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New at Westminster dog show: Seven breeds, obedience contest

New at Westminster dog show: Seven breeds, obedience contest | iNFOnews.ca
A Spanish Water Dog is introduced at a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016 in New York as one of seven breeds which will compete for the first time at next month's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The nation's premier dog show will feature a bumper crop of seven new breeds this year, ranging from a rugged South African watchdog to an Italian truffle-sniffing specialist.

Next month's Westminster Kennel Club show also newly includes an obedience competition. An agility contest was added in 2014. Both are open to mixed-breed dogs.

In the traditional breed judging, the seven newcomers represent the most additions since at least 2000. They were spotlighted at a news conference Thursday at Madison Square Garden, where the best in show will be chosen on Feb. 16.

They are: the Bergamasco, the berger Picard, the Boerboel, the Cirneco dell'Etna, the lagotto Romagnolo, the miniature American shepherd and the Spanish water dog.

Breeds are added as they earn recognition from the American Kennel Club. Criteria include having several hundred dogs of the breed nationwide.

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Howard Alexander

Assistant Editor Howard Alexander comes to iNFOnews.ca from the broadcasting side of the media business.

Howard has been a reporter, news anchor, talk show host and news director, first in Saskatchewan and then the Okanagan.

He moved his family to Vernon in the 90s and is proud to call the Okanagan home.

If you have an event to share contact Howard at 250-309-5343or email halexander@infonews.ca.

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