Jan Hoffman of The Times peeked behind the curtain at the dog show and discovered a veritable medical army has sprung up to tend to the competitors’ needs: health and wellness specialists, canine acupuncturists, massage therapists and chiropractors and veterinarians.

“Westminster is famous as a gathering of spectacular dogs, with all the people and products attendant with canine beauty pageantry: sprays, mousses, gels, conditioners, curlers, straighteners, bows, hair implants (I’m looking at you, Standard Poodles !)

But in the last few years, Westminster has added competitions in agility and obedience, events that bring in a very different crowd — jock dogs and their humans.

“ Boos and grumbles filled Madison Square Garden when the judge handed King the coveted pewter cup,” The New York Times wrote then.

“If you had a popularity contest, we would win,” Christine Miele, the Eastern vice president of the Golden Retriever Club of America, told Liam Stack of The Times last year.

Those best in breed winners advance to seven group competitions: hound, toy, sporting, nonsporting, herding, working and terrier.