Alva Review-Courier -

NEW YORK (AP) — Doe-eyed dachshunds, push-faced French bulldogs and other nonsporting breeds circle the hallowed rings. A Bracco Italiano receives a jowl massage. Spaniels get blow-dried. Everyone is prepping — lovingly, meticulously — for a hoped-for big moment.

With more than 3,000 dogs competing this week at the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show, one of the world's most prestigious, sometimes it's a competitor's confident gait or self-possessed gaze that sets it apart from the pack.

"Like all things, beauty is subjective," said Ann Ingram, who traveled from Cork, Ireland, to...