We recently attended Crufts 2022, which had the normal stands and shows as per previous years (as well as added infection control regulations during these uncertain times). Everyone appeared to have a good time. Canine Concern do not arrange to have our own stand to promote our work as it is a huge expense, and we would rather use that money to show our appreciation to our existing members with awards and gifts. However, we were lucky again to have been invited to attend the Bark and Read stand with the Kennel Club. We are partners with the Kennel Club’s Bark and Read scheme, a school initiative to help children enjoy reading. Val, our CEO, was involved in discussing the Bark and Read Standards of Practice, ensuring there are guidelines for the schools as well as us, the volunteers. At Crufts, we were able to promote our Read to Dogs programme as well as the other work our amazing charity carries out.
We had lots of Canine Concern volunteers wishing to attend with their dogs and show people, old and young, what reading to a calm, friendly dog can do. We had many interested members contact us after the email was sent out inviting any members who would like to represent us to let us know. We try to give back some fun times to our volunteers, because it is not all hard work, but some play and lots of satisfaction.
During the show we had with us:
- Kate with Daisy
- Gerard with Peggy
- Christina with Milo
- Ruth with Ruby
- Penny with Busy
- Elaine with Skip
- Sarah with Eddie
- Sam with Neo
- Melissa with Lucca
- Alex with Bertie
- Susan with Lyla
- Kathryn with Zephyr
- Davida with Diesel
- Bianca and Carl with Dexter
We had a couple of members who couldn’t make it at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, and they were really disappointed, but we then had a couple of amazing members step up to ensure the Bark and Read stand was fully attended by Canine Concern representatives.
Thank you to Teresa with Dexter and Sinem with Doodles for being so flexible and helpful.
We even had one poor member, who left her home at 5am to attend her 10am slot, have a scary tyre blow-out on her car during her journey. She managed to get friends to help her and still arrived at the Kennel Club stand to apologise for not getting there on time. Thank you, Kate, and we hope you have recovered now.
Crufts is the greatest dog event in the world. Organised by The Kennel Club, the show celebrates every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives.
Crufts is named after its founder, Charles Cruft. In 1876, a young Charles left college with no desire to join the family jewellery business. Instead, he joined James Spratt who had set up a new venture in Holborn, London selling ‘dog cakes’. Charles Cruft soon became a travelling salesman for the firm which brought him into contact with large estates and sporting kennels. He even travelled to Europe where in 1878, French dog breeders invited him to organise the promotion of the canine section of the Paris Exhibition.
Back in England in 1886 he took up the management of the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster.Then in 1891 the first Cruft’s show was booked into the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, and it has evolved and grown ever since and has become an essential date in any dog lover’s calendar.
The dog show is an important part of the event, celebrating the unique relationship that dogs share with their owners. Judges are trained to ensure that only healthy dogs win prizes, which in turn encourages the breeding of healthy dogs. A difficult task today with so many new ‘breeds’ appearing, some with health issues due to our desire for certain physical features.
Crufts is ultimately a celebration of all dogs. It celebrates working dogs, which are fit and healthy enough to perform the jobs for which they were originally bred, such as the gamekeeper classes, the police dog team, operational and humanitarian action of the year award, as well as hero dogs through the Friends for Life competition. So, celebrating the work people like Canine Concern do with their temperament assessed dogs is also included.
Rescue dogs are celebrated in the rescue dog agility competition and the speed and agility of dogs is celebrated in the ever-popular competitions of flyball and heelwork to music. For prospective dog owners and dog lovers, Crufts is a prime opportunity to talk to Kennel Club assured breeders, rescue charities and breed experts about how to responsibly buy, train and enjoy life with your dog. And of course, with hundreds of trade stands selling anything and everything for dogs and dog lovers, it is a shopping extravaganza.
We have some amazing members and appreciate all the effort you put in to promote Canine Concern and the wonderful work our dogs do, whether on the Read to Dogs stand or other stands at the show, as well as your daily life with your dogs.
Thank you to all our members.