Spotlight On... Flyball at Crufts!

Most dog sports involve one dog and one handler competing against other dog-and-human duos. Flyball is unique in the fact that it is a team sport, made up of four dogs and four humans per team. Two teams race against each other to see who can complete the flyball run the quickest: four jumps up to a tennis ball box, release the ball and jump back again. Agility jumps and tennis balls- my favourite.

I have actually tried flyball and it is a lot, lot harder than it seems. One week, we turned up to a London flyball club, expecting that, as a slightly tennis ball- obsessed dog, I'd be up for running to grab the ball. Ah, well... No. My humans had this crazed idea that I would follow their instructions- er, who do you think I am? One jump and no more, tennis ball or no tennis ball. Now, my humans watch the flyball competitions in awe of their skill.

Flyball was introduced to Crufts in 1990, after the sport grew rapidly in popularity in the USA. The sport is similar to a human relay- the dog must complete their run back and forth before the next dog can do his run. If a dog doesn't bring back the ball or misses a jump, he must re-run, potentially adding time that could result in a loss. The first team to have all four dogs complete the run successfully win and this is repeated up to three times. At Crufts, the winning team goes through to the next heat, until the final. 

If you happen to be visiting Crifts when flyball is going on, I definitely recommend giving it a watch. It's loud, quick and pretty wild, making it a very exciting event indeed. Make sure you check out The Kennel Club website for more information on how you can get involved in flyball.

COMPETITION NOTICE: the competition to win one of two pairs of tickets to the world's biggest dog show, Crufts, on 10-13th March is now closed. The winners have been selected so entrants should keep checking the post to see if they were one of the lucky winners... I truly do wish that you could have all been winners - thank you for your entries!

Less than two weeks until Crufts now...!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information about Crufts, visit www.crufts.org.uk.

To gettickets to the dog show, click here. 

Remember: all children under the age of 12 get in FREE!

Spotlight On... Heelwork to Music at Crufts!

Possibly the most entertaining competition at Crufts for me (and my humans) is Heelwork to Music. The name gives a good idea of what this doggie activity entails: one dog and one human boogie away to some music. Though, admittedly, it is a tad more involved in that, as I have experienced myself quite a while back...

At Crufts, competitors must perform technically complex, rhythmic and varied choreography to music for up to four minutes in length. Each act is judged on programme content (the difficulty and range of movements), accuracy and execution of movement (how well performed it is) and music interpretation (how it fits with the music).

 There are four competitions centred around Heelwork to Music: Heelwork, Freestyle, International Heelwork and International Freestyle. The main difference between Heelwork and Freestyle is the content that must be put into a dance routine. To be entered into the Heelwork category, a minimum of two-thirds of the performance must include heelwork whereas, for the Freestyle category, a maximum of one-third  of heelwork is permitted. The International categories are the same, but with a competitor representing countries around the world- these in particular get very competitive!

Heelwork to Music was first brought to Crufts by doggie-dancing expert Mary Ray back in 1992, and the sport has grown in popularity ever since. Not just one but TWO dog-and-human duos have won ITV talent contest Britain's Got Talent since the show began; Ashleigh and Pudsey in 2012 and Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse last year. My humans were lucky enough to catch the former pair competing at Crufts before they won the content, taking first place in one of the Young Kennel Club competitions- they truly were brilliant.

From my (humans') many years of attending Crufts, there has been one Heelwork to Music routine that I simply cannot forget. Although Linda de Smet from Belgian did not win the International Freestyle in 2011 with this routine (I still think they should have!), their routine was charming, original and had the BEST finale... Give it a watch below!

Heelwork to Music is always a great watch at Crufts, and I highly recommend visiting either the Main Arena or the Young Kennel Club ring to see one of the competitions! More information on how to get involved in the sport can be found here.

REMINDER: the competition for tickets to Crufts 2016 closes on Friday 26th February so make sure you don't miss out on your chance to win your way into the doors of the NEC on 10-13th March. You can enter here!

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

For more information about Crufts 2016, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here

WIN TICKETS TO CRUFTS 2016!

It's competition time!

Oh yes- the Kennel Club have kindly given me not one, but TWO pairs of tickets to Crufts dog show to give away to a couple of you out there! With children under the age of twelve getting free entry, you could be treating the whole family to a doggy day out.

The first Crufts was held in 1891, in London. Now, the show takes place across five halls of the NEC, Bimingham and over four days- from Thursday 10th- Sunday 13th March 2016.

To be in with the chance of winning a pair of tickets to the world's biggest dog show, all you need to do is answer the following question correctly:

What birthday does Crufts celebrate this year?

A) 50th Birthday

B) 100th Birthday

C) 125th Birthday

Send your name, address and answer to jasperthedoggie@hotmail.co.uk or using the contact form  on the right side of the page and you could be making your way to Birmingham!

The deadline for entries is Friday 26th February.

But don't worry if you don't come out as one of the lucky two winners- tickets to the show can be bought here

To find out more about the show, visit www.crufts.org.uk

Good luck, and I can't wait to see you there!

Jasper x

10 Reasons Why You Won't Want to Miss Crufts 2016!

With just over one month until Crufts takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, it is time to get organised. Of course, you can just turn up to the show and decide what you want to see and do there and then but, in my house, we plan which events we want to watch as soon as the schedules are made available. For example, our whole Crufts experience evolves around the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team, who are taking centre stage on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March in the Main Arena (don't miss them!).

Here are ten reasons why this year's Crufts is a must-go-to event in the dog calendar- see you there!

1. It's Crufts' Birthday: this year, celebrations will be going all out as we commemorate 125 years of Crufts dog show. It promises to be a very special year...
2. I've mentioned them already in this post, and this certainly won't be the last you hear of them this year, but the Southern Goldies Display Team are always the highlight of the Main Arena for me. A bunch of happy retrievers trotting along to pop music, whilst performing obedience tricks. Amazing.
3. The shopping. Oh my paws. If you're one of the many people who prefers buying things for their dogs than themselves, you will love the array of stalls at Crufts. Halls and halls of dog beds, dog jewellery, dog treats and dog toys... Oh, I love Crufts.
4. There are a number of display rings at Crufts and one of my favourites is the Young Kennel Club ring. Watching young dog handlers and their beloved pets compete against one another in the same exciting sports as the adults is truly inspiring and always great to view.
5. The Discover Dogs zone welcomes over 200 different breeds of dog for you to meet and greet. From the popular English Springer Spaniel (ah, yes, that's me) to the rare Hungarian Puli, try and have a snuggle with as many varieties of dogs as possible!
   
6. On Day 2 of Crufts (Friday 11th March), the Vulnerable Breeds competition takes place in the Main Arena to raise awareness of the breeds that are currently in decline in terms of ownership.  Often, the breeds in the competition will be of a surprise: some you may never have even heard of, and some you may never have expected to be a vulnerable will take part.
7. You have the chance to meet celebrity dogs. Remember Harvey from the Dogs Trust advert? My humans have met him at Crufts- and you could too! Many famous dogs from the Internet, the small screen and big screen all flock to the world's biggest dog show to meet their adoring fans. They might even give you their pawtograph (if you're lucky...!)
8. Free stuff: every year, my humans scavenge around every stall in the NEC for complimentary samples, magazines and even the odd free toy. Last year, when I went, I joined in, finding every dog bowl of food on the floor- so good.
9. It's international: in 2015, 2,995 dogs FLEW to Crufts to compete. Ever wanted to meet an actual Australian Kelpie, a truly Siberian Husky or a Chinese Pekingnese? Well, there's no place more likely than Crufts (apart from the original country of the breed, perhaps)!
10. Want to be able to say that you've been to the biggest dog show on the planet? I thought so. Each year, Crufts welcomes tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe into the mad world of dogs- and one of them could be you.

My humans are attending the show on Saturday 12th March and can't wait to see you there!

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

If you would like more information on Crufts 2016, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here and, remember, under 12s get into Crufts for FREE!

125 YEARS OF CRUFTS!

As it is now February, we can officially say that the world's largest dog show, Crufts, is next month!

On 10-13th March 2016, tens of thousands of dogs will be taking to The NEC, Birmingham, to compete in a range of competitions, from agility to heelwork to music to Best in Show! As many of you will have now realised, my humans and I are slightly fanatical about the dog show; last year, you may remember, my humans even managed to get me a dog pass into the show to experience the life of a show dog!

Picture from www.crufts.org.uk

This year is a particularly special year for Crufts, as the show turns a whooping 125 years of age. Yup, the dog show began right back in 1891, when Charles Cruft booked out the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington for three days from 11th to 13th February. The first year of Crufts had 2,437 entries across 36 breeds of dog- quite different to the 30,000+ dogs that visit the show each year now!

The show has also moved venue since its first staging: in 1948, Crufts moved to Olympia, London, under Kennel Club auspices after Charles Cruft passed away and, in 1979, the show moved again to Earls Court, as it grew in size. 100 years after the first show and Crufts moved yet again into the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, where it has taken place ever since.

Arguably the biggest title of the weekend is Best in Show, which is awarded to one dog out of every breed entry on the Sunday night of the event. Although Crufts now would not seem the same without this prestigious award, I was very surprised to learn that Best in Show was only first held in 1928, with a Greyhound named Primley Sceptre taking home the prize. Since then, 77 more dogs have won Best in Show, with the most recent winner being little Scottish Terrier Knopa.

With Crufts just a few weeks away, people are now placing their bets on which breed 2016's Best in Show winner will be. As usual, I am very hopeful for a fellow English Springer Spaniel to take home the trophy but we just going to have to wait and see...

Learn more about the history of Crufts since it began in this adorable video, here:

My humans cannot wait to attend this year's anniversary Crufts and hope to see you there!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on Crufts, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To get tickets to the show, click here. 

It's definitely worth booking your tickets in advance as, not only will you be skipping the queues, you will be saving on the door ticket prices too. And, remember, under 12s' entry into the show is FREE!