EverythingDogBlog #125: Dogs Debut at Westminster!

Does the Rat Terrier sound familiar? How about the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno? If you are from New Hampshire, surely you have seen some Chinooks.

What do these three breeds have in common?

They are dogs that will be shown in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next week for the first time (see photos courtesy of the Westminster Kennel Club). The 138th Westminster Dog Show will air on TV Monday and Tuesday evenings.

The Rat Terrier

In the Terrier Group, 20 Rat Terrier champions will be shown next week in New York. Learn about their 18 different colors and 9 different markings on the website of the Rat Terrier Club of America here. They hunt rodents both on the ground and below. Rat terriers also enjoy canine sports such as terrier racing, lure coursing, barn hunt and earthdog.

The Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (gotta love that name!)

A member of the Hound Group, the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno hails from Portugal and is an avid rabbit hunter. The breed comes in either smooth or wire coat varieties. The Pequeno is the smallest of three Podengos and I venture to guess that many pre-teen girls will fall in love with these 8 dogs at Westminster. For more information, check out this webpage.

The Chinook

Also the name of a warm winter wind from the south (but in the west) that melts snow, the Chinook has been the state dog of New Hampshire since 2009 (the breed was developed in the state nearly a hundred years ago). You will be able to see 4 of these Working Group dogs at Westminster. They like tracking, therapy, sledding, skijoring, scootering and carting. The Chinook Club of America’s webpage can be found here and has a section on genetics. This rare breed of sled dog was used in the first Byrd Antarctic Expedition of 1927.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Watch all the action on TV Monday and Tuesday night or visit thewebsite for live streaming all day.

I will also be posting my article, Westminster 101. Look for it!

(Photos credit: Westminster Kennel Club. This article first appeared on ColumbiaPatch.com on 6 February 2014.)