Female dogs are under represented in dog shows

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - After the German shepherd Rumor won the top prize at last year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York, she had her first litter of puppies and retired from competition, like many female show dogs. By contrast, most top male show dogs can keep competing for years, and it is no coincidence that they also win "Best in Show" in the prestigious annual competition far more often than females, breeders and handlers said as they prepared for this year's show, which opens Monday, Feb. 12 in New York.

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Female dogs, known in pure-bred circles as "bitches," have snared Best in Show at Westminster 39 times since the award was first given in 1907. Males, known simply as "dogs," have been victorious 71 times, almost twice as often.

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Many handlers and owners will not show a female during its cycle, which comes about every six months, because "they're moody," said Wendy Kellerman, a handler and breeder from Hauppauge, New York.

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