A food stupor on Thursday caused me to miss the crowning of a new king. Behold the champion: 2.5-year-old, 18-pound North Carolinean pug Vito claimed best in show at the National Dog Show, becoming the first pug to nab the big win. So how is the champ dealing with all the hoopla? Well, it’s his 25th BIS title, and judging by his face, I’m guessing he feels a little sheepish, woeful, and guilty. Just gaze into what CNN calls his “sympathetic eyes.”
Vito the pug has been crowned best in show at the 92nd annual National Dog Show — the first time a pug has won the title in at least two decades.
A 2.5-year-old pug with sympathetic eyes and a muscly stature, Vito bested about 2,000 other canines to take the title at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center for this year’s show which aired on NBC Thursday.
Vito has racked up 25 best-in-shows over his short career, his co-owner Carolyn Koch, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina told NBC, adding that she was “so proud” of the pug.
Vito beat a Welsh terrier, a giant schnauzer, a Clumber spaniel, a Lhasa apso, a Berger Picard and an Ibizan hound to earn the top spot. Second place went to the Welsh terrier, named Verde.
Any American Kennel Club-registered dog can enter the show. Judges assess the competitors based on their appearance, temperament and structure, with a focus on how well they conform to the expectations of their breed.
The owners of the winning animal take home a $2,000 prize.
Last year’s winner was a cream-colored Sealyham terrier called Stache.
Ah, Stache, has it really been a whole year since his victory? It feels both like yesterday and eons ago. Whereas Stache’s signature bangs artfully concealed much of his eyes, those of this year’s winner Vito are an open book. The agony, the pathos in this pup’s peepers! To me they say, “I’m so sorry. It should’ve been someone else. I didn’t want this either. All these titles — I mean they’re nice and all, I mean no disrespect, but all I’d really like is a good scritch behind the ears, a reliable source of food, and if we could find some way to improve my breathing after centuries of selective breeding have smushed my nose flat against my face, well, that would be lovely.”
Regardless of my projecting onto Vito’s vulnerable visage, congratulations to him on this historic win. You have done pugs the world over proud, and are a very good boy.
Make way for a small but mighty breed… the Pug! Watch them compete in the Toy Group at The National Dog Show presented by Purina on NBC & Peacock. pic.twitter.com/cxz7f2Tb8C
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) November 28, 2024
He’s a handsome boy. Those smooshed faces really bother me though. In an ideal world, quality of life would more important than what sells.
Hard agree. That poor baby probably has crazy health issues.
I couldn’t watch because my pug princess Daisy gets too wound up when there are a bunch of dogs on, but we’re both so happy a pug won! Go Vito!
Ok this is the funniest thing I’ve read today. I couldn’t watch because the dog gets too excited, over a dog competition. I picture your dog inviting other dogs over for a watch party
Pugs are a great size for people who don’t have a huge backyard.
What I don’t get: how haven’t they tried to reverse-breed these awfully torturous smushed faces? Poor little doggies.
They are reversed bred now. If you look at the close up of the pug’s face, the nostrils are now round (when before they were smooshed vertical slits). The rounded nostrils fix the breathing issues and the pug of today is quite sturdy and healthy.
No. There is so much more to this than nostril size. Narrow tracheas, everted ventricles, long soft palate, almost no nasal epithelium area, spinal deformity, facial fold issues, eye issues……. look past the nostrils.
My understanding is these dogs can sometimes come with large vet bills.
Go to the animal shelter.
Give a dog a home.
It’ll love you forever.
They’ve been overbred for features that give them health problems. It’s sad. It surprises me that people are aware and don’t care to the point it’s the most popular dog.
no, just no, to disinformation and parroted bullet points. y’all are disappointing and quite incorrect. pugs are quite sturdy and have great senses of humor. a grumble of pugs is a joy to behold. too bad for you who do not know of what you soeak.
I think pugs are ADORABLE and had a couple when I was younger. And although my pugs were relatively healthy and didn’t have serious issues (one even jogged with us!), wouldn’t get pugs again as a dog though due to the breathing and hip dysplasia issues. And the shedding!!!
But so so so cute.
Only $2,000? Jeepers, Vito, ya got robbed!