It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone does (or at very least should) love dogs. More households contain dogs as pets than any other animal, and though some owners are content to leave it there, other take their canine obsession to new, more competitive heights.

The Westminster Dog Show in New York has been running for a whopping 144 years – the second longest-running, continuously held sporting event in the US – with obedience contests, agility contests, and an overall quest to declare which dog is best.

This year’s show was held in Tarrytown, New York – its first ever foray outside NYC – but still featured the usual roster of exceptionally well-honed hounds, posing and performing for cameras and judges alike.

Here are a few of our favourites, from fabulously furry chow-chows to the elegantly dressed Matty Pugdashian…