Benson the bulldog sits in his cage, slowly lifting his head to have a look at the scene around him -- humans fussing over spray bottles and blankets and photos.

Errant barks can be heard at stalls beyond, where silken pups get combed, brushed and blow-dried. Neither bullish nor showy, the dog waits his turn, his eyes slightly sullen, his brindle fur requiring no extra primping. Not a single peep issues forth from his enclosure.



"As you can see, he's very excited about being here," says Judee Shuler, his breeder.



Benson, who lives in Tinton Falls, is one of 26 bulldogs -- and 182 New Jersey dogs -- competing at the 139th Westminster Kennel Club dog show. And though he may not know it, he's all the rage, a member of a breed increasingly prized for its personality and look.

The 139th Westminster Kennel Club dog show Where: Piers 92/94, 711 12th Ave. at 55th St. and the West Side Highway in New York. Also at Madison Square Garden, West 33rd St. and Seventh Avenue. When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 16 and 17 at the Piers; evening sessions 6 to 11 p.m. both days at the Garden. How much: $10 to $180; visit westminsterkennelclub.org

On TV: Watch live from 8 to 11 p.m. Feb. 16 on CNBC. Also from 8 to 11 p.m. Feb. 17 on USA network.

"He's not just another pretty face," says his handler, Ken Dudley, emphasizing Benson's prowess in the breed ring. But the 3-year-old's speckled snout, black nose and pink tongue was pretty enough to cover the January issue of Dog Fancy magazine.



A detail not without significance today as dog owners, handlers, breeders and lovers crammed Piers 92 and 94 in New York City for Westminster's breed shows. Contests that determine which dogs will go on to represent their kind in group competition, they're precursors to the battle for Best in Breed at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night.

Will the victor be, as it was last year, a bearded wire fox terrier? Or a larger canine, like a fluffy old English sheepdog? Or perhaps one of the newly included breeds -- a snow-white coton de Tulear or tawny wirehaired Vizsla.

Maybe -- just maybe -- a bulldog.



The American Kennel Club, which tracks dog breeder and owner registrations in the United States, shows that while Labrador retrievers are New Jersey's -- and the country's -- most popular dog, bulldogs are on the rise. According to 2013 AKC data, the stout, muscular dog -- often called the English bulldog -- is the No. 1 breed in both Essex and Hudson counties, as well as New York City.

For the love of bulldogs

President of the Bulldog Club of New Jersey and a bulldog breeder and handler for 25 years, Dudley, of Asbury in Warren County, wheeled Benson's cage down to a ring of green carpet where the dog took his turn facing the discerning eye of the bulldog judge.

The dog slow-jogged in line with the other bulldog contenders, then stood with a perfect stillness as Dudley adjusted his wide stance.

Even if a bulldog does not emerge as the winner of the non-sporting group -- the last bulldog to win Best in Show did so in 1955 -- the breed, ranked by the American Kennel Club as fifth most popular in the nation, is already in demand.

"You've gotta love the face," says Gina DiNardo, AKC spokeswoman. Another draw of the breed, she says, is that bulldogs don't need all that much exercise and can happily fit into apartments.



But why have bulldogs surged in popularity in recent years?



"I think a lot of this has to do with social media," says Judee Shuler, who breeds bulldogs with Dudley in Asbury.

Search "bulldog" on YouTube and you get "about 1,870,000 results."

Videos uploaded by dog owners foster much bulldog appreciation ... and envy. Bulldogs licking babies. Bulldogs snoring. Bulldogs skateboarding. Bulldogs sitting like people. Bulldog puppies howling. Bulldogs in swings. A bulldog sitting in a box that's too small for him.

'Dignified but amusing'

Bulldogs were originally bred in England as bull-baiting dogs, equipped with big, wrinkly mugs that could drain the ensuing bull blood away from the dog's eyes upon attack. Following the English outlawing of dog fights in 1835, the breed, recognized by the AKC in 1886, was eventually modified to be more docile. (The AKC does not recognize American bulldogs, which are larger, taller and longer).

Today the bulldog's AKC personality profile describes the breed as "calm, courageous, and friendly; dignified but amusing."



"They make you laugh," said Shuler. "They're clowns -- they're people dogs." And often, they don't have to pull any stunts to get a chuckle.

Wearing a damp purple blanket on her back as part of a pre-show cool-down ritual, Benson's sister, Maggie, looked like a stately queen with an underbite. She joined Benson in the breed ring, and while neither of them won any honors today, they certainly claimed the attention of dog lovers.

Upping the "awww" ante was Canadian competitor NV, a female bulldog from Ingersoll, Ontario. As her owner, Amanda McAllister, rubbed her belly, she laid flat on her back, legs frozen in the air.

Maggie, one of 26 bulldogs competing at the 139th Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York City, bred and handled by Ken Dudley and Judee Shuler of Asbury. (Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

"They have a presence when they approach people," Shuler said. "They really know they're hot stuff."



Jill Siegel brought her dog Mia, 2, to Westminster for her first time today. Like the rest of the bulldog crew, the dog appeared cool and collected, if young and still a bit in the "puppy" phase.



"She's quirky," said Siegel, a bulldog breeder, owner and handler in Middlesex County. "She's got her moments." For instance, Mia skipped a little bit during competition. The deviation, while hardly noticeable to the average spectator, is a big no-no in the ring.

Siegel has been enamored of the breed since she was 9 years old -- when she got her first bulldog -- and says she's noticed more on TV.



"How many ads do you see a bulldog in?" she said. Perhaps it's down to their special brand of instant appeal.

Shuler says she's seen this kind of doggy magnetism in action.

"They stop traffic," she says -- literally. A bus driver once brought his vehicle to a stop to look at a bulldog Shuler was walking, passengers be damned, she says.

"Nobody complained."

Map: Click on your county to see which dog breed is most popular.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.