The Untold Truth Of Westminster 2025 Dog Show Winner Monty The Giant Schnauzer

It's not every day a regal, black giant schnauzer wins the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. In fact, it hadn't ever happened until Monty, also known by his show name: Hearthmore's Wintergreen Mountain, took home Best in Show at the annual competition, which took place on Feb. 11, 2025, in New York City.

A fierce and prolific competitor, Monty made it to the finals three years in a row, representing the working group in the Best in Show competition before taking home the big prize in 2025. As they say, the third time's a charm! Monty is known as a dog with the heart of a champion — according to his handler and co-owner Katherine Bernardin. In a post-show interview, Bernardin told the American Kennel Club, "He always tries so hard, I'm so proud of him. I always call him my 'Secretariat,' because he never stops." 

Now that Monty has a Westminster Best in Show title under his collar, many want to know more about the bearded pup. Luckily, there is no shortage of little-known facts about Monty and his life that might just give you a whole new level of respect for dogs who compete in shows. 

If you thought show dogs just sat pretty, got pampered, and trotted out on show day for a little lap around the room, you've got another thing coming. In order to prepare for competition, Monty adheres to rigorous training and exercise regimens  — with a little help from his owners and handler, of course. 

To start, Monty prepares for his shows with a mix of physical therapy and cold laser therapy. On the training front, he does lots of ball work for exercise, which is often complemented by FitPaws Training Paw Pods, which assist in developing motor skills, improve how dogs bear their weight, provide lots of stimulation to their paw pads, and for Monty specifically, help exercise his legs and his core. 

He also uses a water treadmill to build muscle, which Bernardin says is nice and easy on a dog's joints but physically more difficult to use than a regular treadmill because the water provides a fair amount of resistance. A training day for Monty typically ends around 5 or 6 p.m., but he still ends his days with a long walk and a bath before vegging out on his couch.

Giant schnauzers are known for their thick, wiry hair and bearded faces that require regular grooming. If you have an active working dog, you'd need to learn how to clean a schnauzer's beard. With show dogs like Monty, their show prep goes a step further than simple grooming.

When it comes to how dog shows work, like the Westminster Kennel Club and National Dog Show, grooming is serious business. Getting a wiry coat like Monty's show-ready takes some special product, including hairspray. On his eyebrows, to be exact. Giant schnauzers have long, luxurious eyebrows that need to be tamed for shows, so Monty gets some hairspray to help them look their best. Who doesn't want that kind of primping before going on stage? 

A lot happens behind the scenes at the Westminster Dog Show. Monty's getting-ready routine for shows takes about an hour and 15 minutes. His legs and face get washed and his hair is blown dry before the hairsprayed eyebrows happen. It's not every dog who can tolerate that kind of spa treatment, but Monty, ever the competitor, does just fine.

Five-year-old Monty has competed since he was a year old, and in his four years of showing, he's done a lot of work. In 2024, he participated in between 130 and 140 shows. Multiply that by a few years and Monty has been extremely busy. He also has the titles to show for it. By the end of 2024, Monty had won 63 Best-in-Shows, including the Sunshine State Cluster, the Oklahoma Summer Classic, and the North Branch Cluster. With this Westminster win, it's now at least 64 Best in Show titles for Monty.

Monty's win at Westminster marks the first time a breed from the working group has won Best in Show since 2004, and the first time a giant schnauzer has ever won Westminster. He beat out approximately 2,500 dogs for the honor. That's history right there! Monty has had quite the impressive career and seems to have enjoyed his successes. However, a show dog can't show forever.

The only age requirement for AKC conformation shows is that a dog is 6 months or older, but dogs don't often compete into their senior years. After all the attention and media appearances following his Westminster win, Monty is retiring from show life. When asked what she was thinking about as she and Monty took their final lap during the Best in Show competition, Bernardin told The Guardian, "That it would probably be our last lap together. And I just wanted him to enjoy it and I wanted to enjoy it."

There are Veterans classes offered in some dog shows, and these are specifically for dogs over 7 years of age. However, a champion like Monty who's had an incredibly impressive career is probably ready for a little downtime. It's pretty wonderful to be able to go out on top after winning one of the biggest Best in Show titles in the world.

So what do show pups like Monty do on their off-time or after they're retired? In Monty's case, he goes back to being a family pet. Monty lives with handler and co-owner Bernardin and her family in Chaplin, Connecticut. "Monty is special," Bernardin told The Guardian, "I saw him when he was a puppy and I knew he was special. He's our family dog." Monty's such a family pet, he spent some of his downtime snuggling up to Bernardin's stomach while she was pregnant, and then next to the bassinet once her daughter was born.

Even throughout his career, when he wasn't away at shows, he would sleep on the couch and just be a normal dog, and that's probably exactly what he'll be up to now that he's retired. That, and play with his favorite toy: a soccer ball. Older dogs do sometimes come out of retirement to compete again, like Bourbon, the 9-year-old whippet who competed against Monty at Westminster. However, it's likely that Monty will take at least a little time off to cuddle with his family, lounge on the couch, and chase his ball.