From the category archives:

Crufts

Giant Dogs

by chris on March 15, 2012

After my previous post on Toy Dogs, I thought it would be appropriate to go to the opposite end of the spectrum and tell you the best I can about the giant dog breeds.  Now I for one am a huge fan of these giant breeds, my favourites being either the Great Dane or Leonberger.  Both are magnificent dogs and absolutely enormous!  Most of you are likely to know what a Great Dane looks like, if not, then just picture Scooby Doo.  However, it is less likely that you know what a Leonberger looks like so here is a picture of the beautiful boy I met at Crufts:

The woman in that picture is actually standing up… Only joking, but still you can’t appreciate the sheer size of that dog without seeing it in real life and that lady had five of them!  Apparently for dog beds they had a memory foam dog mattress!

Giant breeds in general will be the ones that you see in the street and think “Wow, that is a big dog”, however there is actually no breed, characteristic or height that classifies a dog as being a ‘giant dog’, therefore you have the power to make that decision for yourself.

There are a few breeds that are considered as ‘giant’, the most common, other than the ones mentioned, would be the Bernese Mountain Dog, Mastiffs, Wolfhounds and St Bernard.  The St Bernard is the largest dog breed in terms of weight, weighing up to 15 stone and more!  However, in terms of height, the Irish Wolfhound takes the medal growing up to a minimum of 3 feet at the shoulder.  Now that is a giant dog!

You will struggle to find dog beds that are big enough and filled enough to support the huge mass of these giant dog breeds!  However, if you are struggling for a giant dog bed then look no further.  The Ruff & Barker Extra Large Dog Bed Duvet will be easily big enough to fit any giant dog.  So if your giant dog likes to rip up dog beds or you can’t find giant dog beds then that is certainly the product for you!

Ruff and Barker Extra Large Dog Bed Duvet – From £28.99

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Dog Carriers for Crufts 2012 – What’s On?

by chris on February 29, 2012

Hopefully you all have your dogs prepared for Crufts next week, or if you’re not taking a dog, I hope you’ve got your tickets!  It is taking up 5 halls of the NEC in Birmingham so it is looking to be an enormous and entertaining show for people of all ages and I’d definitely recommend it to all.

I thought I would just do a summary of the different days and things to see at Crufts 2012, hopefully it will save you some time and you won’t have to scout through countless names and stall numbers to find the most popular stands.

Day 1 is toy dog and utility dog day.  This will be Thursday 8th March and the shows are only for these two categories of dogs.  There are a total of five rings on this day, including the main arena.  There is a variety of experience levels in the main arena, from novice to the actual British Open.  These include agility, jumping and even heelwork to music!  There is also a chance for owners to present their dogs in the arena where the judges will decide which dog is the best.  However, if you’re looking to see a cute puppy then the GCDS Ring is where you need to be as there are Puppy Foundation Displays throughout the day.

Day 2 is gundog day.  There are similar shows on this day as there are on day 1, however, today is when the ever famous flyball events are held.  If you are not familiar with flyball, it is a team of dogs and owners that run a course of hurdles with a ball in their mouth and as soon as one dog gets to the end another dog runs the opposite way.  This is carried on until the one team gets all dogs through the course and wins.  This is a very lively event and is always a crowd pleaser!

Day 3 is working and pastoral dog day.  These events are similar to the previous days and the flyball, however these are the later rounds, such as semi-finals.  Flyball is also available for viewing in the YKC (Young Kennel Club) Ring on this day.

Day 4, the final day, is Terrier and Hound day.  On this day the main arena is closed around 3 o clock and the hall to be cleared ready for the best in show dogs – this is the final of every event.  You must have a separate ticket to get into best in show, or be showing yourself!

One of my favourite parts of the show is the Discover Dogs section where there will be over 200 breeds of dog to meet and learn more about.  This is located in hall 3 and will of course be the main attraction of this hall!  I’m sure there will be some puppies there for you all to see!

Of course, it would not be Crufts without the huge variety of stands supplying everything a dog or dog owner needs or wants.  If you have forgotten your show set, no need to worry there is a stall for that.  You could probably be showing at Crufts and come with just your dog and still find all the necessary showing equipment on the stalls around the five halls.  However, that would be a bit risky and irresponsible.  The most important thing is making sure you get your dog there so dog carriers are one of the key pieces of equipment.  Why not get yourself a Lightweight Dog Crate from Purely Pet Beds.  This would make the perfect Labrador dog bed for the day!  Also, this way the weight of the dog doesn’t seem so much for you and your dog can relax and get ready to show off!

Lightweight Pet Transporter – From £19.99

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Preparing For Crufts

by chris on February 15, 2012

Crufts is the biggest dog show in the UK and is held once a year at the NEC in Birmingham.  Whether you have a show dog or not, Crufts welcomes all dogs so it is a great day out for the family (and the dog) if you are lucky enough to get tickets!

However, if you are showing a dog for the first time or need a quick reminder on things you need to take then this is the perfect list for you.  I have spoken to a few Crufts veterans and compiled everything you need to enter Crufts with a chance of winning.  Firstly, you need to prepare the dog into showing condition.  This is done by increasing the length of their walks gradually for about a month before the show.  Dependant on the breed you can also a put weight in a backpack on their backs, but obviously this is for larger and stronger breeds.  You can also have hydro sessions to increase muscle and lose that extra bit of weight.  For those of you that don’t know, hydro sessions are basically swimming lessons for dogs.  The dog then needs bathing around 5 days before the show so that their coat is clean but not too soft.  Again, dependant on the breed you can brush them the night before to get unnecessary hairs from their coat and also to trim their nails if they haven’t been done in a while.

Now we move on to show day.  Owners often wear outfits that either match their dogs’ coat or match what their dog is wearing.  So if you have a Rottweiler you may wear a black suit with brown shoes, belt and tie.  It certainly makes you look the part and at Crufts, if you don’t match your dog you’ll probably be the odd one out!  Also you can’t forget your ring clips, which is an emblem to clip on your clothes with a matching image of the breed of dog you have.

Once all this is done you need to get all the essential equipment for your dogs.  The most essential is a show set, as you will be unable to show your dog without it.  Then of course you need all the essentials such as; towels, water bottles, groom accessories, poo bags, bait, toys, tack paws, first aid kit, running shoes, numbers of emergency contacts and credit card if you fancy making the odd purchase while you’re down there.

Another important accessory is their dog carriers to put your dogs in whilst they’re not being shown and of course, they need to be comfortable when in the carrier.  One way of keeping them comfortable would be to provide a Fleecy Bolster Dog Bed Mat to put inside the crate.  This is a fluffy mat with slightly raised sides to give the dog comfort whilst in its crate.  I would say that this product was a necessity for those crate trained dogs at Crufts.

Fleecy Bolster Dog Bed Mat – From £12.79

Finally, what I would say is the most important thing to take to Crufts would be your tickets!   So if you don’t have them yet I’d recommend getting them soon as it’s going to be a great show, not one to miss.  It’s not use preparing all that complex and specialist equipment if you don’t have your tickets.  Oh and remember the dog, too!

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