57 of the cutest dogs at the Westminster Dog Show - including the winner, King the wire fox terrier

From a Lhasa Apso named Eric to Ditto the Shetland Sheepdog

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The Westminster Dog Show is over again for another year: Best in Show went to a Wire Fox Terrier named King on Tuesday in New York, further solidifying the breed's "top dog" status in the esteemed competition. The 143rd installment of the dog show drew 2,800 dogs from around the world.

Wire Fox Terriers have now claimed the crown 15 times. The Scottish Terrier is second on the all-time list with eight titles. "It means everything," King's handler, Gabriel Rangel, told the crowd through tears at Madison Square Garden after judge Peter Green announced his pick. Green selected a Havanese named "Bono" as the runner-up over four other finalists. "After you win this magnificent competition, there's nothing more to do," Rangel said of King's future. "He should be running around a field somewhere."

The championship round featured six dogs instead of the customary seven contestants after Colton the Schipperke was excluded because of a conflict of interest. The Schipperke won the non-sporting group on Monday, a first for the small black breed. One of Colton's co-owners has co-owned dogs previously with Green.

Schipperke "Colton" and its trainer compete in the Best in Show group at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City, New York, U.S., February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Schipperke 'Colton' and its trainer. Photo: Reuters

At the outset of the "Best in Show" round, Colton was brought out to the audience and allowed to parade around briefly with the other finalists. But he was escorted off the stage before Green got down to business with the judging as an announcer explained his banishment as needed to "maintain the integrity of the sport."

In other news, a Longhaired Dachshund named Burns made it to the Best in Show part of the competition - no dachshund has ever walked off with best in show, so the fact he was even in the competition was of note.

A Longhaired Dachshund named Burns competes in Best in Hound Group at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York, U.S., on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, first held in 1877, is America's second-longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby. Photographer: David Williams/Bloomberg
Burns in action. Photo: Bloomberg

Social media stars of the show

While they didn't make the Best in Show portions of the competition, there were two social media stars from the agility competition - Gabby the three-year-old Papillon and Rudy the bulldog.

Gabby nailed it, completing the circuit at 39.31 seconds (watch the video until the end to catch her victory high fives - or, rather, high tens):

And then Rudy the bulldog smashed stereotypes - think bulldogs just sit around lazily? Think again. He only had one misstep, what a champ:

- With reporting from AFP