Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Power Ranking 2012's New Breeds

Dog lovers everywhere have plenty of reason to be excited, as the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is right around the corner. 

It will take place on Monday, Feb. 13 and Tuesday Feb. 14, emanating from New York City's Madison Square Garden. Even better this year is that according to the show's official website, there will be six new breeds of dog at the 2012 contest. 

Without further ado, let's take a look at what we can expect from the newcomers. 

6. Cesky Terrier

You can call this a matter of preference if you would like, but I have never been a huge fan of dogs that are either extremely hairy or small. The combination of both just creates a weird look that's a little hard to explain. 

These dogs just look a little awkward to be competing in such an elite competition. It is hard to go wrong with any dog, but when we're talking about comparing them against each other, this one falls down the list a little bit. 

5. Finnish Lapphund

They fall into a similar category as the Cesky Terrier. The dogs are cute enough, but don't quite have the overall punch that the other dogs in this contest do. 

Next to some of the more majestic-looking dogs, these small breeds just look out of place. They have a little too much hair for the small bodies. Again, certainly high on the cute scale, but they don't quite bring the overall value that some of the other top dogs do.

4. Xoloitzcuintli

This is the last dog with an awkward look here, although it's the exact opposite of the previous two. It looks awkward to see any dog hairless, but smaller dogs look a little more natural. This dog is a little too big to have no hair. 

Something about it looks a little out of place. But to be fair, just about any breed of dog will look out of close when compared to the top three newcomers. They made these rankings very hard. Aside from the awkwardness that comes with having no hair, the Xoloitzcuintli is a fine looking dog, but these three are hard to compare to. 

3. Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Looking at this dog, it is hard to find a real flaw. Size wise, it looks pretty perfect. The hair length is great for a dog this big, and the combination of colors is very hard to beat. 

The one flaw that keeps it from the top two is the shortened tail. That has always been an unnatural look on dogs. Something about it just doesn't quite stack up. 

Otherwise, this is a challenging dog to find a flaw in. It has the cute factor working, but also a very classic look that works well in shows. This will be a fun one to keep an eye on. 

2. American English Coonhound

You can try to find a flaw with this animal, but you're going to have to look pretty hard. Hounds are just special animals. There is very little to not like about hounds. They are beautiful dogs and also extremely efficient. This one has the looks, but a lot more to go with it. 

The color mix is absolutely stunning. The long legs and small frame work perfectly for the hunting that these animals are known for. 

Seeing this breed will be very interesting. It would be easy to call this dog No. 1, but this dog lacks one thing.

1. Norwegian Lundehund

As great as the American English Coonhound is, it does not have the husky look. While not a husky, the Norwegian Lundehund has a lot of the similar looks, which works well given the part of the world it lives in. 

These dogs are absolutely gorgeous. The colors flow perfectly from one to the other, the ears are perfectly shaped, the eyes are spectacular. This is not only a dog that will be fun to watch as a newcomer, but also in the whole competition. If you can find a breed better than this one, I would love to see it. 

Photos of new dogs courtesy of westminsterkennelclub.org

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