Westminster dog show welcomes new breeds

he two new breeds eligible to compete in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Treeing Walker Coonhound, left, and the Russell Terrier, make each other's acquaintance during a news conference in New York, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. The 137th show is scheduled to run for two days starting on Feb. 11. / AP Photo/Seth Wenig

NEW YORK America's top dog show is ready to welcome two new breeds this year.

Two weeks before the start of the Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Garden, a pair of treeing Walker coonhounds and several Russell terriers were introduced Monday at a hotel across from the arena.

There will be 187 different breeds and varieties represented at the 137th Westminster event.

The treeing Walker coonhound looks like a large beagle. It gets its name for the way it chases raccoons up trees.

The Russell terrier is often referred to as a Jack Russell terrier.

More than 2,700 dogs will compete starting Feb. 11 for the title of best in show.

The two new breeds eligible to compete in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Treeing Walker Coonhound, left, and the Russell Terrier, make each other's acquaintance during a news conference in New York, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. The 137th show is scheduled to run for two days starting on Feb. 11.

/ AP Photo/Seth Wenig

[fred8780]

The breeders that favored the "Parson Russel Terrier" were primarily interested in conformation issues I believe and the "Jack Russel Terrier" people seemed to be more into field trials and behavior regardless of the dog's exact shape, size, color & coat. Seems that the two sets of breeders split over the issues and agreed to disagree by splitting up. I've had two really feisty JRT's and personally I don't care about the breeder questions. I just never thought that the "Parson Russel" peoiple knew jack.

[logictoo]

Reckon what kind of mouth the Walker has, cold or hot nose, drift a track, hold tree under pressure, will he go deep, is he straight and does he run tree or tree back or what? I bet the owner could not answer a single one of these questions.

[Jculler8]

I reckon I do and I reckon I won more with my TW's and treed more coon in one year than you've ever seen.

[sickofbull]

Wag more, bark less.
Confusing to me: so what is the Parson's Terrier? Thought the JR was changed to that name? I cannot keep up with the bastardization of breeds these days. But I do like Walker hounds and they have been around for a very long time.

[alaskanpoet]

We have always known that a dog is man's best friend
And from Darwin that evolution will never end
A new Russel terrier and a Walker that trees coons
The wolf ancestors are happily bayng at the moon
But Westminster needs to do more
More breeds need to have the chance on the Garden floor
Why not add to the list of dogs the abandoned shelter mutt
Before the doors of death to those doge are too often shut.

[kma smith]

could have chosen a better picture, for sure!

[HawthorneWingo]

Canine perv. Somebody have that dog arrested.

[Henri_Rochard]

What does the bumper sticker say...

Sniff More. Bark Less

lol