TODAY's hunt to find our own "Best in Show" has found a winner!
After receiving more than 1,200 submissions, we narrowed it down to six dogs before actor John O'Hurley (of "Seinfeld" fame) and professional judge David Frei picked a winner: an adorable 3.5-pound Yorkshire terrier named Vinny!
Vote for your favorite dog below!
The dogs were judged on three main criteria: how good of a companion they are, their "awwwwdorable" factor, and their special tricks or skills.
Vinny brought home the win over second-place Lola, an English bulldog, and the fan favorite, Bear, an Alaskan Malamute who was the largest dog in the contest at more than 150 pounds.
Vinny and his owner, Johnny Acampora of Miamisburg, Ohio, won free airfare and hotel accommodations courtesy of Purina to attend the Beverly Hills Dog Show from Feb. 29 to March 1, where Frei and O'Hurley will be hosting along with Mary Carillo.
Here's a little more on the final six contestants:
Bear — This giant fluff lives up to his name! His owner, Roseann Mainero, jokes they should have named him Tiny.
"He would love to greet and hug all people," his human wrote. "You guys need to meet him to experience the love and beautiful spirit in this special giant fluff ball."
This Alaskan Malamute lives in Winthrop, Massachusetts, and clocks in at 156 pounds!
Daisy — She's just a small-town girl from Iowa! Daisy will be 4 years old soon and always has a smile on her face! She made saying "I do" a lot easier when she served as the dog of honor at her human parents' wedding.
She loves to steal socks and is crazy about playing in the winter snow.
"Daisy is not a pet, she's family," owner Austin Summers said. "She's a godsend and has saved my life more times than she will ever know!"
Dixie — This pug loves to coordinate outfits with her human owner, Rusty Foster. When not posing for photos, you can catch her eyeing the pizza box! The 18-pound pug lives in Leesburg, Virginia.
Dixie is the advisor for her dad's company, Bow Tie Strategies, and is in charge of the theme of their annual Christmas card!
Lola — Florida's very own fashion diva is always dressed to impress! This English bulldog has her own personal walk-in closet.
She's also always up for a four-legged fundraiser and has raised $65,000 in the last four years for bulldog rescues across the country.
"Lola along with a small group of philanthropy-minded bulldogs help other pups through fundraising, education and pawtying," her mom, Maureen Berardo, wrote. "When I realized how many bulldog rescues there are across the country, I was determined to help those less fortunate pups."
Max — This class act helped his mom, Lilly Ellick, graduate from college!
"What kept me going through the tired and tough times was that smile that never faded from his face, encouraging me to keep studying, or at least pass a wheat thin while you do it," Ellick wrote in her entry.
The Australian shepherd likes to be rewarded with belly rubs, and if you're looking for a co-pilot, he'll even hold your hand. Max lives in North Chesterfield, Virginia.
Vinny — This Yorkshire terrier is small but mighty and best known for giving his owner an endless supply of kisses. The 3.5-pound pup makes his home in Miamisburg, Ohio.
He came into his family's lives nine months ago after his dad, Johnny Acampora, lost his mother-in-law and their first puppy, Ren, who they had for 16 years.
"Vinny came rolling into our lives all 1.2 pounds of him and truly helped our family heal and laugh again," Acampora wrote. "When I first brought him home to meet the family it was in a Solo Cup."
