dogs
A Beagle runs with a handler during competition at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City, Feb. 13, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Sega

The combination of Valentine’s Day celebrations and this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will collide once again as the national canine contest was set to begin Monday. Dog lovers and even those who prefer to casually observe from a distance were likely to enjoy watching man’s best friends show off their stuff during the 141th annual installment of the judging of dog breeds.

Thousands of dogs were expected to compete for the coveted "Best in Show" award, one of many prizes set to be doled out over the next two days.

To watch a live stream of the competition, you can click here.

The events were scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, with the show hours starting each day at 8 a.m. and concluding at 11 p.m. EST. The breed competition judging/benching and junior showman preliminaries were scheduled for each day. The first masters obedience championship was set for Monday, according to the official Westminster Dog Show’s judging program schedule of events.

Multiple TV channels will be broadcasting each day of the annual event, including CNBC, USA, Animal Planet, UNIHD and Fox Sports 1. Click here to find the 2017 television schedule.

As in years past, the dog show was being held in New York City at two locations, Madison Square Garden and Piers 92 and 94 on the Hudson River.