Malachy the Pekingese is just like Mitt Romney—only better groomed. He's the presumptive favorite to win the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show tonight, but this is why we hold competitions. Because you just never know.

During the opening night of Westminster, Malachy (who has 114 Best in Show ribbons but has never won here) was named best in the Toy group, the most competitive category at Westminster, and the sports book at Wynn Las Vegas likes his odds this evening.

Other group winners from last night include the German shepherd Captain Crunch in the Herding group; Cinders, a Wire-Haired Dachshund, in the Hound group; and Spotlights Ruffian, a lovely Dalmatian, in Non-Sporting. (And for those who like rooting underdogs, no Dachshund or Dalmatian has ever been named Best in Show at Westminster.)

But there are more contenders to come tonight, including dogs from the Sporting, Working and Terrier groups. And it's all leading up to Best in Show at the end of the evening, when judge Cindy Vogels will determine who will be America's Dog for 2012.

So pull up your pet and let's watch all the action...

For those who fear Westminster withdrawal symptoms after tonight's competition, may I recommend Josh Dean's superb new book, Show Dog, which goes inside the world of competitive purebreds. You can read an excerpt about the WKC show here, but for those who like their dog stories on the kinkier side, Dean has a hilarious piece on Deadspin that reveals more about the sex life of champion show dogs than you might have wanted to know. Think of it as a shagging dog story.

While the four sporting groups were competing at Madison Square Garden last night, another canine contest was taking place in Los Angeles—the inaugural Golden Collar Awards, http://news-briefs.ew.com/2012/02/14/the-artists-uggie-takes-home-golden-collar/ presented to the dogs who gave the best performances on the small and big screens.

In the spirit of the big winner's movie, I'll remain silent about who won in the film category—but his name rhymes with "Uggie."

And they're letting the dogs out....

First up tonight is a brown-and-white Brittany named Cam, who hails from Arkansas. he's got a great smile.

Known for that rigid pose, the Pointer is the symbol of the Westminster Kennel Club. Presumably, Josh, our entry tonight won't pull an MIA at the Super Bowl and point with the wrong digit.

Considered the SUD—the Sport Utility Dog—this canine can do it all when it comes to hunting. This breed also won Best in Show in 2005.

And we have our first good beard of the evening with Oakley, who has spent a little time in Brazil lately. Perhaps looking for his own canine Gisele?

As the name implies, this breed loves the water—and the Chessie might be the greatest water dog of them all. This one has a lot of spring in his step tonight. He seems to have brought his Bay Game.

Uh oh—Bramble is a little too fired up tonight. He is climbing all over his handler. Bad form at a dog show. But his enthusiasm is appreciated by the crowd.

Another jumper. this retriever can't stay on the ground—great vertical, too. And he's an old-timer—nine years old.

Well who doesn't love a Golden Retriever? I'll tell you who—the judges at Westminster. A Golden has never won Best in Show. Can Shock pull off a shocker?

Another beloved dog—a black Lab. For 20 years, the Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog with the American Kennel Club. And this is a very cute one.

Do ducks really need to pay a toll? This fellow has a lot of spirit as well. Boy, the dogs came out pumped up tonight.

Well Dazzle is dazzling. What a beautiful greyish dog. I like her chances for being a finalist in this group. And she's having a great season so far.

This black-and-tan beauty looks a little zaftig to me—but it could just be a thick coat.

Another American favorite. It looked like they were blindfolding this dog, but the handler was just pulling Emily's ear over her face to show off her elegant neck. But you knew that.

Gilbey comes from Wheeler, Wisconsin, and his handler says, "Alright, handsome, let's go!" Way to fire up the dog, coach. But he looks a little distracted as he makes his turn.

I'm not sure why a Water Spaniel is named Digger—where exactly is he going to dig?—but this one is lively and the crowd is digging him.

We have another jumper in this guy, which is a new breed for the WKC show. So far, none of the six new breeds for 2012 have won their respective groups.

Here's what you need to know about this breed—it has webbed feet. Oh, like you're perfect?

A very popular breed, with Kim Kardashian-like hair extensions, this dog was not expected to win his breed. But here he is.

ASCOB stands for Any Solid Color Other (Than) Black. And this one is a beauty.

Parti People in the house! This black-and-white Spaniel, Stanley, really worked the crowd. But his hair seemed a little long for a real hunting dog.

A beautiful dog with a coat like a silver-back gorilla.

Another crowd favorite and classic hunting dog, this breed has won Best in Show six times. I think it will make the finals of this group.

An dog of a certain age, Darcy is a seven-year-old but she still has plenty of spring in her step.

Picture a chocolate-colored Labradoodle with a tail like a rat—that's what this breed is. That rat tail freaks me out a little...

This breed last won Westminster in 2009, with the adorable Stump. I don't see a repeat here.

Closely related to the English Springer, this breed is a little smaller. But I like the English version better. That's me.

This dog absolutely has the best beard of the entire show! And evidently it looks good wet. Just sayin'...

One of my favorite dog breeds—mainly because of the photographer William Wegman—the Weimaraner is actually a great hunting dog. And this one has a beautiful punim.

As I pointed out last night, this dog is pronounced Grif-FON not Griffin. A little twee if you ask me...

And that's the end of the Sporting Group. Who will take it?

Show Dog author Josh Dean tweets: "Show dogs always run on a handler's left, the side facing the judge. To make them run on the right feels wrong to them."

Labrador Retriever, English Setter, Irish Setter, English Springer Spaniel, and the Wire-Hired Pointing Griffon...

Who will it be?

And Emily, the Irish Setter, wins the group!

And she's a working mom—with fifteen children.

It's 8:45 in New York and up next is the Working Group, then the Terriers. And in case you're wondering what the winner gets to do tomorrow, he or she will dine and Sardi's and then spend some quality time with Donald Trump.

Second prize is not having to meet Donald Trump.

Because I can't get enough of Christopher Guest's mockumentary, here's another clip from Best in Show.

And, yes, Glee fans, that's Sue Sylvester herself, Jane Lynch.

We're now being treated to scenes from a runway show held earlier this week in New York. Will dogs actually sashay down a catwalk? Yes they will.

And if you love seeing dogs dressed in costumes, this Sunday in New Orleans, there was a Mardi Gras parade featuring the dogs from the Mystic Krewe of Barkus. (A similar parade was held during Brazil's Carnivale celebration.)

Release the Working Group...

Here come the big boys...and first up is an Akita. Helen Keller brought some of the first Akitas to America in the 1930s. Also, an Akita played a role in the O.J. Simpson murder trial—Nicole Simpson had one.

Ricky has a beautiful coat that would serve him well in the snow—and evidently he loves to snowboard. I liked him right up until I knew that.

This entry hails from Idaho. He moves pretty well for a big fella.

Abbott looks like the kind of dog you'd like to rescue you in the snow with some brandy. Frankly, I'd like him to bring me a box of Mallomars right about now.

And some milk.

When is a terrier not a terrier? When he's this guy who has a great beard and has traits of about three other breeds.

And in the clearing stands...a boxer. This one is Scarlet and she's a winner, with 88 titles. She looks like a Million Dollar Baby to me. I like her chances of making it to the finals of this Group.

If you loved Turner and Hooch, then Dooley is the dog for you.

This may be the saddest dog face I've ever seen in my life. It's like the Buster Keaton of canines.

I sit corrected...Hooch was not a Bullmastiff, he was a Dogue de Bordeaux. And you have to respect the drooling ability.

We had a Doberman earlier and now a German Pinscher. I don't care if these dogs are sweet, they still scare me.

This is a big, beautiful Giant Schnauzer, and this breed is supposed to be square.

James is a great Great Dane from Bensalem, Pennsylvania. And the crowd loves him. Well, they'd better—he's enormous.

This breed was once favored by Louis XIV—and you can tell. It's regal, with a thick white coat. Alas, this one looks a little bored. I think I just saw a yawn...

George looks very chillaxed as he parades around the ring. And George can pull his weight—and a ton more. 3300 lbs. in fact. Impressive.

If the Puli is the Rasta dog, this breed is essentially white mop. Crazy, crazy coat. I couldn't love it more.

Tanner, a lovely white Kubas looks elegant as he parades. A touch of class.

Seamus is one BIG Mastiff, the preferred pet of Kubla Khan, who reportedly had 5000 of them.

And didn't pick up after one of them.

Okay, Harry Potter fans, here is your dog—this is Fang. Or in this case, Crush. And the crowd has a huge one on him. One point for Gryffindor!

This breed is the one the Obamas own. Will the president's preference have any sway at Westminster? Don't bet on it.

I could really use those Mallomars now. Maybe this St. Bernard could bring me them.

No one wants to be called husky, but Sylvie won't mind. Besides, who can take their eyes off her stunning ice-blue eyes.

Great story surrounding this dog. Right after Major competed today, his breeders Brad Slayton and Debbie Parsons of Seattle, Washington, got married at the Westminster show. And by winning his breed, he gave his owners quite the wedding gift. Is a Best in Group in his future?

And that's it for the Working Group.

The Rottweiler,Alaskan Malamute, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Samoyad, theDoberman, Standard Schnauzer and the Tibetan Mastiff are in the finals. It's a big group. Who will take it?

And the Doberman Pinscher takes the group! Would you say no to a Doberman?

Coming up next...the Terrier Group.

Show Dog author Josh Dean tweets: "Another upset: clearing the path for the Peke! Or the German Shepherd."

Everybody is picking that Pekingese...but is there another upset in the making tonight?

Normally Madison Square Garden is home to the Knicks, but the dog show has sent them on the road tonight, where Jeremy Lin scored 27 and led the team to a victory (again) against Toronto, 90-87.

We now return you to Doberman Pin-sanity...

Release the terriers....

At 9:45 in New York, we're a little more than an hour away from Best in Show.

And the Airedale is up first. Considered one of the best hunting dogs in the world, they also have fantastic beards. This Airedale is named Dane and comes from Wisconsin. Home of Miss American 2012. Is that an omen?

If you liked Petey from The Little Rascals, you'll love Matty. It's the same breed. Uh oh, Matty lost her footing a little on her run. But she recovered.

For a little dog, it's hard to believe Zed can herd sheep. But he does seem feisty.

One of the weirdest faces in the whole show due to the grooming, the Bedlington looks like its head has been stuffed in a giant milkshake glass and then removed.

This group is fired up and Maya is no exception.

If Spuds Mackenzie had been black and white, he'd be this dog

A new breed this year at Westminster and a great one. Fantastic beard.

Oh the beards are flowing now...

As its name implies, this breed has a beautiful blue-grey coat. And, yes, another terrific beard.

Here's a dog name you don't hear a lot, Spot. Oddly, this dog doesn't have one.

We saw the smaller version in the toy group. I like it because it kills rats. Respect.

Here's a German dog that was bred in China. So...he's confused.

I always get these two confused. But I believe Winky from the movie Best in Show was a Norwich.

Or a Norfolk.

This is a high-energy dog and Heidi is no exception. She's fired up tonight.

This breed typically feels superior to its owners. It also has eyebrows like Martin Scorsese. Sorry, Phoebe, but you do.

Oh we have some serious Michael Jordan tongue going with this entry. He must know he's playing the Garden.

The Welsh, Scottish, Cairn, Sky, and the Kerry Blue are in the finals...

Who will take it?

And the Kerry Blue takes it! That was a beautiful dog.

So now at 10:20, we have our finalists for Best in Show, which is coming up next.

Okay, it's 10:26 and we are getting ready for the finale.

Here then are your finalists:

Hound: Wire-Haired Dachshund

Toy: Pekingese

Herding: German Shepherd

Non-Sporting: Dalmatian

Working: Doberman Pinscher

Sporting: Irish Setter

Terrier: Kerry Blue Terrier

Dobermans and Pekingese have won Best in Show five times if you're keeping score at home. And it pains me to say it, because I prefer a big dog...but I really feel the Peke tonight.

My heart is with the Dalmatian though...

And Show Dog author Josh Dean has just weighed in with his picks: "Updated handicapping, in order: Peke, German shepherd, Irish setter, Dalmatian."

And here we go with the parade of Best in Group dogs....

It's on.

The crowd is excited to see the seven champions. It's hard to tell from the cheers—which don't affect the judge anyway—which has the most fan support. But I feel like the little dogs always get the biggest roars.

Now that the dogs have been introduced, it's time to meet the judge—Cindy Vogels from Greenwood Village, Colorado. And she is fetching in her gold sequined jacket (with a dog pattern?).

The German Shepherd is up first around the ring and she looks a little confused. Now Cathy settles down and struts her stuff.

It's Doberman Pin-sanity at Madison Square Garden as Fifi steps into the ring. She is calm, focused and she looks like she came to win.

And here's our working mom, Emily, who left her 15 pups behind tonight to compete at Westminster. (You have to root for her with that many mouths to feed.) And she barks to let the fans know she appreciates their support.

Remember, a Dalmatian has never won Westminster so this would be a shocker. This is also our first male dog so far in the final group, Ian. And he looks like he's up to the task with this competition. Very calm and obedient.

Chelsey's blue-grey coat really is sublime. So is her beard. I like this dog. Wouldn't mind seeing her win.

Cinders is really working the crowd with that tail.

But Malachy really wants this. And the crowd seems to want it for him.

Who will take it?

It's up to the judge now...

It's the Pekingese!

Malachy is the winner of the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the sixth time the breed has taken home the title.

Well, as I told you last night, the sports book at Wynn Las Vegas had the Pekingese as the 6-1 favorite to win Westminster. And Malachy came through. Bigtime. For a little furball. He could barely waddle around the ring but he has rock star hair and now Malachy is America's Dog for 2012.

Thank you for joining me for live coverage of the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Now I'm going for a walk...