8 relative newcomers to the Westminster Dog Show

The small and confident Russell Terrier excels at vermin hunting, much like many of her terrier relatives. You may know her by her more colloquial name: the Jack Russell Terrier.

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She's very similar to the Parson Russell Terrier, who was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1997. But the two dogs are different in body structure and height (the Russell Terrier has shorter legs), so American and European kennel clubs consider them to be separate breeds.

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is the fourth coonhound to win full AKC recognition in the past three years. As his name implies, this competitive canine was bred to track and tree wild raccoons.

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He has a glossy, tricolored coat that's dense enough for protection. The AKC describes this breed as "a fast, sensible hunter that locates its quarry quickly and has superb endurance and treeing ability."

A descendant of the English Foxhound, the American English Coonhound is known for speed and endurance, and was typically used for fox and raccoon hunting.

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This breed is a member of the Hound Group.

A less excitable member of the Terrier Group, the Cesky is one of the Czech Republic's national breeds and was developed to hunt small game by working in packs.

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Don't confuse "less excitable" with "inactive," though — this breed never stops needing exercise and socialization.

A member of the Herding Group, the Entlebucher Mountain Dog is a native of Switzerland and the smallest of the four tricolored Swiss Mountain Dogs. He's a very energetic dog known for his loyalty to his master.

The Lappie, as he's called, was originally used for reindeer herding in northern parts of Scandinavia and sports a double coat that makes hot weather unbearable. It's not just his face that's sweet like a teddy bear; the breed is a friendly and sociable member of the Herding Group.

The Norwegian Lundehund, a member of the Non-Sporting Group, is nicknamed the “Puffin Dog” due to his use in hunting puffin. This breed is beautiful and loyal but can be a challenge to own.

Despite its recent inclusion in the show, the Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-eats-queen-tlee if you're ambitious, or you can just go with Xolo) is one of the world’s older breeds and is said to be the first canine of the Americas. Central American and Mexican traditions state that the breed wards off evil spirits and intruders, but even without those attributes, this member of the Non-Sporting Group is an excellent companion dog and comes in three sizes.