What is a day out at Crufts like?

[CoffeeAddictionUnderway]

DH and I have been thinking about getting a dog for a few years and as I've never owned a dog before, we've spent ages doing lots of research.

I just realised Crufts is next weekend. Would a day there maybe be a good opportunity for a newbie to dogs to see/learn more about dogs?

Apols if this sounds a bit clueless...that's because I am!

A day out at Crufts is ... knackering!

Any day (Thursday to Sunday this week) is a great day to go and find out about different breeds. There is an exhibition area called 'Discover Dogs' in Hall 3 which has a stand for each breed, manned by people who are happy to talk their breed all day and introduce you to some of them.

www.crufts.org.uk/content/whats-on/discover-dogs-at-crufts/

There are obviously lots of breed show rings, but there is also agility, flyball (dog 'sports'), gundog displays, handling competitions ... oh, loads - plus more stalls than you can shake a stick at, selling everything dog related and an awful lot that is not.

Haven't been for 20 years but it's fab! I fell in love with bernese mountain dogs whilst we were there and subsequently got one.

It's wonderful. Only been once before but seriously considering a visit this Thursday or Friday.

Thanks Whitney, that sounds great, and thanks for the link!

For the 'Discover Dogs' area, do you know if every breed is shown on each of the four days, or it's different breeds on each day? Just had a quick look and I wasn't sure.

A day at Crufts is great fun, and good for meeting every type of dog you can think of.

I agree that the Discover Dogs section is good for doing some research on which breed you might choose.

We always go to look at the Great Danes and Irish wolfhounds, would never get one, but they are amazing close up.

There's things to watch in the Arena, heel work to music, or dog dancing as we call it is good fun. If you stay till the end you can usually see Clare Balding filming with the winners, we also met Mrs Patmore from Downtown Abbey last year! So it's not all about dogs.

Thanks mog and confused. That's made my mind up - sounds fab!

Each breed should be at Discover Dogs every day.

For Discover Dogs, in theory, every breed is there every day. In reality, there may be the odd minority breed that can't get volunteers for all the 4 days, but you should find most stands full.

They will hand out info on the breeds, talk about how they are to live with, let you have a cuddle (the dog, not the owner, although us dog folk are a friendly bunch ...).

For the main show, the breeds will vary each day. If there's a particular breed/type of dog you're interested in, let me know and I will confirm which day it is.

A bonus Mrs Patmore would really be the cherry on top!

We have tickets for Saturday (specifically to see the Bernese Mountain Dogs)- never been before- so interested to see what people have to say!

I always say to my DP that our lives will be complete when we finally have a BMD- too impractical at the moment!

Thanks Whitney, so helpful.

We're urban house dwellers so we're looking at smallish dogs. I'm not allergic to dog hair but I'm an atopic type (hay fever and eczema) so we're thinking lower shedders - if possible - might be sensible.

Those two things in mind then, we're thinking about:

• Bichon Frises
• Norfolk Terriers
• Border Terriers

And I don't think these are necessarily low shedders, but the dog I've always pined after are King Charles Cavaliers. (And I know they come with loads of health ishoos!)

Actual show days for those breeds - Thursday would be the Toys (Bichon and Cavalier), Sunday is the Terriers.

Think most of those likely to be well covered on all days in DD though (Norwich the most likely not to be).

Have a look at Miniature Schnauzers too ... LOL (Have said that several times today already.)

Thanks Whitney. I think Miniatute Schnauzers might've come up in my research before. Thanks for the tips - I'll have a look into those too!

Quite excited now...thanks so much for the helpful info.

Oh pandakitchen I am so so jealous of you! Give all the berneys a cuddle from me please. Would love another she was bonkers but my best friend for 11 years. Come to think of it I've nothing planned Saturday, seriously tempted to go

Mog if you see a crazy woman being escorted out for too much Berners snuggling it will be me!

I love Crufts, we're not going this year, much to DH relief, as I tend to have a rather hefty shopping list. We're only 40 minutes from the NEC so it's normally one of our first family days out of the year .

For those of you that are going double check which routes a best on the BCC or Crufts websites, some of my inlaws live in Brum & there is some disruption but I can't for the life of me remember which roads.

Newfies are in Hall 5, Ring 35 on Saturday. Judging starts at 8.30AM, eek your poor friend, as they have a good entry.

Judging will go on for most of the day, so depends what she has as to what time she'll actually be in the ring. Males are in first, bitches after, so it will start with veterans first in the ring, then work through from young to old males - then do the same again for the bitches. It is impossible to say what time any particular person will be in really, unless in a very early class.

(Whippets would be on Sunday.)

We haven't been to Crufts but we went to the kent show which has breeds of so many animals on display plus shows. One of the shows was a pack of bloodhounds, there were too many of them to count, all in the ring. They invited all of the children watching to go into the ring with these huge great dogs, which I was shocked at. Lots went in, of all ages and the dogs were amazing with them, gentle, calm and affectionate as all these kids fussed them and ran around.

We had been considering a dog and that was the moment we knew we had found our breed. We waited a long time for a litter but then had 8 years with the most amazing boy, we lost him last year and our new baby bloodhound is 5 weeks old and we can't wait for him to come home.

My (rambling) point is I think crufts will be a brilliant place to find your breed, and the PP who said there is a meet the breed area is brilliant. Our new puppies mum is crufts champion, maybe one day we will travel up to the show to see what other family he has there!

Have a lovely time!

LOL thanks.

It is a mad house. It's a bit of a 'Marmite' show for us show folk, people either love it or hate it. It has its frustrations, but particularly these days with so many coming from abroad to show, it's always an interesting show.

Most vital piece of advice is VERY COMFORTABLE SHOES.

Take a bag with water and snacks, and be sure to go to the toilet way before you actually need to go as the queues can be horrendous.
Last time I went I drove up and back from Dorset and was 32 weeks pregnant. I've not ventured back since :o

Definitely wear good comfortable shoes. Take drinks and wear layers. It can get stifling hot in the NEC especially in the arena.

If you want to see something in the arena get snacks on the way in and turn up in good time. On the Saturday and Sunday especially it's can get busy in there.

Also... be warned there is lots of lovely things to buy for both you and your potential dog! It's a good place to research dog food/diets too.

Was Mrs Patmore in character?