Cruft's

[FredPuli43]

Anyone going to Cruft's next week ? And which day(s) and with which breed(s) ? I'll be there on all 4 as usual, though most actively enthused by the Wolfhounds, the Pulis, the Dandie Dinmonts and the Standard Poodles

[islasmum]

I was thinking about going, but have decided not to, as I'm not very flush at present, and what's the point of going to Crufts unless you can buy things!! Oh - to watch the dogs!
The Pastoral are not on until Sunday this year, obviously Belgian Shepherds are the breed I watch most, but I love watching most of the working and Pastoral breeds and also Agility (ABC) and find a lot of the demonstrations very interesting too - do you know if it's on terrestial TV this year, or just Sky, Fred? Hope you have a lovely time as well

[excelsior-1]

i went to crufts, as a spectator, many years ago

i still have the brochure

.
.
.

it's a bit dog-eared

[FredPuli43]

TV: More 4 will have an evening programme for the first three days and Channel 4 will have two and a half hours of live coverage of the final night.
Looking forward to being there; did think of cutting back, by travelling up daily, but, in the end, decided to splash out on a hotel. Can always save money somewhere else (mind, that's what I always say !). There are always some things which you can live without (mine included season tickets to Chelsea and to Huntingdon and Epsom racecourses) and some which you really feel you can't. Cruft's is my only annual event like that.

[aelmpvw]

< < < < i'm not allowed to go cos i can't behave

[FredPuli43]

Oh, no, ael ! None of my mob are going either. The rules are strange. I sort of understand the rule that no dogs are to be mated on the premises; it might frighten the children and disgust visitors, both of which groups know little of such canine matters; but "No dogs are allowed in the toilets" ?

[jules77]

I am going on Pastoral day - Sunday. Two dogs entered, but may just go as a spectator for a change, as one is not in full coat.

[ruthann58]

is there any where online to see the enteries before thursday

[FredPuli43]

No,ruthann. The schedule of entries for 2013 is only available by post, and that's just a list of names.

[RATTER15]

Ive never been and never had any great desire to show, Carakeel does show our dogs sometimes but not really into it, I really don't like the Dog Show world, I find it too corrupt. Im sure I will go one day though.

[RATTER15]

"Ive never been and never had any great desire to show,"

Not what I meant to say!, I meant:

Ive never been and never had any great desire to go to Crufts. Personally, I have never set foot in a dog show ring and I never will.

[lankeela]

I have two Heelers entered on Sunday - we are in the same ring after Pulis so may meet you FredPuli! Tell your judge to get a move on (did you know your start time has been put back to 10 am?) It is the one day a year that nothing on this earth woud make me miss. The year it was postponed because of foot and mouth I was distraught till it was announced it would go ahead a few weeks later. Will probably meet up with Jules with the Rough Collies and Thugulike with the Mastiff Handsome George. This year there are two Heelers coming over from Finland that are closely related to one I sent out so looking forward to meeting them.

[FredPuli43]

Yes lankeela,I had noticed the timing. Don't know the judge, so don't know the speed.
Met thugulike last year, though have forgotten the KC affix and don't know Jules's at all, which doesn't help !

[FredPuli43]

Ah, Ratter, I understand that.I was brought up in it; my mother bred poodles for others to show but never went near a show ring.

But Cruft's is not like any dog show.It is vast. It's ten times as big as Westminster,in dogs shown, for example. The halls cover 20 acres. It lasts 4 days, of which only one is your breed's. You have three days of enjoying the infighting, politics and..er.. strange judging in everyone else's breed. Bliss! If you don't show, you may even enjoy watching your own breed and have a good time on that day.

And there are great moments, a great atmosphere, too. There are a lot of cracking dogs there many of them foreign; foreign judges have done breeds a good service too (see above).

[rasmus]

I'm going on friday.My daughter wants to see the Pomeranians.

[chaptazbru]

Can't stand Cruft's. Poor dogs primped and preened to within an inch of their lives and dragged around the ring. Should be banned !!!

[FredPuli43]

Dogs primped and preened? You obviously haven't seen the professional handlers. They outdo the dogs!

[lankeela]

chaptazbru - please come to Crufts and meet my dogs - they will have a bath on Tuesday as they are a bit smelly but other than that they wil be shown in the same condition they are today and will be walked across fields between now and next Sunday. Why do people criticise others who wish to show their dogs in good condition and coat - when you look at the state of some pet dogs that are taken in by rescues or taken to groomers to sort out with matted coats and have to be clipped back to their skins I make no apologies for people who do look after their dogs.

[lankeela]

As for being dragged round the rings, mine will be dragging me. Show dogs enjoy the day out, if they didn't there would be no point in showing them. I challenge you to come and see for yourself how much mine enjoy it. If you still think the same afterwards then fine, but till you have been please reserve judgement.

[doctordb]

Some dogs have been bred to within an inch of there lives.

[lankeela]

So many people with unsubstantiated views. What do you mean by bred within an inch of their lives? Do you know the inbreeding coefficient averages of the breeds? Do you know the difference between inbreeding and line breeding? Do you know how closely bred some of the so called designer cross breeds are? Poodles and Labradors that are bred together without heath testing to make so called heathier dogs?