Crufts

[ineedaholidaynow]

My DS has started doing training classes with our dog in flyball and heelwork to music. Thought it might be nice for him to see how the experts do it and take him to Crufts this year.

We have never been before so need some advice. I assume it will be horrendously busy, especially at the weekend, don't think it would count as an authorised absence from school if we go during the week

Also on the Sunday, which is the only day we could go, there do not appear to be any demonstrations of flyball or heelwork to music in the arena, per the website. Do they have demonstrations anywhere else or are the halls just for stalls, dogs etc?

Sunday will be Best in Show so will probably be particularly busy. It's quite fun to go and see all the kihds of things people and dogs get up to. www.crufts.org.uk/content/whats-on/day-3-saturday-7-march/ is just for Saturday. I don't enjoy the beauty contest much. I don't really see the point, but there's masses of other stuff to see and masses and masses of trade stalls. It has pretty much the same kind of thing on Sunday as the other days, just the championships and the other dog displays. There are several arenas, some bigger than others and there are people showing off what they can do with their dogs, both as a show and right at the beginning of training. Leave loads of extra time to arrive; you can sit in a queue for miles on the motorway. Go prepared for a busy and exhausting and long day. It is quite an extraordinary spectacle and there are things for everyone, dog things anyway!

There's lots of things going on not in the arena. If you have a look online you will find the line up for the other rings, such as the YKC ring which might interest your son, and there's another ring that alternates between htm demos, flyball, gun dogs etc.

I LOVE crufts. Arrive early, do your shopping in the AM, have a good look at what's going on and then at about half 11/12, park yourself at a ring (either the arena or the other rings) and watch what's going on for a few hours. It gets really busy at this point walking round the stalls so good to be stationary! Then it quietens down again late afternoon for some final shopping.

Get the train if you can - train station is in the NEC and much easier/less busy than the car park.

Could DS not be unwell on Friday? bad mother

The weekends are seriously manic there. I dimly remember a lovely lady chaperoning me to the front of the queue for the ladies, as it was about 20 people long and I was 8 months pregnant (and that was in the week!)

Take food with you, arrive early and plan what you want to see. I have always tried to do the halls in some kind of order as I didn't want to miss anything out :)