3-minute read

Vito the pug is living his best life after beating out a field of nearly 2,000 dogs on Thanksgiving and securing the prestigious Best in Show award − a first for his breed in over two decades of the National Dog Show.

The small but sturdy 2-and-a-half-year-old pup is certainly living up to his moniker — Vito is derived from the Latin word for vita, which means “life” or “victory” — and while he may have looked a bit puzzled as the crowd cheered his win during the NBC event on Thursday, he was probably just playing it cool.

Following the win, which was taped on Nov. 16 and 17 and aired after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, NBC on-site reporter Mary Carillo asked Vito’s handler Michael Scott if he thought the pug was aware of his victory.

Scott’s reply? “He is a little smug. I do think he knows.”

But what really made Vito stand out?

“He has a beautiful head and expression,” Scott said, adding that Vito is a compact dog who has “wonderful movement,” which appeals to “a lot of people whether they know the breed specifics or not.”

While still young, Vito, who is owned by Carolyn Koch of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is the No. 1 pug in all show systems and the No. 2 toy dog in the U.S., according to NBC. He also snatched the top spot in best of his breed at this year’s Westminster Dog Show in New York City and claimed best of breed at the American Kennel Club National Show in 2023.

Scott, of Chesapeake City, Maryland, previously won the National Dog Show in 2008 as handler for Holly, a pointer. Last year, he won reserve best in show (runner-up) with New Jersey dog Pumpkin, a Dalmation from Milltown in Middlesex County.

Vito may have notched the Best in Show accolade but there were plenty of superstars inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. With the newest addition of the Lancashire heeler, which debuted on the American Kennel Club’s official list earlier this year, there were 205 breeds sorted into seven groups: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding.

National Dog Show 2024 winners

Verde the Welsh terrier took second place, also known as Reserve Best in Show. The medium-size, wiry-coated canine is a breed “used by Welsh farmers to rid their land of foxes, badgers and rodents of all kinds,” co-host John O’Hurley said during the two-hour telecast. The pup has won 21 best in shows.

Here are the winner from the seven groups:

• Toy: Vito the pug from Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Terrier: Verde the Welsh terrier from Rialto, California
• Sporting: Houston the Clumber spaniel from Keyport, New Jersey
• Working: Monty the giant schnauzer from Chaplin, Connecticut
• Hound: The Zit, an Ibizan hound from Spring Hill, Florida
• Herding: Rupert the Berger Picard from Shing Springs, California
• Non-sporting: JJ the Lhasa apso from Sabot, Virginia

Judges evaluate the canines based on “how closely each dog compares with the judge’s mental image of the perfect dog as described in the breed’s official standard,” based on qualities such as the dog’s overall appearance, temperament and structure.

In 2023, Stache, a Sealyham terrier from Pennsylvania, was crowned Best in Show.

Missed the National Dog Show? Here’s how to rewatch

Too busy whipping up those mashed potatoes or traveling to the in-laws to catch the National Dog Show? No worries. The show is available to watch on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, with a subscription.

For those that can’t get enough canine content, full episodes of the National Dog Show can be watched dating back to 2013. Highlights from the competition, including a “Best Moments of the Show” compilation, can be found on the NBC YouTube channel.

The is now available to watch on Hulu with a subscription and will re-air at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 on CNBC and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1 on NBC 4 New York.

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.