The famed Westminster Kennel Club dog show will be held next Monday and Tuesday, February 9th and 10th at Madison Square Garden.

I do not think I will be attending the show this year, but will probably watch some of it on television. After years of wishing I could go (but having to work), I was finally able to check it out last year. The most fun and interesting part of actually being there is being able to walk around the backstage area where all of the dogs are groomed and held until they compete. Watching the individual breed judging is chaotic because they set up over half a dozen rings that all run simultaneously. Even the group judging is tough to follow because you don’t have the handy commentary to help you understand what is going on.

The Best in Show judging was pretty exciting, though. All of the expectation was on the eventual winner, Uno the beagle. I do not pretend to know all of the intricacies that go into judging a show dog, but that dog did have tons of personality. For a dog to resonate personality at a venue as large as MSG… wow.

If you too plan on watching the show on tv, the Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting, and Herding group competitions will be televised live Monday on USA Network from 8-9PM ET and continuing on CNBC from 9-11PM ET. The Sporting, Working, Toy, and Best In Show competitions will be televised live Tuesday on USA Network from 8-11PM ET.

Does anyone know who the main contenders are this year? Who are you rooting for?