Standard poodle takes best in show at Westminster Kennel Club competition

With her stylish standard poodle locks, Siba won the best in show award at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday night.

Siba elegantly defeated more than 2,600 dogs representing 204 breeds over three days of competition.

Also representing their breeds and categories in the Best of Show finale were:

• Sporting - Daniel, golden retriever

• Hound - Bourbon, whippet

• Working - Wilma, boxer

• Terrier - Vinny, fox terrier

• Toy - Bono, Havanese.

• Herding - Conrad, Shetland sheepdog

• And of course the ultimate winner: Non-Sporting - Siba, poodle

Judges decide which is "best" by comparing the dog against its own breed and group's ideal standards.

"Dogs were originally bred to do specific jobs, whether hunting, guarding, tracking, or companionship," the Westminster Kennel Club explains. "The standard describes how a dog should look in order to carry out its job."

Last year's winner was King, a wire fox terrier. Bono, the Havanese, which won the Toy category this year, placed second in what’s known as "reserve best in show" in 2019.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.