BY ANGELA DAIDONE

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Six new breeds of dogs, including Mexico's hairless Xoloitzcuintli, the Finnish Lapphund and the Norwegian Lundehund, will be among the competitors when canines take center stage at the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next week, Reuters reported.

Other newcomers are the Cesky Terrier, the American English Coonhound and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog. They join 179 other breeds and varieties which will strut their stuff at the annual New York event on Feb. 13 & 14.

David Frei, the Westminster Kennel Club's director of communications and USA Network host, told reporters that “new breed is a misnomer” because some of the breeds have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years.

To gain inclusion in the show, a breed must meet American Kennel Club (AKC) rules including having sufficient numbers in the United States, a certain geographical distribution and a parent club that ensures responsible breeding practices, the report stated.

In the past 23 years, 40 breeds have been added to the show, which began in 1877 with 1,201 dogs competing. This year, the show’s 136th, will boast 2,000 entries.

For a complete rundown of all the breeds in this year’s show, visit the AKC’s official website.