This noble lady won the 2026 Westminster Dog Show

Gaze upon this year's very good winners.
 By 
Amanda Yeo
 on 
Penny, the Doberman Pinscher, winner of Best in Show, during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club

The 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was held in New York this week, celebrating its 150th anniversary the best way it knows how — with a plethora of perfect pups.

This year's Westminster Dog Show featured over 2,500 entrants from across the world, all of whom were already American Kennel Club champions in their own right. These dogs were categorised into seven groups: Sporting, Herding, Working, Toy, Hound, Non-Sporting, and Terrier. The winner of each group then went on to compete for the coveted title of Best in Show, with dogs individually judged according to the ideal standard for their breed.

This year, the Westminster Kennel Club's award for Best in Show went to four-year-old Doberman Pinscher Penny, the champion of the Working Group. Penny's handler Andy Linton described her as generally "chill," though she can get worked up by a "bad guy" or squirrel, while her co-owner Gregory Chan called her demanding, smart, and "a pleaser — she'll do anything for food."


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Penny, the Doberman Pinscher, winner of Best in Show, during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Penny the Doberman Pinscher, winner of Best in Show and the Working Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club

Reserve Best in Show went to Cota the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, winner of the Sporting Group. Presumably Cota will assume Penny's duties as Best in Show if for any reason she cannot fulfil them.

Cota, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, 1st place winner of Sporting Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Cota the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, winner of Reserve Best in Show and the Sporting Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club
Zaida, the Afghan Hound, 1st place winner of Hound Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Zaida the Afghan Hound, winner of the Hound Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club
Cookie, the Maltese, 1st place winner of Toy Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Cookie the Maltese, winner of the Toy Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club
JJ, a Lhasa Apso, 1st place winner of Non-Sporting Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
JJ the Lhasa Aspo, winner of the Non-Sporting Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club
Graham, an Old English Sheepdog, 1st place winner of Hearding Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Graham the Old English Sheepdog, winner of the Hearding Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club
Wager, the Fox Terrier (Smooth), 1st place winner of Terrior Group, competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Junior Showmanship, Group Judging (Sporting, Working, Terrier) + Best In Show at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2026 in New York City.
Wager the Smooth Fox Terrier, winner of the Terrier Group. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club

Topics Animals

Amanda Yeo
Amanda Yeo
Assistant Editor

Amanda Yeo is an Assistant Editor at Mashable, covering entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good. Based in Australia, she writes about everything from video games and K-pop to movies and gadgets.

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