The Westminster Dog Show is an annual competition for dogs that are the cream of the crop: the very picture of their breed’s characteristic traits. The dachshunds are long of body and stubby of leg, the French bulldogs are batty of ear and smushy of face. And every year a judge decides which dog takes home the title of best in show.
But are the judges biased? The Westminster Kennel Club, which hosts the show, recognizes 199 different dog breeds in seven groups. But since the show started keeping records in 1907, only 47 breeds have been crowned best in show. Are certain breeds are just better at embodying their breed type? Or do the judges have a special place in their hearts for particular breeds?
Using data available on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website, the Daily Dot crunched the numbers and determined which breeds are the biggest winners and which country boasts the most winners. We also looked at how long it takes a rookie breed to win the coveted best in show title—65 years on average.
Click here to see a larger version of the infographic.
Max Fleishman
Next we come to the biggest losers. These breeds have been in the club since 1877, but none of them have ever won best in show. If you love a good underdog story, maybe you should root for one of these 17 breeds:
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Chesapeake Bay retriever (USA)
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Gordon Setter (Scotland)
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Irish Setter (Ireland)
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Field Spaniel (England)
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American Foxhound (USA)
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13-inch Beagle (England)
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Smooth haired dachshund (Germany)
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Greyhound (Ambiguous)
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Harrier (UK)
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Great Dane (Germany)
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Mastiff (England)
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St. Bernard (Italy/Switzerland)
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Dandie Dinmont (Scotland)
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Manchester Terrier (England)
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English toy spaniel (England)
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Italian Greyhound (Italy)
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Japanese Chin (Japan)
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Dalmatian (Croatia)
Illustration and Infographic by Max Fleishman
