Crufts is known as the biggest and best celebration of dogs and it starts on the 7th March and ends on Mother’s Day on the 10th. The show takes place in Birmingham in the NEC, and you can catch it on TV channels More 4 and Channel 4.
There are a wide range of shows that take place across the four days that Crufts takes place, some of which include best in show, heelwork to music, obedience and much more. Crufts is held every year and is the largest show of its kind.
Crufts was founded by Charles Cruft who worked as a general manager of a dog biscuit company. His passion for four legged friends led to him
English: Photograph of Charles Cruft (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
creating the Crufts dog show which was first held in 1891. Back then 2,000 dogs competed and in today’s competitions roughly 28,000 dogs take part; they will definitely have to have a lot of dog treats on the go to keep those tails wagging! Eukanuba is the sponsor of this years Crufts so there is sure to be a lot of Eukanuba puppy food and adult dog food to make sure they are feeling at their best.
There are a number of halls where different events will take part, many of which overlap to make sure that they fit in as many shows as possible over the 4 day event. The best in show award is the one that the majority of pets and their owners are aiming to win, with people participating from across the globe. There are numerous rounds to determine the final outcome. To begin with dogs of the same breed, gender, age and previous class wins are judges against each other. Dogs from anywhere cannot simply enter this competition they must have gained a top 3 place in classes from previous years at a licensed Kennel Club show.
There are a number of other shows however one of which includes agility. This is a fun show to watch for viewers as you get to see the dogs take part in time trials around obstacle courses. Of course it is still a competition so any mistakes from the dog will mean time is added on to their completed time by the judges. One of the must fun shows to watch is the heelwork to music competition, also known as doggy dancing to some! This is a relatively new sport as it was only started in the 1990’s and the first proper Crufts competition for it only began in 2006.
For those who do not own a dog or are not able to attend Crufts then make sure to catch it on the TV across the weekend. It is shown on More4 between 6:30pm and 9pm everyday, with live streaming on YouTube too.
