133rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

If you are a dog lover - especially of purebred dogs - then you probably spent some time watching the 133rd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Thousands of beautiful champion dogs competed for the titles of Best in Breed, Best in Group, and Best in Show. These purebred dogs had a big collar to fill after last year's champion, Uno, became the first Beagle in the history of the WKC Dog Show to win Best in Show.

This year, the Dogue de Bordeaux competed for the first time ever. Though this beautiful dog did not win or place in the working group category, it was a momentous event for the breed. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was this year's winner - Stump, the Sussex Spaniel - a somewhat uncommon dog breed - was named Best in Show. Stump actually won the same title back in 2004, so this is nothing new to this gorgeous dog. An interesting fact: at age 10, he is the oldest dog to ever win Best in Show at the WKC dog show. Even more impressive: Stump overcame a life-threatening illness five years ago and stopped competing. Fresh out of retirement, he was in tip-top shape for this year's competition. It goes to show that senior dogs can really be something special! However, the rest of the contenders were nothing to sniff at - the other dogs in the running for Best in Show were all stunning examples of their breeds: the Giant Schnauzer, Scottish Deerhound, Standard Poodle, Puli, Scottish Terrier, and Brussels Griffon.

For further coverage of the 133rd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, check out the Veterinary Medicine Guide's blog - she attended the show and will be covering the highlights. She has also posted a great photo gallery! You can also see the full results at the WKC official site. Did you watch this year's dog show? Share your opinions with other readers!

Photo of Uno lighting the Empire State Building in honor of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show
© Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images