Westminster: Meet The New Breeds

This year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will feature three breeds competing for the first time at the prestigious show. Get to know these three newbies in advance of the televised canine spectacular so you can cheer them on and impress your friends. This year’s show is 2,800 dogs and runs February 11, 13, and 14.

 
Meet the Pumi
Hailing from Hungary, the Pumi joins the pack as the American Kennel Club’s 190th recognized breed
The adorable Pumi is a medium-sized, agile dog from Hungary, bred to gather, drive, and keep livestock under control. A member of the Herding group, the breed is intelligent, quick to learn, and extremely willing to work. These very alert, energetic dogs require daily exercise and mental stimulation and do best with an active family. Their coat, a combination of wavy and curly hair that forms corkscrew curls all over the body, simply needs an occasional bath and a combing every two to three weeks. As AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo notes, “This lively, adorable dog makes a wonderful companion for a family willing to provide lots of exercise and mental activity.”

Meet the Sloughi
The medium-sized, smooth-coated, athletic sighthound
The Sloughi is a medium-sized, smooth-coated, athletic sighthound. An ancient breed, it is treasured in North Africa for its hunting skills, speed, agility, and endurance over long distances. The breed is noble and somewhat reserved, with a gentle, melancholy expression. Sloughis must be exercised on leash or in a large fenced area since they will run after anything that catches their fancy. The Sloughi’s smooth coat requires a weekly brushing.

Meet the American Hairless Terrier
A great breed for allergy sufferers!
Energetic, alert, curious, and intelligent, the American Hairless Terrier is a small to medium-sized, active terrier. Ancestors of the breed were bred to hunt rats and other vermin, and today the breed excels in many dog sports. The breed comes in both a hairless and coated variety, although the coated dogs still carry the hairless gene. The American Hairless Terrier is well known for causing fewer allergic reactions than other breeds, allowing many allergy sufferers to welcome them into their homes.