We're just back from Crufts with my two houndiepoopies (secret name for our breed!).

We didn't win anything because, as usual, most of the judging is a con and pretty fixed but we had a great day out and a long drive (NE Scotland to Birmingham and back). (We knew who the class winners would be before the judging started but it's a great day out nevertheless).

I definitely took the best two dogs in the building home with me!

Good luck for anyone else who goes and my bet is on the American Cocker for tonight's final (although I haven't seen today's hound winner....)

Here are my two Lesser Spotted Cheese Hounds....

Lottie, fab dogs! What are their names?

I've been watching Crufts on the telly and wished I could have been there. We've got 2 springers who are usually covered in mud. Working rather than showing strain of springer.

Nice to see another dog person online. BTW have you given up on proper clothes as I have? Everything I own seems to be covered in hair/paw prints.

Interestingly, I've just started the piano and they seem to like it (I'm not even Grade 1).

Great picture, Lottie!

We have friends who take their labs to Crufts every year - I think they've won prizes in the past but didn't have as much luck this year.

As for my own unruly mutt...not a chance! He's currently looking very adorable and puppy-ish though having spent the day at the groomers on Thursday.

That's Zoomie, aged 3.5, on the left (Artmeis Mr Zoom ShCM) and Lottie, aged 22months, on the right (Rilloby Carlotta Mia)(yes, that's where my username comes from).

My dogs are absolutely pets first and spend their days running like bonkers round the fields and woods and are most definitely real dogs and not pampered beauty queens .

About four or five times a year I take them to dog shows and Zoomie especially has done some very good winning with letters after his pedigree name now. But some days you win, some you don't and you really have to take it with a pinch of salt. I can't stand all those people who don't let their show dogs off the lead, or get dirty, or run around, etc etc... a dog has to be a dog! I have six dogs and my non-show dogs live the same quality of life as those that go to shows.

Worryingly a lot of show people also seem to value themselves based on their success in the ring and that's terribly sad to see - they just appear desperate to win at all costs and resort to bribery and cheating! I just don't take it that seriously



I seem to spend my waking hours covered in little muddy pawprints!!!... and I daren't wear black because two of my dogs are nearly white!!!

I love the collars - very bling!

I have occasionally shown my cats in the past with some success - I agree there are some very odd people in the showing world. Its a fun day out, but definitely not to be taken too seriously. The black looks when one's pet scoops a prize ahead of some pampered moggie are quite amusing...

I show my cats too - I've got British, one blue and one lilac tortie. I've been watching crufts with Dora (my naughty tortie) - she sits on my knee and pays full attention. However, when we get to the vets she hides under her blanket and decides she hates dogs! She's not going to have a good day tomorrow...

What breed have you got, SueHM?

I expected the german shepherd or the dane to get through from the pastoral group.

I hope there are some dachshunds on tonight

The Mastiff was fantastic looking! I can't believe it weighed 16 stone!

Those are beautiful dogs lottie xxxxx

I love your dogs, Lottie - definitely champions!

Mr Enharmonic and I are besotted by our whippet - here is last year's Christmas card drawn by Mr E of Tara playing the piano and Anna singing carols.

I took Mrs Tau to Crufts yesterday.

For a fair portion of the day, we were lost, aimless and stressed.

But we managed to get second row seats for the agility and flyball finals, so worh it in the end.

It's the first time we've been

We are watching Crufts at the moment. The dog, who is supposed to be black and white is a lovely grey muddy colour at the moment following a walk on the beach. I've given up on proper clothes. I spend my life in dirty trousers and wellington boots and the pockets of nearly every coat I own is filled with doggy treats.

I have Devon Rex and Siamese. The Siamese are vocal and neurotic. The Rexes are bonkers and lovable!

Sue

Lots of lovely Dachshunds!

I though the Samoyed was going to win, but the Schnauzer was beautiful too

Love your dogs lottie and the card enharmonic and the really cute black cheeky looking one too!

The place we stayed at Anglesey had two dogs and birds in an avery. the dogs couldn't believe how much attention they got this morning.

Just wanted to post yet another pic of my baby

Her dad was best of breed at crufts one year, but Holly prefers rolling in the mud to showing

I didn't catch much of it this year but I did tune in in time this evening to see Mary Ray and Richard Curtis doing the heelwork to music routine. I'm always amazed by the dogs and what they can do. I have to say I'm much more interested in the agility and flyball parts of the programme but do enjoy watching the show dogs too.

My dog, Ollie (border collie x springer spaniel), does agility but not competitively. We really enjoy it though. His other hobbies are swimming (at the local pool for dogs , but very good exercise) and generally getting covered in mud when he's out on his walks. We're going to be having a tracking lesson next week which I think he'll really love, and soon we hope to start flyball. So he keeps us fairly busy.

Lucid

The heelwork to music is fantastic. The dogs just never take their eyes off the handler and are totally focused - it's a joy to watch!

I missed the flyball this year!

Well the Schnautzer won the big prize, though I fancied the Samoyed, which was the reserve. Not that I know much about dogs, but I watched the final. Wasn't that little Chihuahua sweet !

We've just started agility - been for one session so far. My dog's a springer spaniel too, and he loved the tunnel and jumping over the little jumps, but freaked out completely at walking on the frame. The bit he loved best was the smells - our classes take place in an equestrian centre, so lots of nice horse smells for him. What is the tracking all about?

I had to laugh when an expert was interviewed about the likely outcome. He said 'Well, its a seven horse race !'

I got a bit sick of all the endless studio rambling. It never used to be like that. Just show us the dogs and get on with it!

I still can't work out how anyone can get their dogs looking that clean and well groomed in the first place!! Even if I was to keep my unruley rottweiler indoors all day, she still manages to get filthy.

She's pretty good at agility though, but her size compared to the other dogs normally means she struggles to get a good speed.

I love watching them weave in and out through the posts

I think especially with long haired breeds it's a matter of constantly brushing a fussing so there isn't a hair out of place. Like your rottweiler, Holly gets cleaned and then takes a roll in a flower bed/sticks her ears in a pile of dung/sweeps up half the garden as she walks lol!

I think if I wanted to show her I'd have to carry her everywhere

ad_lib, your dog is beautiful (I keep wanting to call her Holly - am I thinking of the right person? ) We've always had dachshunds too, here's a picture of the present one, Harry.

Ooooh! A wirehaired! He's gorgeous

Yes mine is called Holly

They have big personalities for little dogs don't they?

The funniest thing is the massive "big dog" type bark - they sound very scary from the other side of the fence

Harry is wearing the same "oh sod off" expression Holly uses quite a lot lol!

Big personalities, and as stubborn as anything! He wears that expression quite a lot, especially when faced with our other, very boisterous and playful dog... He's kind of like the worn out uncle who just wants to sleep whilst this little child runs about causing havoc.

Long long ago, back in the depths of time(!) my parents had a long-haired called Holly. I think she was more red though.

Unfortunately she's a little on the large side to carry ANYwhere....let alone EVERYwhere!!

Labradors never seem to get through to the finals...... - the real cd was watching the show with me and she was most upset not to see a chocolate lab (or any kind of lab) get through.......

"Tommy" would never get anywhere near Crufts. When my Dad died he left me this dreadful little sort of Jack russel mixture of a dog whom I adore! He is now rather white round the muzzle, can't see very clearly as he has cataracts and is definitely hard of hearing. But thow him a titbit and he'll catch it every time.

My other dog is a half bred Pyrenean mountain dog who was dumped on me by a piano pupil's mother. Her most useful contribution to rural life is the quantitiy of hair she leaves lying around. The local birds all have very cosily lined nests.

My last dog, much mourned, was a real Pyrenean mountain dog. Having her was a pleasure I will never forget.