A relaxed, pointy-eared Doberman pinscher named Penny was crowned best in show at the 150^th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City this Tuesday. On Wednesday night, her handler Andy Linton arrived back at his Clark County home in Brush Prairie.

Competing and winning were surreal.

“You have to imagine being on the floor of Madison Square Garden, and there’s 15-, 16-, 17,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs for their favorite dog,” Linton said.

Westminster is the biggest dog show in the U.S., and it’s the second time that Linton, a professional dog handler, has won the prize. He previously earned the best in show title in 1989 while working with another Doberman, named Indy. Penny rose to the top in a pool of 2,500 dogs from across 200 breeds.

The best in show title is awarded to the dog that best embodies its own particular breed. After a winner is chosen for each breed, they’re combined into seven broad groups and ranked within those groups. First place in each group competes for best in show, with judges picking the dog that most closely resembles the standard for its breed.

Penny got the title for her embodiment of the fearless, bold Doberman pinscher.

“She’s about as close to the standard as any Doberman I’ve ever seen,” Linton said.

Penny is now back home with her owners in Toronto, Canada. Linton spent the past two and a half years working and living with her. Returning her to her owners was like having to “let go of your kid,” he said, and not only because of Westminster.

Linton’s win comes at an especially poignant time in his life. Several years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The neurological disease affects movement and speech, affecting his confidence and the physical coordination needed to compete, he said.

“Some days you just don’t feel like moving. You’re stiff and stuck in place.”

Penny kept him motivated.

“She’s really helped me out considerably, over the last year especially,” he said.

Linton showed his first dog in 1974 at the Beverly Hills Kennel Club. Now, more than 50 years later, he said, he’s in the twilight of his career. He plans to keep working with a half dozen dogs for as long as he can. The 2026 Westminster win was a capstone to that career.

“It’s pretty weird to do this 37 years later, after I’ve done it before,” he said. “It’s kind of an emotional event for me.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/05/doberman-clark-county-westminster-dog-show-andy-linton-penny/