There are a lot of popular dog breeds in America and among them the most famous are the golden and Labrador retrievers, the French bulldog or the Australian shepherd. But even though they are well known all over the world, and especially very loved in the United States, unfortunately, these dog breeds have never won the prize at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. 

The luckiest dogs that have often won in this contest were Fox Terrier, Bull Terrier, Poodle, German Shepherd, Beagle and more, but not the ones that you will find in this article.

Firstly, let’s understand why this competition is so important and highly regarded: well, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is actually a conformation show for all categories of dogs that first took place in New York City in the 1877s. The contest was hosted at Madison Square Garden and Piers 91 and 94. There are hundreds of dogs with pedigrees in the competition that are divided into seven groups based on their breeds.

These groups are the following: hounds (also known as hunting dogs), toys, non-sporting, sporting, working, shepherds and terriers. The winners of these groups will advance to the “Best in Show” competition and here it will win the prize for the best dog in the show.

So, read on if you want to discover all the dog breeds that have never won this show!

Labrador Retriever

We all know that Labrador retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds in America, but with all this fame it never won the top prize in this contest. 

The truth is that Labradors receive a lot of appreciation at Madison Square Garden, but this breed did not take home Best in Show. 

Many people have tried to explain why Labrador Retrievers do not win this competition and have come to the conclusion that maybe their lovable personality can be the reason. Sometimes such a personality trait can prevent them from being competitive or probably because they are not so fancy and extravagant. 

“There are a lot of Labradors that have given me goose bumps, but I think it’s an acquired taste,” said Cindy Vogels, a Westminster Best in Show judge.

Golden Retriever

This dog breed won Best of Group only once in 2006 at Westminster. 

“If you had a popularity contest, we would win,” said Christine Miele, the Eastern vice president of the Golden Retriever Club of America. “We have everything in the world going for us except Westminster, and I think we’re okay with that.”

Their lovely expression says it all! The truth is that golden retrievers are really friendly with everyone, including strangers, kids, other dog breeds, cats and all kinds of creatures. Perhaps this is the reason why they are not competitive enough for winning the Westminster Dog Show. Even though they are very enthusiastic about anything, especially when they are puppies, they can be trained and prepared for different competitions. 

Some animal experts say that this dog breed is often distracted by many things and sounds that surround it and sometimes it can be difficult to teach them new things.

 Dachshund

These cute dogs won Best of Group at Westminster 11 times, but they were never at the top of the list of the most successful winners. 

Some animal experts believe that the small size of these dog breeds may be their weak point in this competition. But despite their size, these dogs are well known especially for their courageous and brave personality, however, they can be aggressive sometimes but only with strangers and other dogs. Actually, this could be the reason why they won Best of Group at Westminster. 

As you probably know, this dog breed belongs to the category of hunting dogs and even if they are really competitive and smart, their small size may be a disadvantage in such contests. 

According to Walter Jones, a vice president of the Dachshund Club of America, “I think one of the reasons some breeds don’t make it to the end is that they just aren’t the glamour breeds who are so flashy in the group. Dachshunds compete against many larger breeds in the hound group that are simply more impressive.”

French Bulldog

As opposed to the bulldogs that won Best in Show twice in 1913 and 1955, the smaller brother French bulldog was more unlucky in this regard not winning any big prizes, except for the Best of Group received only once in 2010. 

French bulldogs compete in the Non-sporting group but it seems that they are not good enough to win in front of the poodles. 

People who own these dog breeds know that they are really clever, charming and they can adapt very quickly in any condition, which means they are quite competitive and feared opponents! Maybe in the future, they will win this amazing canine competition, especially because they are intelligent, easy to train and learn new things before you could say: Jack Robinson!

Rottweiler

Despite the reputation and stereotypes associated with these dog breeds, Rottweilers are one of the most popular animals in the United States and we can confirm that they are really loving, intelligent, calm and kind. But even though they are really brave and smart, unfortunately, they are unlucky when it comes to winning the big prize at the Westminster Dog Show. Nevertheless, back in 2006, this dog breed only won Best of Group once. 

They can get along very well with other dogs and people if they are well socialized. Rottweilers are considered guarding dogs and they are really confident, active, ambitious and capable of learning new things quickly. So, we are sure that next time at Westminster Dog Show the bigger winner will be a Rottweiler.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Well, when it comes to counting the fans of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi we have to take into consideration the biggest vote of them all, namely Queen Elizabeth II. Unfortunately, the jury of Westminster Dog Show doesn’t have such a royal opinion on this breed.

This beautiful dog breed did not win the biggest prize at this competition, but instead, it received Best of Group title seven times. 

Due to their athletic, competitive and ambitious spirit, these dog breeds are also known as ‘bog dogs on short legs.’ They are really active, agile and intelligent animals and we are sure that they can be prepared at any time for a canine competition.

Shih Tzu

Even though this beautiful dog breed has noble features and roots, it is not yet the happy winner of the big prize at Westminster and must wait a little longer until it receives the crown.

The Shih Tzu is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States and won Best of Group title five times since 1969. Moreover, these dogs are dynamic, affectionate, smart and friendly animals. Maybe next time it will win the Westminster Dog Show.

Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd won Best of Group in 2008, but it seems that the competition was not that easy for him because he has not received the biggest prize yet. 

Many people who own this beautiful and interesting breed know that these dogs are extremely active, friendly, ambitious and intelligent creatures. Additionally, they tend to get along well with other pets and they are easy to train. Of course with a little perseverance, the Australian Shepherd will probably win the biggest prize next year at the Westminster Dog Show.