One suspects that the winner of the very first Crufts dog show was a bit of a shoo-in. Queen Victoria’s collie Darnley II and her pomeranian Gina pranced away with prizes in 1891. Set up by dog biscuit salesman Charles Cruft – and originally just for terriers – Crufts is now the world’s biggest dog show. Things have changed a bit since the days when luxurious train carriages transported superstar dogs from across England to compete. In 1948, the show was sold to the Kennel Club and is now held at the NEC, Birmingham. Dogs are judged in seven categories – hounds, gundogs, terriers, utility, working, pastoral and toy – and winners from every group go forward to compete in best in show.
Caroline Kisko is the Kennel Club secretary and director of communications. She grew up attending Crufts and has judged Siberian huskies, keeshonds and other spitz breeds. “A judge at Crufts is holding each dog up against a breed standard – how it conforms to the perfect dog, as it were,” she says. “He or she has a picture in the mind’s eye of the ideal temperament for that breed, its movements, what the head looks like, its colour and its topline - that’s the profile from the base of the dog’s shoulders to the top of its tail.”
Dogs can impress judges in various activities including agility, where dogs jump over obstacles; fly ball, where teams of dogs clear hurdles while carrying tennis balls; and heelwork to music, which is affectionately known as “dancing dogs”, but the central competition goes from breed heats to best in show. Eventually some 21,500 dogs will be whittled down to just one champion canine. Although there isn’t exactly big money to be won (best in show winners receive a trophy and £100), sponsorship deals and stud fees can run into the thousands for prizewinning pups.
Connol Coan has been a judge at Crufts since the 1980s and is former chairman of the Old English Mastiffs Club. “Behaviour is vital,” he says. “If a dog is too shy or tries to bite you, then a judge will invite the person to remove the dog from the ring rather than be chucked out, which can cause embarrassment.”
Movement is also key. “A dog has to ‘show’ to be a show dog. No matter how good the shape of the head or the line, if a dog does not move well it won’t win anything,” says Coan. “If two or three dogs are pretty much the same, it comes down to how they move, and at Crufts standard it has to move like an ambassador of the breed – it needs to be majestic. The dog should also look alert in the ring, easier said than done when it might have been hanging around for eight hours on the benches.”
Of course, many competitors have tricks (and treats) up their sleeves to give their dogs an edge. “There are people who put Vaseline on the noses to make them shine, use hairspray or tickle the tummy to get a straight top line,” says Coan. “But you’re not supposed to do that. Also, some people try and attract the dog outside the ring to make him look alert but if the judge sees you do it you’ll be penalised.”
There are also ways to play up to what the judges are looking for. “When I was competing I knew one guy liked mastiffs with big wide chests and mine was quite small,” says Coan. “So I stuck his legs out as far as they’d go like a piece of Queen Anne furniture to make him look broader. And when the dogs were in a straight line, I’d move mine a tiny bit ahead of that line to catch the judge’s eye. I’m giving away all my secrets now!”
So what should you do if you think your pup might have prizewinning potential? “People usually get started because their breeder encourages them, and they’ll enter a local village green show,” says Kisko. “The best way to get going is to enrol in a ring craft club, which is like an obedience class but specifically for dog shows. It will help you understand how your dog is meant to stand and how you are meant to move it.”
Both Kisko and Coan say that because dogs are naturally sociable, you will need to train your dog to block out distractions and temptations. “I used to take my mastiff to the middle of Basingstoke town centre on a Saturday morning where he had to weave in and out of crowds with buses whizzing past his nose,” recalls Coan.
When you do make it to competition level, watch the judge as much as you do your dog.
“Make sure your dog is looking its best and standing proud whenever the judge is looking at it,” says Coan. “You don’t want him with his legs crossed at the wrong moment.” You’ll also need to be able to cope under pressure. “You need a perfect performance on the day, but your dog might have other ideas on its mind like a chat with the girls,” says Kisko. “And of course humans lose focus or trip over, too.”
If you don’t think your pooch has the pedigree chops, there’s always Scruffts. In 2000, the Kennel Club started a show for crossbreeds that compete for the titles of most handsome dog, prettiest bitch, child’s best friend and golden oldie. But at the end of the day, it’s important to remember every dog is a champion. “The dog on the end of the lead is the best dog there because it’s yours,” says Kisko.
Of course, a prize-winning pooch needs a prize-winning coat – and a glossy coat signifies good health and nutrition in all dogs. Royal Canin dog food provides nutritionally complete, age- and breed-specific diets for optimum health, rich in the fatty acids essential for a healthy coat
