Top Dog!
It was a dog lover’s paradise - 155,000 visitors descended on Crufts at the Birmingham NEC last weekend long with 24,000 dogs. 18,000 of them were competing for Best in Show, with others showing their skills and delighting the crowds with flyball competitions, agility activities, obedience demonstrations, fabulous heelwork to music sessions and more.
Dog-themed stands were offering absolutely everything dog enthusiasts could want, such as clothing to keep warm on dog walks – for the owners and the dogs; the latest in health, feeding, bedding and grooming products; beautiful handmade animal-themed jewellery; household accessories from cushions to pet portraits and much more. Over 500 trade stands to be precise! And as well as the visitors to the show at the Birmingham NEC, 8.7 million people around the world tuned into the television coverage.
Highlight of the event was the crowning of Best in Show, and it was congratulations to Miuccia an elegant 4-year-old Whippet who stole the judge’s heart. In total contrast, the Reserve Best in Show went to Tibetan Mastiff, Viking.
Throughout the four days, hundreds of dogs were awarded rosettes – but whether the dog was placed in its heat or not, it was a winner in its owner’s eyes. Here’s a quick round-up of some gorgeous canines that caught our eye. Ten month old Bob the Chow Chow came 3rd in the Happy Dog class.
Another Chow Chow owner was India from Sheffield, who was at Crufts with her two sisters, Gabriella and Jemima. India with Chow Chow Koda and Gabriella with her Standard Poodle Ryu. India said that as kids they weren’t allowed to have a dog, so as soon as they were old enough they all got two dogs each! Gabriella added, “We don’t expect them to get Best in Show or anything like that. For us this is just a great day out together where we can have some fun.”
As well as all the pedigree dogs competing to take top ranking in their group, hundreds of crossbreeds take part in Crufts too, through agility, flyball, obedience, heelwork to music, Scruffts and The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award competitions.
Leading the field with the largest individual breed entry for the second year is the great family favourite, the Golden Retriever, with an entry of 509 dogs. Followed closely is the Labrador Retriever with 485 entries.
With 174 Bulldogs competing this year, we stopped to say hello to brother and sister English Bulldogs Figgi and Sparticus, with their owners Malissa and Geoff, who had enjoyed their day immensely.
Over in the Discover Dogs area, around 200 different breeds were available to say hello to visitors. The perfect opportunity to discover more about the huge variety of dog breeds there are. This year, for the first time at Crufts the Polish Hunting Hound made its debut.
Seventy-seven Yorkshire Terriers took part in Crufts this year, including this gorgeous little chap, five and a half year old Doddy.
So, Crufts is over for another year and it’s back to the normality of Flyball meetings and competitions, agility fun and games at club events, Good Citizen Training, and all the early heats to try and qualify for Crufts 2026. See you there!
More information about Crufts: https://crufts.org.uk/
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