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A two-day benched confirmation show, with qualified judges of New York's Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden annually evaluating individual purebred breeds of dogs on how well that dog conforms to their breed standards, is going on right now in New York (February 15-16, 2010).  It is considered to be the most prestigious dog show in the United States after the Crufts International Dog Show that is held in the UK.

All dog participants of the Westminster Dog Show are required to be registered with the American Kennel Club, an annual dog exhibit where top dogs of each breed compete. Considered the second-oldest sporting event in America, Westminster dogs are seen for the very first time as a nationally ranked champions.  Awards such as Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, or Award of Merits offer many unexpected opportunities, especially when new breeds of dogs are invited to show.

New breeds of dogs in the Westminster:

Pyrenean Shepherd (2010) – the Pyrenean Shepherd Club of America became effective on January 1, 2009 and recorded in the AKC Founcation Stock Service since 2001.  Known also by its French name, Berger des Pyrénées (pronounced ber-JAE day pyr-ray-NAE), Americans also call the Pyrenean Shepherd "pyr shep".

Considered the traditional working companion of the Great Pyrenees, it is smaller but prized for its agility and loyalty. Historically, the Pyrenean Shepherd has been bred since the early medieval times in Southern France for livestock herding.

Norwegian Buhund (2010) – belonging to the Spitz group, the Norwegian Buhund as bred as a Viking farm dog back in the 10th century. The word "bu" means homestead or farm and "hund" refers to hound.  The Norwegian Buhund can be either cream-colored or black with a Spitz curly tail, has a background from sailing Viking ships with a long history of working on Norwegian farms.

Irish Red and White Setter (2010) – the Irish Red and White Setter is a breed from the Irish Setter, almost becoming extinct in the early 1900s due to the extreme popularity of the traditional red Irish Setter. Considered a very gentle dog with high energy, this is a distinct breed eventually making a comeback. It history goes back to Ireland as a pointing bird dog, thriving best in very active families with high energy outlets.

Dogue De Bordeaux (2009) – A beautiful mastiff which we recognize by the "Turner and Hooch" movie, the Dogue De Boordeaux is one of France's most ancient of breeds. Also called the French Mastiff, they have a calm personality with extreme loyalty to their family. If not socialized at an early age with a firm and calm owner, they can become quite aggressive to strangers and other animals.