That’s Crufts for 2012!  With an early start of 9 am, all of our dogs competing arrived in good time, and then endured a long day before final release at 4 pm. Steve Piearce judged with 27 dogs entered making 31 entries, just two were absent.

BOB was Ian and Lucy Byrne, Joan Batemen and Mrs M Chonos’ Ch Kunniakas Kovu winning from the veteran class. RDCC was Irene Slater and Theo Hardwick’s Valokki Soren.

BCC was Gerard and Mary Hickey’s Ch Kilconnell Cheekie Tovorla, another veteran, although not entered in the veteran class. RBCC was another veteran Rob and Hannah Thompson and Angela Cavill’s Ch Toveri Samppanja. By contrast the RDCC is only two-and-a-half-years old.

BP was Drew and Susan Littlejohn’s Puulatva Minnie The Minx Wae Arcuilean.

As usual the Finnish Spitz booth at Discover Dogs was manned on all four days, by the Rolfes (not including me), Carol Wedge and Brenda Williams, Trevor and Yvonne Howlett, and on the final day by Felicity and Caroline Ash with further Rolfe assistance as Sue Price was unwell and thus unable to attend. In general the crowds wanting to see our dogs were somewhat thinner than on other occasions, possibly due to being located by an outside wall – position is important but presumably all breed booths have to take their turns at the less favourable places.

A word of warning, it seems that more shows are following the Crufts policy of not sending schedules by post. We nearly missed the paper entry closing postal date for the National, and were alerted just in time by a Facebook posting. Similarly we have not seen a schedule for Bath. We did enter both shows last year. Schedules for both shows are, or have been available online but surely it is easier not to miss closing dates if one has a paper schedule, and if there was any notice that schedules would not be sent (or perhaps only on request) it has not been as obvious as it was for Crufts – at least if one reads the canine press. I had a comment “Don’t they want our entries?” Also, if one enters online there is the iniquitous administration fee, plus in some cases an increase in the entry fee, if entering after the paper entry closing date.