Are you into dog showing?
I’m not as much as I used to be, mainly because it’s very time consuming. It’s hard to find time to travel around the country, pretty much every weekend, while having so much going on. I do miss it occasionally though, I must admit.
There are two shows I’ve never missed since moving to the UK, namely Crufts and National Terrier
Crufts is advertised as the world’s greatest celebration of dogs. Next year you’ll find it at NEC in Birmingham on the 5th – 8th March and it will host over an amazing 27,000 dogs from across the world! The show will be broadcast on Channel 4 and live streamed on the Crufts’ YouTube channel.
🥇 What can you see at Crufts?
Loads of show rings (lol obviously). Somehow, it feels a bit different than any other show. Perhaps it’s the green carpet, the light and the vibe that create the unique buzz.
Discover Dogs.
You can also see many other dog activities like agility, flyball and
dancing and you can visit Discover Dogs, where each breed has their own
stand to promote their breed. This is the perfect place to get to know the
breed you are looking to buy or it can even help you decide what breed to get
if you have no clue. If you just want to walk around and stroke and cuddle dogs
all day long, and talk to likeminded people, you can even do that. How awesome is that?!
Stands.
Let’s not forget the stands… there are loads and loads of them with
everything you can think of. Don’t worry if you forget your coat, scarf or
trainers because you can even find those there amongst all the doggy stuff!
I’m over the moon because I managed to get a stand at this prestigious show and
since I received the confirmation my mind keeps jumping between excitement and
freaking out slightly 😊.
National Terrier.
National Terrier is the other show I’ve never missed. It’s usually on the first Saturday (or Sunday) in April, held at the Staffordshire Show Ground in Stafford. The National Terrier Club was registered with the Kennel Club in 1903 and is the premier Terrier Club in the United Kingdom. National Terrier is referred to by terrier people as Crufts for terriers and I think wining Best In Show at this show is a dream for every terrier exhibitor.
🥇 What does a “show dog” actually mean?
According to Wikipedia, a show dog might refer to any dog entered into a
dog show. More specifically, a show dog is a dog which has been specially bred,
trained, and/or groomed to conform to the specifications of dog shows, so as to
have a chance of winning. The purpose of showing a dog is to evaluate breeding
stock.
🥇 What is Dog Showing?
Dog showing or exhibiting is an exciting competitive activity where dogs
compete against each other for prizes or awards. It’s a competition where a
dog’s attributes and confirmation are compared against a breed standard for its
breed. Whilst it can often be taken very seriously, it can be a fun pursuit
that people and their dogs thoroughly enjoy. Dog shows are held all over the
country, and to find a show within your area, check the Find a Dog Show website.
To pick a show puppy from a litter is not an easy task. It takes years of experience with a breed to see a potential start of a show ring in an eight-week-old puppy.
I asked John what he looks for when choosing a potential show dog. His
answer was that a show dog has to have the right attitude and needs to enjoy
the whole process, as well as a little bit of exhibitionism. It’s important to
remember that show dogs are not machines. They work in harmony with their
handler but they also have their good days and bad days just like us.
Ch. Saredon Enigma aka Alan
When Alan (CH Saredon Enigma, Group Winner at Crufts 2017) was a puppy,
he and his sister Tinker Bell suffered from motion sickness. Thankfully at that
time I was already making my products, so Calming Floral Spray came to the rescue. We
sprayed the bedding before we put the pups in the car and then sprayed the back
of the car too. It didn’t take many attempts to notice the improvement.
I’m glad we did it and eventually his motion sickness was cured. He lives in
Malta now and travels around Europe, winning whatever he can! Thank God and
thanks Calming Floral Spray!
Are you showing at Crufts neat year? Or just visiting?
Come and see us in Hall 3. We have some great surprises in line for you too!!
Jitka xx