THOUSANDS of dogs of all shapes and sizes are strutting their stuff at at this year’s Crufts show.
As the pampered pooches arrived at the NEC ahead the annual competition they showed off their skills and checked out the competition.
Paralympian Ellie Simmonds launched Crufts 2025 and was joined by the Polish Hunting Dog, which is making its Crufts debut this year and the new breed welcomed into King Charles III’s family– the Lagotto Romagnolo.
Ellie said: “I’ve been before and to be part of the presenter team, how could you say no? It all kicks off on Thursday, but I’ve already spent so many hours with dogs and puppies, and it just brings so much happiness.
“For me, I also want to learn about all the different breeds. We know everything about Golden Retrievers and Springer Spaniels, but there’s so many other breeds out there that I want to educate myself on. This is the biggest dog show in the world so it’s a great place to do that. It’s the most amazing place ever!”
There are 200 breeds vying for the Crufts Best in Show title – the crown will be taken by one top dog on Sunday (March 9) – hundreds of athletic dogs competing in fast-paced agility and flyball finals, and clever canines showing off their skills in various demonstrations, from police dogs and Medical Detections Dogs, to the most obedient pets.
Elsewhere at the event is the Discover Dogs zone, where visitors can meet and greet hundreds of different breeds – from the popular to the unusual – speak to experts about what they are like to live with and care for, and find out which four-legged friend might be best suited to their lifestyle.
