New Breeds at the National Dog Show

Nov 25th 2010

It was a big year for new breeds at the 2010 National Dog Show presented by Purina! Doubling last year's introduction of three breeds, this year a whopping six breeds entered the ring for the first time: Boykin spaniel, Leonberger, Cane Corso, Icelandic sheepdog, bluetick coonhound and Redbone coonhound.

Want to know more about these new-to-the-show competitors? Here's a cheat sheet.

Boykin Spaniel: The official state dog of South Carolina, where it was originally bred as an amphibious hunting dog and named after L. Whitaker Boykin, one of the original developers of the breed. You'll be able to identify a Boykin by its relatively compact size compared to other breeds of spaniel. But like all spaniels (save the non-sporting Tibetan), it competed at the NDS in the sporting group. With its flowing, shiny, chocolate-brown coat and its agreeable demeanor, the Boykin proved a crowd-pleaser at the show.
Leonberger: The German city of Hamburg gave America the hamburger; now Leonberg, Germany gives us the Leonberger, a large-breed, Working Group dog. The AKC praises the Leonberger for being equal parts "multipurpose working dog" and "reliable family companion." We think it looks equal parts St. Bernard and German shepherd.