The benching area at the Westminster dog show

The Westminster dog show is one of the few remaining bench shows in the country. A bench show is one where the dogs and their owners or handlers must remain in the benching area -- raised platforms where the dogs are essentially on display -- to meet and interact with the public. This also gives the owners, breeders and handlers a chance to visit with people who are interested in their breed or showing dogs. At Westminster, the dogs must have an owner or handler with the dog on the bench at all times, and they must remain on the bench until 8pm on the day(s) that they are showing.