The World's Largest Dog Show

As some of my blog followers are not in the UK and haven't heard much about Crufts, I've got Leigh to help me put some facts about it here. It is the largest dog show in the WORLD!! It started many years ago in Victorian times (1891) when a man called Charles Cruft who had managed a Terrier Club Show decided to hold a large show in London for many different breeds. There were 36 breeds shown and 2,437 entries. Over the years it became more and more popular and moved from a small hall in Islington, London to Olympia in 1948, then as it got bigger still to Earls Court in 1979  and then out of London to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in 1991.Today there are nearly 28,000 dogs entered from all over the world and over 200 different breeds to see!

This handsome canine (photo courtesy of the Kennel Club Picture Library) is ShCh VBOS The Kentuckian,  the Flat Coated Retriever who won Best in Show at last year's Crufts.

A lot of other changes have taken place since that Victorian show. In 1994 Discover Dogs started where many different breeds could be seen with their owners. Peeps who were thinking of getting that breed could talk to the owners about what they needed to know before they introduced this new member of the family into their lives. Wyatt (the Airedale) and George the Lad (Welsh Terrier) have both been ambassadors for their breeds at events like this.

 In 2004 the Good Citizen Dog class was introduced for show dogs at Crufts. The Good Citizen Dog Scheme is a training scheme for dogs and their owners to encourage peeps to have well behaved dogs and to look after their dogs properly and responsibly. My brother Kaska became the first miniature schnauzer dog to win this class at Crufts in 2004. Here he is receiving his rosette:

By 2009 there were a lot of worries about some dogs being bred so they looked a certain way but were really quite ill because of it and  hereditary ailments were being noticed in some breeds too. That was when vet checks were started on dogs the show judges were concerned about. Breed standards have been changed to try and make sure dogs are not bred for looks that make them ill and this year even more vet checks will take place on dogs that win the top prizes to make sure they really are healthy.

And it's not just about showing dogs- there are obedience events (not many miniature schnauzers or affenpinschers there :-) and agility:

This border collie's enjoying himself on the weave poles - you should hear them bark when they get a go on the fly-ball! There are police dog displays and doggy dancing (they call it heelwork to music) as well and these action events are open to all dogs not just pedigrees. AND for peeps and their canines who like to shop till they drop there are over 400 stands selling all sorts of doggy goodies.

So that's a little bit about Crufts - more to come over the next few weeks - although I might put in some other news too so you don't forget about me and my brother and sisters.

Thanks to the Kennel Club Picture Library for letting us use their photos and if you want to know more about Crufts - or book tickets click on the banner below: