2018 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin results

Which show dog claimed the 2018 AKC National Championship?

The American Kennel Club‘s 2018 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, the most important dog show of the year, was held in Orlando, Florida, over December 15-16 at the Orange County Convention Center.

The show aired on Animal Planet via tape delay on January 1, with AKC Vice President Gina Dinardo and TV personality Russ Thaler announcing and sportscaster Sam Ryan providing color commentary.

Several thousand dogs competed at the breed level before they were whittled down to the champions of each of the AKC’s 192 recognized breeds and varieties, which were then trimmed down to the seven group champions, who competed for Best in Show.

The Herding Group was won by a Border Collie called Slick (officially GCHP2 CH Majestic Elite Clever Endeavor PT), the best of his breed to ever compete on the show circuit.

The Hound Group was won by a Whippet called Whiskey (GHCP CH Pinnacle Tennessee Whiskey officially), trained by his owner Justin Smithey of Sugar Valley, Georgia.

Whiskey is the No. 1 Hound in the country, who claimed the Best in Show title at the National Dog Show presented by Purina back in November.

The Sporting Group was claimed by a Weimaraner called Kevin (officially GCHS CH Nani Breica N Crosswinds Aloha). Weimaraners are the odd-colored dogs from Sesame Street, and the Kansas City Mavericks’ service dog Mave is one.

The Non-Sporting Group, essentially a miscellaneous category, was won by a French Bulldog called Princeton (GCHP CH Le Petit Prince De La Bete officially), the No. 1 Non-Sporting dog in the country.

The Terrier Group was won by a Norwich Terrier called Isaac (officially GHCG CH Roserock’s My Eyes Adored You), who quickly became the fan favorite to win inside the arena.

The Toy Group was claimed by a Pug called BIggie (officially GHCP CH Hill Country’s Puttin’ On The Ritz), the No. 1 dog in his class.

The only female to make the Best in Show finals was a Samoyed named Querita (officially GHCS CH Sammantic Querita) who won the Working Group. Her name translates roughly to “dear” in English.

After a lengthy period of tension as the judge made his final determinations, the Reserve Best in Show title (second place) was won by Querita, while Whiskey took the title of Best in Show. For his win, Whiskey collected a gigantic trophy and $50,000 in prize money.

For winning the 2018 AKC National Championship, he also won a year’s supply of Royal Canin dog food, which, going by Dr. Judy Morgan’s recommendation of daily food intake in her cookbook Yin and Yang Nutrition for Dogs, would mean a bag of food would last around two weeks if he ate a pound per day. By our math, that adds up to at least a $1,500 value, possibly more, depending on the quality of the food.

“I’m overwhelmed. This has been an awesome adventure the past two years, and Whiskey’s a great pet first – that he’s also a show champion is just an added bonus,” Smithey stated during a TV interview immediately after the announcement was made.

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