Best of dogs, best of fun!

Discover Dogs, 11th -12th November 2006

Held at Earls Court 2, London, over two days, Discover Dogs is a one-of-a-kind event. Not only does it present a platform to showcase over 180 Kennel Club recognised breeds of pedigree dog - a rarity in itself – but it also offers visitors the unique chance to witness an abundance of canine displays and competitions which one may not normally have the good fortune to see. Not to mention the fantastic array of trade stands selling everything from the latest in canine collar chic to canine teatime treats.

Set up over 11 years ago by the Kennel Club, Discover Dogs provides the ideal opportunity for members of the public to meet the breeds, their experienced owners and to talk to them first hand about the special characteristics of each breed. The ultimate aim is to educate prospective dog owners about the joys of dog ownership but also the responsibilities, which go with it too.

Navigating around the hall couldn’t be easier, as each breed is presented within a booth, many of which are elaborately furnished with paraphernalia according to its origin. Every year, the Kennel Club awards prizes for the booths which are deemed to best portray the philosophy of Discover Dogs with emphasis being on the quality of information which is handed out. This year’s overall winner was the Glen of Imaal Terrier, followed by the Mastiff in second and the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier in third.

Amongst the hive of activity within the ‘meet and greet’ area of the breed booths, there are three carefully located areas, providing hotbeds of displays and competitions: the Young Kennel Club Ring, Training Ring and Main Ring.

In the Young Kennel Club Ring, juniors ranging from 6-24 years took part in Crufts qualifying handler classes, with the following handlers making it through to the final:

• Dominic Harrison, 11
• Alexandra MacBain, 16
• Ashleigh Butler, 11
• Emma Tripp, 13
• Amy Bennett, 20

Whilst over in the Training Ring, audiences were dazzled by the variety of demonstrations from the Good Citizen Dog Scheme and a fabulous talk on bringing a puppy into thehome. The timetable was also jam packed with activities from other corners of the canine world including heelwork to music, agility training displays and all the fun and flight of flyball.

Over in the Main Ring, and after 12 months of qualifying heats, the semi-finalists of the Kennel Gazette Junior Warrant competition preened and pampered their charges in readiness for judges, Eleanor Bothwell and Tom Mather. The winners, will make the final to be held at Crufts 2007 on Friday 9th March.

This year’s show highlighted the invaluable work of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which works tirelessly for the benefit of all dogs. The Trust was formed in 1987 and has distributed funds of over £2.5 million since its inception, with almost £300,000 awarded in grants last year alone.

Two of the many attractions at this year’s Discover Dogs have raised funds for the Trust during the build up to the show. Firstly, the Trust has been the beneficiary of the proceeds from the nationwide heats of the prestigious Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year competition, which reached its climax with the grand-final on Sunday in the Main Ring. Judged by ex-Blue Peter presenter and all round dog fancier, Matt Baker, the winner was ‘Dylan’, owned by Mandy Blake.

Many of you will have seen the winning entry of the Kennel Club’s Dog Photographer of the Year competition on the front cover of last month’s Kennel Gazette but at Discover Dogs, visitors had the opportunity to see an extensive collection of the entries. All proceeds raised from the competition were donated to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. One thing’s for sure - there are certainly many talented photographers out there!

The Kennel Club’s Companion Dog Club for all dogs, pedigree or crossbreed held its finals in the Main Ring. Dogs of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds joined in the fun of the competition and were judged by canine behaviourists, trainers and authors, Annette Conn and Caroline Mentieth on their relationship with their owner, general behaviour and condition. Best Dog, judged on Saturday was ‘Jezz’ owned by Carol Sandrey and Best Bitch, judged on Sunday was ‘Lady’ owned by Peter Wilson.

It’s no wonder with so much going on, Discover Dogs hit an all time high with the record attendance of over 26,000 visitors through its doors at Earls Court 2. That’s up by 2,000 visitors compared to last year and a record public attendance.

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