Originally appeared on E! Online
There's a new top dog in America.
At the 2024 National Dog Show on Nov. 28, Vito the pug not only won hearts, but also the title of best in show. The 2-year-old pup became the first of his breed to take the prize.
Vito triumphed over around 2,000 other dogs from 205 breeds at the annual Thanksgiving Day canine competition. He was chosen as the best of his breed, before being deemed the frontrunner in the toy dog category.
From there, he went tail to tail with other winners of the show groups: Houston the Clumber Spaniel, Monty the giant schnauzer, Zit the Ibizan hound, Rupert the Berger Picard, JJ the Lhasa Apso and Verde the Welsh terrier — who was named reserve best in show as the runner-up to Vito.
"I'm so proud of him," Vito's co-owner Carolyn Koch told NBC News, adding that pugs are "her breed."
As for how Vito wowed the judges?
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"Compact, features, movement," best-in-show judge George Milutinovich said. "Everything a pug should be."
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In fact, Milutinovich described Vito as "lots of dog in a small package."
“Never seen him before. Wow. Just wow," he raved. "To look at a pug is to put a smile on your face."
And going into the event, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and presented by Purina, Vito's handler Michael Scott was already "optimistic" about a win.
Aside from the 24 best-in-show titles Vito has already racked up at other competitions, Scott said the 18-pound pooch has a "beautiful head and expression" that can impress anyone.
He added, "Great outline."
Vito succeeds the crown from Stache the Sealyham terrier, who was also the first of its breed to win the best in show title at the National Dog Show.
As the first terrier to win the competition in eight years, Stache beat out an impressive a group that also included a German shepherd, a Great Dane, a dalmatian, a Shih Tzu, a Chesapeake Bay retriever and an Azawakh.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
