Donald Trump took in this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. When My Pet World columnist Steve Dale asked the real estate mogul what dog breed most resembled his personality, Trump quipped, “a pit bull.”

Candice Bergen was at Madison Square Garden too, shooting the coiffed canines as they sallied forth. TV personalities Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney were on hand to give a press conference. When asked what other career she might have pursued, Burke said she would have liked to be “a sniper” in order to dispatch people who are cruel to animals.

Westminster is not just a dog show. It’s a two-day extravaganza devoted to man’s best friend. Dog fanciers call it simply “The Garden.”

The 128th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was just as good a spectacle as in previous years. Thousands of people poured into Madison Square Garden Monday and Tuesday to dog- and people-watch at the second-oldest sporting event in America. Some 2,500 dogs, representing 162 breeds and varieties recognized by the American Kennel Club were judged. The show climaxed with Josh, a big, slobbering black Newfoundland, winning best in show Tuesday night.

At 155 pounds, Josh tied for the biggest dog ever to win at Westminster. The other one was the only other Newfoundland to win, back in 1984.

Josh beat out several other popular show dogs, including a Norfolk terrier named Coco, a Pekingese called Les and a standard poodle named Miki, in winning his 46th career best in show title.

“He showed his heart out,” said handler Michelle Ostermiller, as petite as Josh was gigantic.

And the 4-year-old champion, officially called Darbydale’s All Rise Pouchcove, from Flemington, N.J., celebrated by barking his head off. His woofs echoed around Madison Square Garden, drawing laughs from the crowd of almost 15,000.

“That’s his signature,” co-owner Peggy Helming said.

Many spectators had fun threading their way through the “bench” area where canine competitors are required to be on view when they aren’t being shown, groomed, or exercised. The “benches” are elevated platforms, divided into stalls just large enough to hold each dog’s crate. Most dogs are kept in metal or plastic crates to shield them from the crush of the crowds. Most crates have small fans attached to keep the canines comfortable. Dogs cannot leave the building, even to be exercised, until 8 p.m. eight at night. Stalls are full of special odor-absorbing shavings. Periodic loudspeaker announcements remind exhibitors of the rule and accompanying fines.

The Museum of the Dog booth was a popular draw. A colorful cotton sweater featuring a variety of dog breeds fetched $385. Dog-related jewelry, art, figurines and books, as well as toys, food, leashes and collars, were also on sale.

This year, nine Mainers entered their dogs, ranging from an Irish wolfhound and Great Dane from southern Maine to Mariaville resident Juli Lacey-Black’s Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens and Bar Harbor resident Jillaine Butler’s Saluki.

Fran Costa of Rockland on Monday showed her West Highland white terrier, Ch. Breemoor’s Her Name is Lola. Almost 2 years old, the Westie has “a lot of attitude and pizzazz.” While it didn’t come home with any ribbons, Lola only began her show dog career last year, winning “Best of Opposite Sex” to the Best-of-Breed Westie at Westminster. The lively terrier was ranked No. 4 in the female Westie category in 2003.

Costa owns Fran’s Dog Grooming in Rockland. She has been breeding and showing Westies for 16 years, and credits an expatriate Scots breeder in New Jersey for getting her started. Costa says the Scotsman “took a chance on me” and sold her a top-quality female Westie. That dog was Lola’s grandmother, and she became the foundation of Costa’s Breemoor line.

Pixie Lauer of Alna was at Westminster for a third consecutive year. Lauer has five Cardigan Welsh corgis and “a whole lot” of Labradors. This year, she entered Wynona (Ch. Woodrose Wynona), who is just 3 years old. Co-owned by Lauer and Karen Lyons of East Pittston, Wynona is a half-sister to Ch. Woodrose Wilhelmina (“Mina”), Lauer’s entry at the Garden the last two years. Lauer described Mina as a “princess” in the show ring, while Wynona is a bolder performer – like “she’s on a softball team.” She loves the excitement and loves to perform. While Wynona didn’t win an award, she did make the judge’s final cut.

Wynona was actually shown at Westminster by an 11-year-old girl. A confident yet reserved fifth-grader, Logan Davis took the crowds and pressure in stride. When asked if it was more difficult for a youngster to win against the adult handlers, Logan said it was. Judges, she said, can be reluctant to give a win to a young handler, because others might think the prize was awarded “just because you’re cute.”

In another year, Logan and Wynona could be on their way to national TV exposure in the group ring at Westminster.

The Associated Press sports writer Ben Walker contributed to this story.