Banana Joe, a 5-year-old small black dog, became the first affenpinscher ever to win Best in Show at Madison Square Garden during the 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Show on Tuesday night.
“He’s won a lot of big, big shows, but none like this one,” commented handler Ernesto Lara as he held Joe in his lap during a post-show news conference.
The breed is very rare, so rare that right now there are only seven puppy affenpinschers available for sale in the United States. Two males, are located in Tallahassee, Fla., and five can be found in Cornville, Ariz. Of the litter in Arizona , only one of the dogs will look like Banana Joe. The dogs sell for around $2,500. There is a larger version, normally sold online through puppy mills, that go for around $400.
The 6-pound, four-legged champ pulled off the stunning upset in the main event in a win over a German wire-haired pointer named Oakley.
Check out Banana Joe during the competition here.
