On Monday Morning, New York City's annual dog invasion gets underway with the opening of the 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
According to ABC News there will be 2,721 dogs representing 187 breeds competing; it is the largest entry pool in 15 years. Among the most represented breeds are golden retrievers (61), Labradors (54), and Rhodesian ridgebacks (50). There 117 dogs arriving from foreign countries, but most come from the 50 United States. Five breeds - the Plott, the Anatolian shepherd dog, the Kuvasz, the Norwegian Lundehund and the Entlebucher mountain dog - are only being represented by one dog at the competition. Many of the canines are currently residing at the Hotel Pennsylvania across the street from Madison Square Garden, where the majority of the main events will take place.
The show is offering a few changes from previous iterations. For the first time in its history the competition is slated to take place in two different locations: Madison Square Garden and Chelsea Piers. Additionally, two new breeds will also be allowed to compete in the show: the treeing walker coonhound the Russell terrier.
A new phone app has been released that will enable fans and viewers to keep track of the competition. The show takes place Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $25 for those who want to go to Chelsea Piers; going to the evening events at Madison Square Garden will cost around $40 to 50. For those who do not want to attend, the show will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on CNBC. USA Network will present encores of the previous night's spectacle at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Last year's winner was a 4-year-old Pekingese named Malachy.
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