I’m so excited…I just got my tickets to the Westminster Dog Show in the mail.  Although I’ve watched it on TV plenty of times, I’ve never been to any dog show in person.  And now I’m going to the grand daddy of ‘em all - I can’t wait!!!

So, the show goes for two days - Monday, Feb 11th and Tuesday, Feb 12th.  We’re going on Day 2 because that’s when the Brussels Griffons are competing (of course!) with the rest of the Toy, Sporting and Working dogs.  Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding dogs are being judged on Monday.  You can click here for the full judging schedule. 

169 total breeds are being judged this year - 4 breeds are new to Westminster this year:  the Plott (Hound Group), the Tibetan Mastiff (Working), the Swedish Vallhund (Herding) and the Beauceron (Herding).

 It looks like there are still tickets available, but if you can’t make it to Madison Square Garden, you can always check out the live coverage on the USA Network & CNBC.

My sources tell me that Westminster is one of the best dog shows for live spectators because everyone can walk around and see the contenders while they’re getting ready.  Are there any veteran Westminster-ites out there with any tips to offer a newbie??

 I’ll have a full report of my first Westminster experience for you next week!