2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Group Winners, Results from Day 2

The 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show wrapped up! Group judging for Sporting, Working and Terrier took place on Tuesday after Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding dogs happened on Monday evening at Madison Square Garden. [DOG SHOW: 2026 WKC Dog Show: Everything To Know About This Year’s Competition] Here are the results: Best in Show — Penny the Doberman Pinscher Reserve Best in Show (Runner-up) — Cota the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Hound Group — Afghan Hound Zaida the Afghan Hound, officially known as GCHG CH Zaida Bint Muti Von Haussman, was the first dog to punch its ticket to Tuesday’s Best in Show competition. This year’s Hound Group had 356 total entries and 12 total Afghan Hounds in the mix, including Zaida. The most-entered breed in the Hound Group was the Rhodesian Ridgeback (34). Afghan Hounds are known for their energetic, friendly and sociable demeanor. They were discovered in Afghanistan during the 19th century and brought to England to be hunting dogs for the royal family. Toy Group — Maltese Cookie the Maltese, officially known as GCHB CH Ta-Jon’s Made From Scratch, was the second dog to join this year’s Best in Show field. This year’s Toy Group had 360 total entries and 10 total Maltese, including Cookie. The most-entered breed in the Toy Group was the Pomeranian (33). Maltese are known for their courageous, friendly and sociable demeanor. They were once known to have healing qualities by the aristocracy, which would put the small dogs at the end of their beds when they were ill. Non-Sporting Group — Lhasa Apsos JJ the Lhasa Apsos, officially known as GCHP CH Ta Sen Westgate Jingle Juice, was the third dog that advanced to this year’s Best in Show field. The Non-Sporting Group, the second-smallest group in this year’s competition, had 297 total entries and six total Lhasa Apsos, including JJ. The most-entered breed in the Non-Sporting Group was the French Bulldog (48). Lhasa Apsos, a Tibetan breed, are also known for their courageous, friendly and sociable demeanor. A small but sturdy dog, Lhasa Apsos are covered from head to tail with a long, dense, hard coat to protect them from an often-harsh Tibetan climate and were once used to guard the temples. Herding Group — Old English Sheepdog Graham the Old English Sheepdog, officially known as GCHB CH Bugaboo’s Give Me S’more, was the fourth dog to advance to Best in Show and the final dog selected Monday night. The Herding Group, the second-biggest group in this year’s competition, had 385 total entries and 11 total Old English Sheepdogs, including Graham. The most-entered breed in the Herding Group was the Australian Shepherd (33). Old English Sheepdogs are also known for their playful, friendly and courageous demeanor and can trace their ancestry back to the 1870s when the wool and textile industries in Europe and the British Isles were booming. They were highly prized for their expertise with livestock. Sporting Group — Cota the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Cota was the fifth dog that advanced to this year’s Best in Show field. Cota is recognized as the winningest Chesapeake Bay Retriever of all time with 51 all-breed Best in Shows, including top honors at the 2024 American Chesapeake Club National Specialty. He was ranked the #2 Sporting Dog and #5 Dog All Breeds in 2024. The 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show features 440 entries in the Sporting Group, making it the largest group in the competition. These entries represent 33 different breeds. Golden Retrievers lead this group with 52 individual entries. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are powerful, intelligent American sporting dogs, who in the 19th century, retrieved waterfowl in icy, rough waters. Working Group — Penny the Doberman Pinscher Penny the Doberman Pinshcher is the sixth dog that advanced to this year’s Best in Show field. Penny is the winner of 65 Best in Shows as of December 2025, with continued top placements in January 2026. Doberman Pinscher’s are a sleek, powerful and vigilant dog breed. They are known as the world’s finest protection dogs. They are covered with a glistening coat of black, blue, red, or fawn, with rust markings. These elegant qualities, combined with a noble wedge-shaped head and an easy, athletic way of moving, have earned Dobermans a reputation as royalty in the canine kingdom. Terrier Group — Wager the Smooth Fox Terrier Wager was the seventh dog that avanced to this year’s Best in Show field. Wager is recognized as a top-ranked Smooth Fox Terrier and a multiple Best in Show winner. Wager’s handler is Amy Rutherford, and she is known as “Cali Girl.” Fox Terriers are high-energy and feisty dogs. Fox Terriers were originally bred to hunt foxes and rodents. They are alert watchdogs, require high daily exercise, and are known for being natural diggers and barkers.