Six dogs will make history this year as the newest breeds eligible to compete at Westminster. If they have visions of winning, though, history is against them.

The names of some of these rookie breeds competing in this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 13-14 at Madison Square Garden are a mouthful: the Entlebucher mountain dog, the Norwegian Lundehund, the American English coonhound, the Finnish Lapphund, the Cesky terrier and the Xoloitzcuintli, previously known as the Mexican Hairless.

The six new breeds bring to 185 the number that will compete this year for the best of show grand prize in the annual contest, the oldest sporting event in the United States next to the Kentucky Derby, said David Frei, the club’s director of communications and the USA Network show host.

In 1990, there were 142 eligible breeds.

There is no limit on the number of new breeds that can be admitted each year, but there are strict criteria. For the last 12 years, no more than six rookies have been approved in any year, Frei said.

Before the American Kennel Club will approve a new breed there have to be a significant number of the dogs in the United States and there has to be a breed club to oversee enthusiasts and geographic diversity.

Frei said the rookie that rose to the top and became best in show fastest was the Bichon Frise. That breed made its debut in 1974 and was named best of show in 2001, a 27-year gap.

The AKC provided these thumbnail sketches of this year’s rookie breeds:

— The American English coonhound is a descendent of the English foxhound and evolved from Virginia hounds. Originally used to hunt fox by day and raccoon by night, they were once called the English fox and coonhound.

The breed is pleasant, alert, confident and sociable with both humans and dogs. The modern version of the dog is a speedy, durable and wide-ranging hunter.

— The Entlebucher mountain dog is a native of Switzerland and the smallest of the four AKC Swiss breeds. Prized for its work ethic and ease of training, this dog can easily switch from high-spirited playmate to serious, self-assured dog with a commanding presence. This is not a good dog for the casual owner because it needs so much socialization and will remain active and energetic all its life.

— The Finnish Lapphund is a reindeer herding dog from the northern parts of Scandinavia. It is thought that this breed existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years as a helper dog to native tribes. Today they are popular as family pets in their native Finland. Devoted to their family, they are friendly with all people, highly intelligent and eager to learn. They are strong but very agile.

— The Norwegian Lundehund is also called the puffin dog. It spent centuries on the rocky cliffs and high fields of arctic Norway hunting and retrieving puffin birds, which was an important meat and feather crop to local farmers.

This dog has at least six toes on each foot so it can handle the almost vertical areas where puffins nest. It also has a flexible skeletal structure that enables it to squirm out of tight spots or go spread eagle to prevent slips and falls.

Today’s version of the dog is an alert, cheerful and somewhat mischievous companion.

— The Xoloitzcuintli is the national dog of Mexico and was previously known as the Mexican Hairless. It comes in three sizes and there is a coated version seen only in the United States and Canada. These dogs are descendants of the hairless dogs prized by the Aztecs and revered as guardians of the dead.

Living in the Mexican jungles, they were shaped by their environment. Their intelligence, trainability and natural cleanliness have turned them into unique and valued pets.

— The Cesky terrier is a well-muscled, short legged hunting terrier that can be worked in packs. With natural drop ears and a natural tail, it is longer than it is tall and has a long, soft, silky coat that can be any shade of gray from charcoal to platinum.

Lean and graceful, the dogs are reserved toward strangers but loyal to their owners and always keen and alert during a hunt.

Description: The Xolo comes in three sizes, Toy, Miniature, Standard, and two varieties: The coated and the hairless. The Hairless being the more sought after and popular variety. It is very hairless with or with out a short tuffed of hair on the head and tail. The hairless Xolo should never be hairy, or possess long hair, wire hair or wavy hair. It’s skin should be soft and smooth, yet hardy to the elements. The Xolo comes in a variety of colors, from black to slate, gray, bronze, brindle, red, fawn, solid or spotted. The coated variety should have a full coat of hair, short, sleek, clean, like that of a Doberman, and with regular brushing shed very little. The coated Xolo should also not possess long hair, wire, or wavy hair. It has a loyal following to those who love the breed but prefer a coat of hair on their dog. In an average litter of five. Four will be hairless and one will be coated. This is a very robust and hardy breed, with a broad skull and black or skin colored nose. Almond shaped eyes are dark or in keeping with the color of the dog. It’s most noticeable character is it’s large upright bat like ears, it is very keen and can hear and alert you to danger or stranger. Xolo do change colors as they mature.

Grooming: The coated and the hairless variety of Xolo are very easy to groom and care for. For the Hairless: Most skin problems arise from poor breeding, neglect, or over bathing and over lotioning, stripping natural protection’s and clogging pores. A well bred hairless Xolo will have very fine soft skin, yet hardy. Bathe and lotion once or twice a month, or only as needed. Sunscreen as needed as you would yourself in very sunny weather. We do not recommend a ton of products to keep the skin nice, as you might read on the internet today. Products need not be expensive. An owner claims she buys her Xolos bath and lotion products at the dollar store with great success. Top breeders recommend hypo allergenic gentle human products, a nice bath, exfoliating cream, lotion and sun screen. Keep it simple. Favorite products are: Johnson’s baby bath and lotion. favorite is the bedtime bath and lotion with chamomile and lavender. Very calming and soothing to skin and smells great. For the winter dry ear tips and feet,: Bag balm or udder butter. For the occasional acne or pimples especially in teenage Xolos, and to keep skin soft and remove dead skin build up: St. Ives exfoliating scrub or similar product. Exfoliate with a buff puff and bath a needed, then lotion with a nice hypo allergenic light product. There are some nice lotions with sun screen in them. Or a favorite is bull frog for baby’s. People who show or if you are planning an outing and want your Xolo to look his best. Almond oil is nice, also palmers spray on oil is great for shiny skin and smells nice too! Always bath after a day out at a show or park to remove unwanted germs and or dirt and oil build up. In between baths at home a warm water rinse is best, wash dirty face and feet with warm water and wash cloth. For the coated: Bathe the coated dog as you would any coated breed, brush daily or at least weekly to keep shedding at bay. For both varieties: Clip toe nails and brush teeth weekly. Although the dark solid colors do not burn, it is wise to sunscreen any hairless breed as we would ourselves in hot weather. The spotted and white marks can and do sun burn if not protected. The hairless variety is ideal for allergy sufferers, because there is no hair to shed. The coated variety, with regular brushing sheds very little.

Life Expectancy: The Xolo is a very long lived healthy breed. About 15 and up to 20 years is very common.

The obesity epidemic in humans can probably be linked to our affinity for fast food and lack of exercise, which may stem from stress. That’s not news to most of us. But it is hard to justify reports from veterinarians in a Pfizer animal health study that found 47 percent or over 61 million of the approximately 130 million pets in this country are overweight or obese.

Most pet parents do not realize their beloved dog or cat is eating more than they need. The Pfizer study found only 17 percent of people thought their pet had a weight issue. Although we are to blame for their obesity problem, it is difficult to notice your pet gaining weight when you see them everyday. In contrast to their human counterparts, their jeans don’t start to get a little snug. But the rule is simple: If you can’t feel ribs easily, or see a waist, then the animal needs to lose weight.

Several problems with pets can be prevented by keeping them at a healthy weight. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and cancer can all be linked to carrying extra pounds. Even if your pet is already heavy, losing the slightest amount of weight will help to prevent or alleviate these problems.

Reward your pet with affection and not food. But if you do feel the need to give treats, carrots and green beans are a great low calorie snack.

Consult with your veterinarian for weight loss advice to get your pup in tip top shape!

The canine trainer famously known as The Dog Whisperer is launching a new magazine called Cesar’s Way. This is in addition to his book, products and TV show about helping dogs with behavior issues.

The Wall Street Journal reports: Cesar’s Way, which hits newsstands next week, is filled with slick photos of celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Aniston with pets in tow. Articles include “Can Your Dog Fix Your Marriage? Just Ask Jada Pinkett Smith” and “7-Day Doggie Detox.” IMG says it plans to publish two issues this year and six in 2010.

The singer, whose 5-year-old Maltipoo was snatched by a coyote this week, is beginning to accept that Daisy won’t be found alive, according to TMZ.com

Besides plastering her Calabasas, Calif., neighborhood with posters and appealing to the public through Twitter updates, Simpson enlisted a dog-finding service that power-dialed neighbors for help in finding the adorable pooch which was grabbed right in front of Simpson at her home.

Simpson is just the latest celebrity to lose a beloved dog in such a horrible fashion.

According to People.com, Halle Berry and Ozzy Osbourne are among the famous folk who have had pets taken by coyotes from their gardens or yards, a not uncommon occurrence in California.

One celeb who sympathized with Simpson’s plight is Martha Stewart, whose chow puppy was killed in a freak explosion at a kennel early this year.

Stewart actually met Daisy a few years ago, when she and Simpson filmed a commercial together.

“It’s pretty sad,” Stewart told Usmagazine.com. “She should have watched it more closely, though. She should have been more careful.”

The domestic diva also advised Simpson to move on and get another dog to help deal with her grief.

“I think it’s very important to get another dog, someone else to love,” said Stewart. “You just have to find the dog that’s the right match for you.”

And while some dogs may live the high life, serving as surrogate children to their humans, their circumstances can change depending on their owner’s life course and experiences.

“I found it interesting that there are different ways to relate to and think about animals and that people are able to switch and latch onto a different way of thinking about and treating animals when other things happen in their lives, like having children,” said Blouin, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Blouin conducted 28 in-depth interviews with dog guardians from a Midwestern county. Dog “parenthood” attitudes fell into three categories: Humanist, where dogs were highly valued and considered close companions, like pseudo people; protectionists might be vegetarians and they greatly valued animals in general, not just as pets; dominionists saw animals as separate and less important than people, often using the dogs for hunting and pest control and requiring them to live outdoors.

Blouin said the distinct orientations toward animals were informed by multiple, competing cultural logics as well as personal experiences, demographic characteristics and family structure. People in rural areas were more likely to leave their pets outside, for example. Empty-nesters seemed to be the most attached to their pets.

“People don’t make this stuff up themselves,” Blouin said. “They learn how animals should be treated. There are different ideas out there and these ideas exist in little packages, which are promoted by different groups, like the Humane Society or kennel clubs.”