Westminster dog show: 155-pound Newfoundland is best in show

NEW YORK — America's top dog is a big, slobbering, barking Newfoundland named Josh.

Josh lived up to his advance billing and won best in show at the 128th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, cheered on by a crowd that yelped its approval when he was picked last night.

Often at this show, smallish dogs win and jump into the champion's silver bowl. This time, the prize went to a dog who could have taken a drink from it.

At 155 pounds, Josh tied for the biggest dog to win at Westminster. The other one was another Newfoundland, Seaward's Blackbeard, in 1984.

Josh beat out several other popular show dogs, including a Norfolk terrier named Coco, a Pekingese called Les and a standard poodle named Miki, in winning his 46th career best-in-show title.

"He showed his heart out," winning handler Michelle Ostermiller said. "I'm stunned."

The 4-year-old champ — officially called Darbydale's All Rise Pouchcove — from Flemington, N.J., celebrated by virtually barking his head off. His woofs echoed around Madison Square Garden, drawing laughs from the crowd of almost 15,000.

"That's his signature," co-owner Peggy Helming said.

There was a major factor in Josh's favor: Best-in-show judge Burton Yamada was the same judge who selected him as the winner of the working group at Westminster last year.

"He showed extremely well tonight," Yamada said.

Josh beat out the 2,623 other entries in America's most prestigious dog show. The two-day competition featured 162 breeds and varieties, from each state except Alaska and Hawaii.

"He doesn't know it, but he's retired," Josh's co-owner, David Helming, said.

Helming quit handling Josh himself awhile back, after the big dog's head barreled into his knee and blew it out.