About 1,000 or so dogs and their owners are staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania, right across the street from the Garden. Some of them look like shrubbery, some resemble mops and others probably like liver-flavored caviar.

 

Judge Sari Tietjen, who has spent a half-century working with Japanese chins, will make her choice on Tuesday night shortly before 11 p.m., with fans cheering at the Garden and millions more watching on USA Network.

 

A giant schnauzer is ranked No. 1 over the last year, but dog insiders predict that in spite of this she won't become America's top dog. Among the favorites for the champion silver bowl is the monkey-faced affenpinscher called Taser.

 

According to Johnny Avello, director of race and sports operations at the Wynn Las Vegas casino, the favorite at 10 to 1 is a Brussels griffon. On the other hand, a Dogue de Bordeaux has little chances to be the winner. This breed is represented by Darco, a French mastiff, one of three new breeds recently recognized by the American Kennel Club. The Dogue de Bordeaux is believed to be originally from six centuries’ ago France. He served as a guard and hunting dog because he is massively built and has a heavily wrinkled face.

 

Still, the most popular breed is the Labrador retriever, represented in this year’s show by 47 dogs entered. The American Kennel Club proudly said that it has been the most-registered purebred dog in the country for 18 straight years.

 

The nation's economy drop may affect the two-day event. Entries are apparently down this year, $75 per dog, and ticket sales are slower than last year too, when they sold out.