Buddy Holly has been crowned the best in show at the annual Westminster Kennel Dog Show in New York City.
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen was up against many strong contenders including an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Giant Schnauzer and an English Setter.
Buddy Holly, handled by Janice Hayes, was howling with joy when they found out they were the best dog at the 147th Westminster Dog Show.
More than 3,000 dogs attended the show held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City, to try win the top prize.
The Westminster show has one of the world's most prestigious dog shows, with some people even calling it the "Super Bowl" of dog shows.
The Reserve Best in Show went to Rummie, a Pekingese, who won the Toy group.
The show, which ran from May 6-9, had several other categories including hound group, herding group and sporting group.
Cider the English Settler was wagging with delight after winning the Sporting Group category of the show.
A Bracco Italiano named Lepshi won his breed’s debut at the United States’s most prestigious dog show — a dog which happened to be co-owned by country music and 1883 series star Tim McGraw.
Each group winner advances into the Best Show category which is the last event of the dog show.
In 2022, Trumpet the bloodhound took the title of Best in Show, making him the first bloodhound to win the Westminster Dog Show.
How judges decide
"Like all things, beauty is subjective," said Ann Ingram, who travelled from Cork, Ireland, to New York City to judge several events.
"A dog's attitude in the ring can help. If the dog loves itself, you can tell. He kind of has that attitude of, you know, 'I'm a winner'."
In short: There are the obvious characteristics — the quantifiable ones — and then there are the intangibles.
"With breeds like Frenchies and bulldogs, where there are health concerns with the breathing, you want to see them be able to move without any signs of distress," Ms Ingram said.
A spirited trot or swishy, excited wag of the tail may signify an excellent performance for one breed, but subpar training for another.
Some dogs were bred to hunt lions (Rhodesian Ridgeback), while others are bred to be affectionate puffballs (Pekingese). Others are arrogant or aloof.
Ms Ingram says that when you approach an Afghan hound, "They actually look through you, rather than at you," because they're bred to be far-seeing.
"It's like, 'You're disturbing my vision — could you move'?"
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