Glass ceiling for dogs? Males win Westminster almost twice as often

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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.

"Now she won't show again, she's done," said Gail Miller Bisher, a spokeswoman for the Westminster Kennel Club, referring to Rumor. "But males can keep going. They can be used as stud and continue showing and keep their coat and keep their shape of body and all that."

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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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"People don't like to campaign females because they don't like to jeopardize their breeding program," said Calvacca. "Males can be used to stud anytime, and still show and breed at the same time."

As a consequence, females are less likely to compete at Westminster, the second-oldest U.S. sporting event after the Kentucky Derby. Ahead of this year's opening day on Monday, there were 1,220 female competitors and 1,699 male challengers enrolled in most categories, including vying to be named top dog on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

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In the end, a male Best in Show winner can bring a bigger payoff than a female because a male can breed many times, and even have its sperm frozen, while females can produce only so many litters and puppies, said WKC's Bisher.

"The males obviously have an easier go of it, whereas the girls having a litter is stressful for everybody," she said.

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