Mary Altaffer / AP

Handler Scott Sommer feeds a steak to Stump, the Sussex spaniel who won Best in Show, on Wednesday.

Stump was certainly the crowd pleaser when he took the Best in Show title.

“Yes, he’s very sociable and loves people,” Ruggles said. “He is just such a great dog to have around.”

According to  Westminster tradition, the morning after the show, the phone usually rings off the hook from dog lovers inquiring about the breed.

“They are a rare breed,” Frei said. “So I doubt that there will be enough puppies to meet any kind of demand. But on the other hand, they are not for everyone. As with any breed, people need to do intensive research to ensure the dog they are selecting matches their lifestyle.”

While the interviews went on for two hours, members of the Metropolitan Dog Club were gathering for a special luncheon in his honor. Stump must have smelled that food was on the way as his nose was switching and he kept looking at Sommer with inquiring eyes.

Sure enough, at 1:30 p.m. out came a special steak, served on a silver platter. The photographers had to be quick to capture this time-honored Westminster winner's tradition, because Stump didn’t let it rest long on the plate.

By 3 p.m., everyone in his entourage looked low on fuel and ready to collapse. Luckily he could cat nap and nobody minded. But his day in the spotlight wasn’t over yet; there were more appearances scheduled, including another visit to the Fox studios to appear to Shepherd Smith.

Many New Yorkers caught a glimpse of Stump as he plodded the sidewalks of the city and was picked up and plonked in the van.

More than 12 hours later, the van finally pulled back again outside his Seventh Avenue hotel. At last someone could put the “Do Not Disturb” sign up for him on the door, confirming that he’d had a doggone good day and certainly earned the right to snooze in peace.