COMPETITION TIME: WIN TICKETS TO DISCOVER DOGS 2016!

Back in its 21st year, London's biggest dog show is taking to the halls of ExCeL London on 22nd and 23rd October 2016 and YOU could be winning your way through the doors.

That's right- I am giving away a pair of tickets to Discover Dogs 2016 and they could be yours!

To be in with a chance of winning the tickets, all you need to do is answer the following question correctly:

The largest youth organisation for dog activities in the UK has its own area at Discover Dogs, but what is the organisation's name?

A) Young Kennel Club

B) Young Dog Lovers

C) The Youth Handlers' Organisation

Simply, email the correct answer along with your name and address to jasperthedoggie@hotmail.co.uk and you could be at Discover Dogs 2016!
If you're struggling with the answer, check out this blog post for a hint...

Alternatively, use the contact form on the right-side of the blog.


Closing date: Friday 7th October 

Good luck!

Talk soon, Jasper x

Of course, if you can't wait to get your tickets,or luck out in this competition, visit this webpage to purchase tickets to Discover Dogs.
For more information on the dog show, visit http://www.discoverdogs.org.uk/
And, remember, under 12s get free entry!

CRUFTS WEEK!

The time is now, the week is here. Crufts is turning 125!

By now, competitors across the globe will be carrying out their final preparations: heelwork to music routines are being practised, obedience skills are being perfected and there's a lot of coat grooming to be done. 

As for us members of the general public, we simply have to empty the cupboards to make sure that there's enough space for future Crufts purchases, writing lists of the things we want to fill those cupboards with and planning what we want to see and do, when we're not relentlessly shopping.

There are HUGE amounts of displays, competitions and talks to be watched; so much, in fact, that things can get a little overwhelming. 

But, don't fret: 

I introduce my day-by-day breakdown of what I think you simply MUST see when you come to the NEC this week...!

Thursday 10th March: Toy & Utility Day

• 11:05- East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Display Team- despite so many campaigns to end the stereotype, Staffies are a breed that continue to get a bad portrayal in the media. This display team show exactly why their image is so, so wrong. Such a happy sight to see.
• 12:15- Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition- never does heelwork to music disappoint. Freestyle has more options for the competitors, which means some very creative ideas come through. Some of the most talented dogs performing effortlessly to music- amazing!
• 17:15- Young Kennel Club Agility Dog of the Year- across the weekend, the next generation of dog experts compete in the YKC Ring at Crufts, which I highly recommend giving a visit. However, for one of the YKC's biggest competitions, the agility finalists take to the Main Arena to give it their all. 

Friday 11th March: Gundog Day

• 13:40- Rescue Dog Agility- what I love about Crufts is that it is an opportunity for all dogs to get their moment under the limelight. Rescue dogs are often unfairly considered as "difficult" dogs but this competition shows how far from the truth this is.
• 15:10- Agility- Large Novice and Medium ABC Final- Collies are known to be the most common breed to partake in agility so the Anything But Collies competitions give other breeds the opportunity to take centre stage. Who knows, the whole competition might be made up of Springers and just imagine how great that would be...!
• 17:55- Gundog Display (Philippa Williams)- well, if you're visiting on Gundog Day at Crufts, you simply have to see Gundogs doing what they do best- sniffing and fetching! Even I, as a very, very intelligent English Springer Spaniel, has to admit that what these Gundogs do is pretty impressive!

Saturday 12th March: Working & Pastoral Day

• 12:10- Dog Activities Display- always an insightful viewing, this display gives short examples of the sort of activities you could get involved in with your dog, from heelwork to music to obedience. 
• 13:00- Heelwork to Music- Freestyle International Competition: as mentioned in the previous post, this competition involves the very best of freestyle doggie dancers from the around the world, with one dog-and-human duo representing the countries involved. The diverse celebration of cultures through dancing dogs is just exceptional so I definitely recommend!
• 16:40- Southern Golden Retriever Display Team- well, if I hadn't made this clear enough already, this group is my ultimate MUST-SEE across the four days. They have displays on other days as well so don't worry if you're not heading to the NEC on Saturday!

Sunday 13th March: Terrier & Hound and Best in Show Day

• 12:20- Flyball Team Finals- thoroughly entertaining, the loudest of all dog sports has its finals on the last day of Crufts, so don't miss out on seeing who is crowned the winning flyball team from across the weekend!
• 12:40- West Midlands Police Dog Display- before watching this display, I had never witnessed the full extent of what is involved in the hound side of policing but the West Midlands team changed this. 
•  From 15:30, only Best in Show ticket holders are permitted to entry the Main Arena so bear this in mind when purchasing tickets to the show. For the lucky ticket holders, at 17:45, the one and only Mary Ray performs what promises to be a magnificent heelwork to music routine and then at 20:30 the biggest competition of the week comes to a close with the Best in Show final! Come on you Spaniels!

Full itineraries for the four days can be found here.

Of course, these are just a few of the hundreds of competitions going on at the NEC on 10-13th March and there is undoubtedly something for everyone at Crufts. Not only are there the shows in the Main Arena but there are many other rings for you to explore, as well as over four hundred stands so that you can shop for your pooches.

I hope everyone, including the competition winners Vaughan and Andrea, has a brilliant time at the show and I can't wait to see all your pictures!

Happy 125th Birthday, Crufts!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on Crufts dog show, visit http://www.crufts.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here or tickets can be bought on the door. Remember, under 12s get in free!

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

My AMAZING Day at Crufts 2015!

So, that's it. Crufts 2015 is over. And what a weekend it was!

Saturday 7th March. The day I stepped inside the halls of The NEC as a guest to Crufts 2015.
When I woke up, I noticed that something was up. Usually, I'm the first one to wake up but yesterday all my humans were hustling and bustling about. What on earth was going on?! Well, after our two hour journey, it finally occurred to me that this trip was no normal trip.
Barks? Check.
Lots of things to sniff? Check.
Thousands of dog-mad humans? Check.
This could only mean one thing. I was at CRUFTS 2015!
The first exciting event of the day was trying to find the right entrance to go through. When your visiting as a canine, you have to enter through a special dog door- I felt like a V.I.D (Very Important Dog, that is)!

Obviously, it was then time to have photos with the Crufts logo... 

 Bench picture! Every competitor and display dog is given one of these benches so I had to pose with one like a proper show dog.

They may be far away but there are Great Danes in this picture. Yes, GREAT DANES. 

Crufts Crufts Crufts Crufts

At the sides of the show rings, my humans had to try and hide me from the competitors so that I didn't distract them. I mean, as if I would ever distract the gorgeous Wheaten Terriers...!

The first event we watched in the Main Arena was one that my humans watch every year: the International Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition! Every routine was original and there were some seriously impressive moves from these dogs. Definitely know which tricks I'm going to be working on now...! 

My human was a silly sausage and forgot her zoom lens... But here is a picture of a hilarious routine based on magic. At one point, the dog pushed the lid down over their human who was laying down inside the box and then pushed a (pretend) sword back and and forth. So clever!

The effort that had gone into some of the costumes was unbelievable. Just look at that!

And the winner is...  Slovakia! This poignant routine has the most adorable (and heartbreaking) ending. Watch the full routine here!

The Main Arena is seriously impressive. What a place to do doggie sports!

Me, posing with one of the many rings where the top dogs in each breed battle it out for their chance to win Best in Show. 

The judging of the lovely Airedale Terrier. 

My favourite photo of the day goes to... This gorgeous Standard Poodle, poking his head out of his crate! What a dude.

Fun fact: Crufts stretches across over 25 acres of the The NEC's halls. That's a lot of shopping to be done!

The tens of thousands of visitors that visit Crufts every year...

Woooo! A picture of me having a GREAT time!

 In the Dog Activities area of Crufts, you can learn about all the different things dogs can get up to, with typical breeds from each option available to meet and greet. My humans were particularly taken by this stunning Bloodhound. Just look at that sit!

A group of happy Retrievers!

One of my humans' favourite sections at Crufts is the Discover Dogs area, where visitors are able to learn about more than 200 breeds. Obviously, we had to take a trip to the Gundogs section, where I met some more of my breed- the English Springer Spaniels! Check out this stunning Spaniel.

I was probably the cheeriest dog in the world on Saturday!

So much to see and dog- come on, humans!

The irresistible Hungarian Puli. Man, I have serious hair-envy over their coats... So impressive!

Later, we visited the Young Kennel Club ring, which demonstrates the work of the next generation of dog handlers. The ring involves many of the same competitions that are held in the Main Arena, but for people that are from six years of age up to twenty-five. The work this organisation does to help young dog lovers is fantastic. 

After a look round all the stalls and rings, it was time to head back to the Main Arena to see everyone's favourite Goldies: the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team. Following their amazing display, every single Retriever in the team headed back into the arena to film something very special... Saturday Night Takeaway came to Crufts! The winner of Take Home the Ads was selected on the screen in the arena, whilst the Goldies ran, jumped and climbed around the ring. An extremely entertaining sight!

 It was then time for the Large International Agility Finals! As an Agility dog myself, this event is adored by my humans, and it did not fail to impress.

The course proved particularly difficult, with only TWO out of the fourteen competitors completing it with no faults. 

 The judge of this competition was an ex-YKC member, just proving what you can do within the organisation. The most challenging part of this course seemed to be where the tunnel and the dog walk are lined up beside each other, with quite a few of the dogs taking the tunnel instead of the climb!

All the competitors did a fantastic job- well done to all!

 Our final viewing of the day: the Flyball Team Finals! Every year, this sport excites the audience beyond belief and this year was no different. Spot the Springer in the bottom right-hand corner of this picture...

 After an excruciatingly-close final, the Dream Team South-East took home the trophy for the flyball, thanks to their incredibly rapid Pointer, who ran last. Go team!

 On the way out, my humans had time to check out the filming set for the Crufts coverage on Channel 4, which had a very special feature...

The Crufts 2015 Best in Show trophy!

On the final day of Crufts 2015, the seven finalists from each of the groups came together for the prestigious final of Best in Show. There was no clear guess as to who the winner was going to be as all the dogs were just THAT good so the judge had a very difficult to decision to make. After some deliberation, he awarded the title of Best in Show to Knopa, the first Scottish Terrier to take home the title since 1929! Owned by Rebecca Cross, Knopa was bred in the U.S and won Best of Breed two years ago at Crufts. Reserve Best in Show was awarded to the Dublin, the Flat-coated Retriever with an extremely waggy tail, from Sweden. 

Congratulations go to all the winners from across the weekend- you all did a fantastic job!

This year's Crufts was, for me, the most special as I was able to attend myself and I truly did have an incredible day. 

Talk soon,

 Jasper x

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

To watch highlights from the show, click here  to be taken 

to the Official Crufts YouTube Page

Me, licking my lips at the number of the treats we brought home... Yum!

Best in Show: Who's Going to Win?

With less than THREE weeks until the largest dog show in the world, Crufts, the last few preparations are taking place to ensure that the show is as successful as ever. This is especially the case with the owners of Crufts entrants. Years of work have been devoted into the dogs of the dog show world, many along with the aspiration of winning the esteemed title of 'Best in Show'.
The question on everybody's mind is who is going to take the title home this year?
I look back at the past 5 winners of this prestigious title...

2010: Yogi the Hungarian Vizsla

Five years ago, Yogi was awarded the first Best in Show of the decade. Out of the 187 different breeds competing at Crufts 2010, Yogi was awarded the honour of this renowned title and, by doing so, made him the first Hungarian Vizsla to claim the magnificent trophy. Close, but not quite, Rico the Scottish Terrier, from Russia, took home Reserve Best in Show.

http://www.thegooddogguide.com/lincolnshire/
grimsby/dog-pet-food-delivery-services/tower-pet-products/17900

2011: Jet the Flat-coated Retriever

The 120th Crufts dog show title of Best in Show was awarded to nine-year-old Jet, who had already won a Crufts title- Best in Breed, at the 2008 show. Bred by Jim Irvine, the cheerful dog beat 21,422 dogs to win the top spot at the dog show. after being crowned Best Gundog in Saturday's Best in Group competition. Reserve Best in Show was awarded to Jilly, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, who you may hear about again later on...!

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/234491/
Crufts-2011-Jet-retrieves-his-third-Crufts-win

2012: Elizabeth the Lhasa Apso

Back in the year of the London Olympics, Elizabeth took home the first of many wins for Britain! Owned by Margaret Anderson, from Coventry, Elizabeth was seven when she won the title and picked up the nickname 'Elizabeth the laid-back Lhasa' after proving herself to an extremely chilled dog for one who had just one the mighty title. Reserve Best in Show was Brutus, a well-travelled three-year-old Newfoundland from Slovakia.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/crufts-2012
-best-in-show-winner-758286

2013: Jilly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Recognise the name? Well, four-year-old Jilly was awarded the title of 'Best in Show' by judge Mr Geoff Corish, two years after being placed as Reserve Best in Show! Another local dog, cheery, little Jilly is owned by Sara and Gavin Robertson and is from Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The Reserve Best in Show in 2013 was Romeo, a lively Labrador Retriever.

http://crufts.fossedata.co.uk/Default.asp?ShowYear=2013

2014: Ricky the Standard Poodle

Last year, Ricky beat 21,000 other entries to win arguably the most notable dog title of them all. Handled and co-owned by Jason Lynn, from Preston, Leicestershire,  2-year-old Ricky was awarded the title after assessments on his condition and health, temperament and movement. Runner up was Samoyed who goes by the very comical name Dan The Man.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/463997/Bouffant-
poodle-is-Best-in-Show-at-Crufts-2014

2015: Well, we're just going to have to wait until 8th March to find out! Personally, I would love an English Springer Spaniel to take home the title of Best in Show but I'm sure whichever doggie does get awarded the trophy will be a deserving winner. In 2013, my humans were lucky enough to see Jilly win Best in Show, and they said that it was a fantastic experience being there in person to see the event. 

Remember, there is still time to enter my competition to win a pair of tickets to Crufts 2015! Click here to find out how to enter.

Talk soon, Jasper x

If attending Best in Show, or even any of the Group titles, appeals to you, tickets can be bought here. You won't regret it!

For more information on Crufts 2015, visit www.crufts.org.uk

WIN TICKETS TO CRUFTS 2015!

Ever fancied going to the largest dog show on the planet? Well, here's your chance.
Thanks to the Kennel Club, I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader.
Ohhh yes, you heard me- you could be going to Crufts 2015!

For the chance to win these tickets, all you have to do is correctly answer the following question...
(Pssst... You can find the answer in my previous blog post, here!)

Last year, a very handsome doggie took the prestigious title of Best in Show, but what breed of dog was he?

A) Golden Retriever

B) English Springer Spaniel

C) Standard Poodle

Send your answer, along with your name and address, to jasperthedoggie@hotmail.co.uk or use the contact form to the right. 
Deadline for entries: Sunday 22nd February

Good luck everyone!
Jasper x

To find out more about Crufts, visit www.crufts.org.uk
If you fancy buying tickets to Crufts 2015, click here

It's That Time of Year Again... Yippee!

Any guesses for which event I'm getting excited about?
It's action-packed.
It's dogtastic.
It's the biggest dog show in the world...
It's Crufts!

That's right- Crufts is only 31 days away!

From 5th to 8th March, 22,000 dogs will be battling it out for their chance to win the prestigious Best in Show title at the NEC, Birmingham. Last year, Best in Show was won by Ricky the Standard Poodle but who will win it this year, I wonder?
And, for the first time ever, one very special guest will be at the show.
Me!
My human has kindly been given a pass to Crufts that allows for me to be taken in with her. For years, I've been wanting to go and now I have been given the chance to! But that's not all.
Very soon, I am going to be giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky reader- and that could be you!
Make sure you keep checking back here for your chance to win.

So, what's to do at the show?

Well, there is an ENDLESS list of things you can do at Crufts. My humans' personal favourites are the doggie sport competitions, such as the International Heelwork to Music competition, agility finals for dogs of all sizes and the loudest of them, flyball!

In addition, there are over 400 trade stands to shop until your heart's content from, many of which who will running some very special offers, exclusive to the show. Trust me when I say this: every doggie need you have will be covered at this dog show.

And that's not all! To see what my human got up to on her trip to Crufts last year, click here

Under 12s have FREE entry into the show, so why not treat the family to a day that never fails to be tremendous fun?

I will be blogging more Crufts related posts in the run-up to my favourite event of the year, so make sure you don't miss out!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on the dog show, www.crufts.org.uk
To buy tickets to Crufts, click here