137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2013 (slide show)

Purebred pooches faced off at Madison Square Garden for the coveted title of Best in Show.

By Sarah Theeboom Sun Feb 12 2012

Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013
Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013

Photograph: Jessica Lin

137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, 2013

While you were watching the State of the Union address last night, the finals of the 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show were going down at Madison Square Garden. (No judgment on your priorities, but just FYI, the four-legged pageant is the most prestigious of its kind in the world, whereas what you were watching only really pertains to America. Just sayin'.)

So here's what you missed: An Affenpinscher named GCH Banana Joe V Tani Kazari (or Banana Joe, as his friends call him) beat out 2,721 other entrants to snag the Best in Show title. That's a big deal—it's like winning the canine Kentucky Derby, and according to our interview with last year's winner, it's very likely Banana Joe will now retire from the competitive world of purebred dog shows and pursue some of his other interests, like painting. Runner-up went to an Old English Sheepdog called Bugaboo's Picture Perfect, whose hair was frankly in better condition than most of the men I know. Check out our snaps of the champion pups as well as the other finalists, all groomed to within an inch of their adorable lives.