Ranking The Best Of The Best In Show: Which Dog Breeds Have Won The Westminster Dog Show The Most

Dogs are the best. That is something we can all agree on. Cat people might argue otherwise but cat people are wrong and that is something we can all agree on as well. And when it comes to the best of the best, the ‘Best in Show’ if you will, there is no more prestigious competition than the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held annually in NYC.

This year marks the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and it all begins this weekend with the first/early events taking place at the Javits Center on the west side of Manhattan and the main dog show concluding at Madison Square Garden on February 2-3. I went a few years back for the Bernese Mountain Dog judging and later for the Group and Best in Show portions and I have to tell you, it was electric.

Which Dog Breeds Have Won ‘Best In Show’ The Most At The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?

With this year being the 150th running of the Westminster Dog Show it should not shock anyone to learn that many dog breeds have won the coveted ‘Best in Show’ title multiple times. While some dog breeds, like the Bernese Mountain Dog or the Great Pyrenees, get snubbed by the judges every single year.

In total, 20 dog breeds have won the Westminster Dog Show just once. 13 have won it twice. Two have won it three times. Seven breeds have won it four times. Two have won it five times. And then one dog breed has won the WKC Dog Show six times, another has won it 8 times, and there is one dog breed that stands above all with 15 individual ‘Best in Show’ titles. Let’s take a look!

Dog Breeds That Have Won ‘Best in Show’ Once: 20

Over the 150 years of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, these 20 dog breeds have won ‘Best in Show’ just once: Affenpinscher, Bedlington Terrier, Bloodhound, Clumber Spaniel, English Setter, Irish Water Spaniel, Kerry Blue Terrier, Papillon, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Pomeranian, Pug, Rough Collie, Scottish Deerhound, Siberian Husky, Skye Terrier, Standard Schnauzer, Sussex Spaniel, Welsh Terrier, Whippet, and the Yorkshire Terrier.

You will begin to notice a trend but terriers tend to do really well at the WKC Dog Show and lead all groups with 47 Best in Show titles.

Dog Breeds That Have Won ‘Best in Show’ Twice: 13

These 13 dog breeds have won ‘Best in Show’ on two separate occasions: Afghan Hound, Beagle, Bichon Frise, Bulldog, Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Giant Schnauzer, Lakeland Terrier, Newfoundland, Norwich Terrier, Old English Sheepdog, Toy Poodle, and the West Highland White Terrier (Westie).

The Sporting Group ranks second among ‘Best in Show’ titles across the groups with 20.

Dog Breeds That Have Won ‘Best in Show’ Three Times: 2

These two dog breeds stand along with three Westminster Dog Show ‘Best in Show’ titles: the German Shorthaired Pointer and the Pointer. Working dogs have racked up 16 ‘Best in Show’ titles throughout the years.

Dog Breeds That Have Won ‘Best in Show’ Four Times: 7

There are seven dog breeds that have won ‘Best in Show’ four times, they are the Airedale Terrier, American Cocker Spaniel, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Miniature Poodle, Smooth Fox Terrier, and the Sealyham Terrier. The Non-Sporting Group is well represented in ‘Best in Show’ with 13 total titles.

Dog Breeds Have Won ‘Best in Show’ Five Times: 2

The two dog breeds that have won ‘Best in Show’ five times are the Standard Poodle and the Pekingese. The ‘Toy’ group has won Best in Show on 12 separate occasions with the Pekingese accounting for five of those wins.

Dog Breed That Has Won ‘Best in Show’ Six Times: 1

The English Springer Spaniel, once one of the most popular dog breeds in America, has won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show on six separate occasions. Throughout the history of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Hound group dogs have won Best in Show just 8 times while the Herding group is the least represented with only 2 Best in Show titles.

Dog Breed That Has Won ‘Best in Show’ Eight Times: 1

With the second-most Best in Show titles in the history of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Scottish Terrier aka ‘Scottie’ has 8 titles.

Dog Breed That Has Won ‘Best in Show’ 15 Times: 1

With nearly double the ‘Best in Show’ titles of any other dog breed represented at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Wire Fox Terrier wears the crown. This terrier breed has won Best in Show on 15 separate occasions, most recently in 2019.

Heading into 2026, the Sporting Group will be the largest with 440 dogs competing across 33 breeds. 385 Herding dogs will compete across 33 breeds as well. I’m very partial to the Working Group dogs which will see 367 entrants competing across the 32 breeds.

With any luck, this will be the year for the BMD. Here they are 14 years ago at MSG lined up for the group judging:

This year, the WKC is calling out ‘Hidden Gem Breeds’ which it plans to highlight at the 150th Westminster Dog Show. Those breeds are the Azawakh, Berger Picard, Cesky Terrier, Danish-Swedish Farmdog, Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, Silky Terrier, and the Xoloitzcuintli which is the national dog of Mexico. So keep an eye out for them in NYC next week!