My Humans' Day at Discover Dogs 2014!

Today, my humans went to Discover Dogs at Earls Court, London and what a day they had! Each year, the show has a fantastic offering of many different doggie activities, and this year is no different.

Firstly, my humans visited the YKC Ring to see a Crufts qualifier! On both days of Discover Dogs this year, the Young Kennel Club is holding qualifiers for 'Groomer of the Year' at Crufts. I've competed in this very competition twice before, so one of my humans knew exactly how the competitors were feeling: under pressure!

 Also on offer at the show is a range of agility competitions. Who doesn't love watching dogs jump, climb and weave through obstacles?! My humans caught the Small/Mixi Pairs Final in jumping, which is basically a relay involving two dogs, with one taking on the first half of the course and the other the second half. 

 Look at them go!

 Following the agility was Trick 'n' Treat and Obedience Training with Mary Ray. As many of you will know, Mary Ray is the person who brought Heelwork to Music to the UK, so she is very experienced in the obedience field. 

 The first half of her set was done with her helper Lyric, her newest recruit for Heelwork to Music. Lyric was born this time last year and her tricks are already seriously impressive- look at that concentration!

 Mary Ray was then accompanied by Levi, her nine-year-old Border Collie who has been an obedience champion for the past three years. With years of experience, Levi's second home is the Main Ring at most dog shows, and he performed the most amazing tricks that left my humans in awe. 

 It was then time for the first Scruffts semi-final of the weekend: Child's Best Friend! Each and every dog's appearance was unique- they're all cross-breeds- but every one of the competitors was gorgeous! 

 Sarah Wright, editor of Your Dog magazine, was the judge of this competition and she chose................ as the winners. Each finalist of the six categories will be at the final at Crufts 2015, where the overall champion will be crowned. Don't miss the rest of the semi-finals at Discover Dogs tomorrow!

After demonstrations of teaching your dog obedience tricks, it was now time for Mary Ray to show us these tricks performed to music- with Richard Curtis. The two top dog handlers performed a fabulous Scottish-themed Heelwork to Music (Freestyle) music routine with Levi. Definitely not to be missed!

Erm, humans, I am definitely capable of performing tricks of that level... 

After watching a number of fantastic competitions and displays, my humans then decided that they were missing me too much and headed off to my personal favourite of the 200-plus breed stands- the English Springer Spaniels! Look at that face... I might even have to admit that he is just as cute as me!

After a quick break for lunch and browse of the shops, it was time for my humans to return back to the Main Ring for the act I crowned my top thing to see at the show: the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team!

 The weaving circle!

Patiently waiting for their humans to come back whilst dealing with separation lasting more than five seconds...

 Oh, so obedient.

 Your humans have left you alone? Again? Goldies, I feel for you.

 About time for a trip to see the gentle giants. Such stunning Great Danes.

 Yup, I have no idea where this Hungarian Puli's eyes are either. 

 My humans bumped into one of the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team dogs later on and she was more than happy to pose for a photo!

 Snoozing Spanish Water Dogs with those lovely curls. I can totally understand why they've chosen to sleep instead of snuggle with humans: Discover Dogs is an exhausting experience!

 My humans visited the Police Dog stand and spoke to some very friendly trainers who were more than happy to answer any questions they had.

And look who they met... Marney! 

 One of the trainers had only their little Springer for four weeks and Marney had apparently already shown many signs of becoming a fantastic dog to fulfil the requirements of a police dog- and the requirements of becoming Britain's Next Top Dog Model as well, so it seems!

 And then the humans came across the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team... Again.

 Back to the Main Ring for the noisiest dog sport, Flyball! Never does this competition fail to be one exciting competition requiring a LOT of yelling from the audience...

 To end the day, my humans visited Discover Dogs' sponsors Metro Bank's stand to meet some of the most famous doggies in the acting world, including Harvey (real name: Sykes) from the Thinkbox advert, and Roly, who is in Downton Abbey. Recognise any of them? 

 You can just tell that these guys are completely used to having their photo taken...

And that was it; my humans' day at Discover Dogs was over. Once again, they had a brilliant day, full of lots of shopping, adoring and stroking. Discover Dogs is open again at Earls Court TOMORROW so, if you haven't already been, make sure you go. 

Next year, Discover Dogs is moving to ExCeL London and is open on 17th and 18th October, so make sure you save the date in your diary!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For information on Discover Dogs, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk.

To buy tickets to the dog show, click here. 

The Run Up to a Competition!

In the run up to a competition, you feel a mixture of emotions: nerves, determination and, above all, excitement. Usually, when I compete, I do it for fun; it's great to get out and about and try something new. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of preparation to be done- it is the world's biggest dog show, Crufts, you're competing to qualify for, after all! This weekend, Discover Dogs is back at Earls Court, London, and, with 3,000 dogs competing at the dog show, organisation is key to success in the rings.

6 Months Before
When I first competed at Discover Dogs a few years ago, it was in a grooming competition. In the months running up to the show, my human had bought all the equipment required to clip my Springer fluff and had practised giving me a fancy (they hoped!) hairdo. I had obviously been the perfect candidate for them to practise on. I don't seem to recall trying to roll over every time my human brushed my coat, nor do I remember that one time I apparently rolled so close to the edge that half my body was hanging treacherously over the side of the grooming table, supposedly resulting in my human creating a dodgy patch where all the hair had been shaved off... Months, even years, of practice have gone into the work displayed by handlers and dogs at Discover Dogs, so every minute counts in the competitions.

Two Months Before
60 days until the competition, and it's time to send in your entry forms. Usually, at this point, when I was competing in grooming competitions, my human would give me my final trim before the big day, allowing enough time for my winter coat to make its way back to its full glory.

One Week Before
7 days until the show... Panic! In the final few days before the show, the humans must make sure that all the equipment they need for the competition is found and packed, ready for the big day. For a big show like Discover Dogs, I like to tweet about it and find out who else is attending the show. Often, at the largest of dog shows, 'Tweet Ups' are organised, where people you've only met on Twitter all meet up and socialise- but in person! It's loads of fun, and a fabulous way to meet similar, dog-obsessed people. It's super for us doggies too- we have plenty of dogs to play with!

The Big Day
The day has finally arrived. All those months of practise have been leading up to today and now it's time to make sure it pays off. 6am is when my humans like to give me a bath, which I'm never too pleased about. I mean, why start what promises to be an exciting day with something as horrific as a bath?Urgh... Those pesky, persistent humans. After a towelling down (now, this part I like!), my humans brush through my coat, making sure I'm looking as dapper as ever. With something like a grooming competition, it's beneficial to remove all the tangles before you ever the ring to avoid accidentally missing one when you're under pressure. Bags packed and coat washed. It's time to jump in the crate in the boot of the car and head off to the event! Once we've arrived, my humans check where to go and take me inside to find our booth for the day. At many dog shows, each canine is given a bay where you can leave all your stuff and where my humans put my crate, so I can have a snooze when I want to have a break. As my grooming qualifiers always started at 10am, there was little time to look around the show before the competition, so usually I would be called up within 45 minutes of arriving at the show- crazy! Adrenaline running high, there's just enough time to be fed a quick sausage (mmm...) and then it's time to enter the ring... Good luck!

Even though I'm not competing at Discover Dogs this year, I cannot wait until the show begins! If you haven't already got your tickets to the show, you can purchase them here. For more information of the show, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk.
Good luck to all the competitors- I'm sure you'll all do great!

Talk soon, Jasper x

Top 10 Things to See and Do at Discover Dogs 2014!

With only a week until Discover Dogs opens at Earls Court, London, it's definitely time to start planning what displays you want to see, what things you want to buy and what breeds you want to meet. As I have attended the show many times, I have chosen 10 things that I would not want to miss at the dog show...

1. Southern Golden Retriever Display Team: Okay, I know I go on and on about this group of gorgeous Goldies, but they truly are tremendous! The team consists of 16 Golden Retrievers and 16 handlers and they perform routines of obedience that are choreographed to music. Very entertaining to watch- check them out in the Main Ring at 13:40 on Saturday and 16:05 on Sunday.
2. Flyball: This mad dog sport is a relay race, where the dogs sprint and leap over a line of jumps, pick up a tennis ball, and then sprint and leap back over the jumps for another dog to have their turn. Arguably the noisiest of all dog sports, this is definitely an event to be watched. Main Ring at 15:15 on Saturday and 13:35 on Sunday.
3. Heelwork to Music (Richard Curtis and Mary Ray): Famous dog trainers Richard Curtis and Mary Ray perform immensely impressive routines with their dogs and each have won top Heelwork to Music competitions across the globe. Performing together, this show is bound to be one of the most memorable events of the week. Catch them in the Main Ring at 15:35 on Saturday and 13:30 on Sunday. 
4. English Springer Spaniel: For obvious reasons, this stand remains to be my favourite of all 200+ dog breeds. Who wouldn't want a snuggle with a Springer? Visit these adorable Spaniels at  Stands 191/192.
5. Young Kennel Club Ring: Witness the skills of some of the next generation's most promising dog trainers in this ring. The programme includes Dog Groomer of the Year qualifiers for Crufts, which are taking place on both days, so make sure you visit this ring to see some new talent!
   
6. Scruffts: Back in 2000, Scruffts was launched at Discover Dogs and now,  throughout the weekend, the semi-finals of the UK's first cross-breed dog competition will be taking place in the Main Ring. The finals for this competition will be held at Crufts 2015 so this is your chance to see all the potential finalists before March next year. 
7. Great Dane: Although they're not Springers, I've got to admit that these dogs are very cute and are definitely worth going to see. Known as the 'Gentle Giant' of dog breeds, visit Stands 88/89 to meet some of these huge dogs. 
8. Agility: I had agility lessons for many years and this sport is still my favourite of them all. On both Saturday and Sunday, competitions are taking place, with some of the country's top dogs and handlers competing against each other. Definitely one not to be missed! Competitions taking place at various times throughout each day. 
9. Spanish Water Dog: Another lovely breed; Spanish Water Dogs are not a breed that you come across every day. Discover Dogs is great for meeting rarer breeds, and this one is one that I met at the show a few years back. My family are huge admirers of their perfectly-curled coats! Meet some at Stand 197. 
10. Shops: With over 100 trade stands at the show, it would be ridiculous not to have a look at what's on offer. Only 8 Sundays until Christmas everyone...!

As you can see, there are plenty of things to entertain you and your family with at the show, which is why my humans return every year. Let me know of your favourite things to do at Discover Dogs- I would love to hear your recommendations. 

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on the dog show, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk 

To buy tickets to Discover Dogs, click here