Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2025 Photos: Monty the Schnauzer Wins

NEW YORK, NY — Monty, a giant schnauzer, won the top prize at the 2025 Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday night in New York. Katie Bernardin, Monty's owner, was overcome with emotion, saying that “he always tries so hard, and we’re just proud of him,” to the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Monty bested six other finalists, becoming the first schnauzer tapped as Westminster's best in show, which is considered to be the most prestigious prize in the U.S. dog show world. This comes less than two months after winning huge at the American Kennel Club championship in December. He also has been in Westminster twice before. Co-owner of Monty, Sandy Nordstrom, said the schnauzer is a standout because of “everything from his attitude to his structure,” continuing on that he is bold, cocky and fun.

A whippet Bourbon was the runner-up for the third time, while other finalists included a bichon frisé called Neal, a Skye terrier named Archer, and a shih tzu called Comet who’s also been a finalist before. Last year's runner-up, a German shepherd named Mercedes and an English springer spaniel called Freddie rounded out the rest of the show.

Check out photos of Monty and the rest of the finalists from the Westminster Kennel Club dog show below!

The Associated Press contributed to this post.