Pedigree pooches compete to be top dog

Beauty pageants may be relics of a bygone era, but the canine counterpart is more popular than ever, as evidenced by the sellout crowds who packed Madison Square Garden for the first day of the Westminster Kennel Club's annual dog show.

Aging dogs rubbed muzzles with puppies, dog lovers cheered their favorites, fathers went up against offspring and three breeds made their premier appearances at the 134th prestigious competition.

Click here or on the image above to see our favourite pedigree pooches

With about 2,500 dogs representing 173 different breeds and varieties, the WKC show has become the nation's top dog event, thanks in part to its nationwide final-night telecast in recent years on USA Network. The final night of the two-day competition will be shown on Tuesday.