very demanding and very smart,” but also “a pleaser — she’ll do anything for food.” Asked about her favorite snack, he didn’t hesitate: “Everything.”
Penny emerged on top after two days of competition featuring around 2,500 dogs and more than 200 breeds, all strutting their best for the Westminster Kennel Club.
Plenty of others delivered meme-worthy moments or brought extra laughs to the crowd, even if they didn’t make the final cut.
Over two nights of semifinals, spectators roared especially loud for a Xoloitzcuintli named Calaco, a hairless dog who cruised around the ring like he had absolutely nothing to prove.
A vizsla named Beamer charmed everyone by hopping into a box meant for his handler’s tools, and Storm the Newfoundland drew laughs when he sprang up on his handler, nearly matching her height as he stood tall.
Spectators cheered so loudly for a golden retriever named Oliver that they drowned out the arena announcer, while chants of “Lumpy! Lumpy!” echoed around the ring as Lumpy the Pekingese strutted in front of a judge.
One history-making semifinalist was Millie, a Danish-Swedish farmdog.
The small, energetic breed became eligible for Westminster only this year, and Millie outperformed roughly 10 other farmdogs Tuesday afternoon to secure a place in the evening round.
“It’s been a very exciting journey” to establish the breed in the U.S., said Brita Lemmon, who got her first farmdog in 2000 and competed Tuesday with one named Coyote.
Westminster wins often go to dogs backed by professional handlers, or owners with decades — sometimes generations — of experience in the sport.
But simply making it into the elite, champions-only show is a huge achievement in dogdom, especially for first-timers like Joseph Carrero and his Neapolitan mastiff, Dezi.
After wanting a Neo since his teenage years, Carrero finally got one when he was 35.
A heavy equipment operator from Indian Springs, Nevada, he began showing the dog only because the breeder asked him to.
Now Carrero breeds and handles his Neos himself, while also working full-time — and then some.
“It’s really hard for us to do this, but we enjoy it, and he enjoys it,” Carrero said as visitors gathered around to greet the jowly, 190-pound dog.
Boerboels, formidable guard dogs originally from South Africa, played a major role in how Natalee Ridenhour met her late husband and why she eventually traded metropolitan life for a farm in Royse City, Texas.
On Tuesday, Ridenhour and a Boerboel named Invictus did something else she once wouldn’t have imagined: compete at the Westminster show.
The dog didn’t advance beyond the first round. But as a visitor happily petted the 170-pound animal, Ridenhour said, “Honestly, the big win is: You’re about the 50th person who’s gotten down in his face and loved on him.”
@wkcdogs Penny the Doberman Pinscher takes the 2026 Working Group win! 🏆
