Westminster Dog Show 2023 Live: What to watch tonight

Trumpet, a bloodhound, was named best in show last year after beating out some impressive competition.credit…Hiroko Masuiki/The New York Times

There are about 3,000 dogs in Westminster, and they are all good boys and girls. yes they are. Ooh yeah they are.

Unfortunately, however, only one person can win the event’s highest honor: Best in Show. First things first, all dogs compete against others of their breed. The 210 winners of the breeds then advance to compete in the group finals. The seven group winners (four of which have already been decided) compete for the grand prize. The overall winner will be decided as judged by this year’s best show judge, Elizabeth Swiggart of Bowmansville, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night.

What will Swiggart be looking for? It is very difficult to compare a small spitz with a huge St. Bernard. Therefore each dog is judged based on specific criteria for its particular breed. Last year’s winner was Bugle, a bloodhound. For this breed, the judges are looking for a head “furnished with a quantity of loose skin, which in almost every position appears plentiful,” fore legs “straight and large in bone, with the elbows squarely set,” and a gait that is “flexible, swaying and free.”