It's in the bag! Show offers from Crufts

One of the great things about Crufts is the 'show offer.'  Many brands and stands offer visitors 'exclusive' Crufts deals to entice them to try products they may never have tried before, or to stock up on old favourites.  But what's actually in those bags that you see being carried around the show?

Well, with the final day of Crufts approaching (tomorrow's Hound & Terrier day plus Best in Show), meaning only one more shopping day left, I decided to take advantage of some of this year's offers.  I've a mix of freebie and paid for bags, and here are their contents....

'In the pink' - the Crufts' Show Guide

The bright, you can't miss it, pink bags are what contains this year's Show Guide. 

They're available to buy in the atrium and at stands throughout the halls.  If you want to know what's happening when, the show guide is a 'must'.  

It will set you back £8 but, hey, you get your first bag to put some of your first purchases in!

Doggy & Kitty bags from Lily's Kitchen

I'm a huge fan of Lily's Kitchen food and treats, for both my hounds and cat.  They produce an organic and 'natural' range of wet and dried dog and cat food, with a number of tempting recipes such as Hungry Hunter's Hot Pot (cat), Chicken Dinner (cat), Chicken supper (dog), Fishy Fish Pie with peas (dog) and Wild Campfire Stew (dog), to name just a small selection of them.

£5 bags:

These paper bags are packed full with goodies and great value for money.  My Doggy Bag contained:

• A 200g can of Beef, Potato & Vegetable Dinner
• A 150g Natural Range Herby Chicken tray
• A 60g sample of Lovely Lamb with peas & parsley dry food 
• An Eat Your Greens snack bar
• A 50g sample of Calming biscuits
• 25 compostable poop sacks
• Note pad

The Kitty Bag didn't disappoint, either, and contained:

• 6 x 100g trays of the Natural Range cat dinners
• A 40g sample of the Delicious Chicken Crunch Nibbles (dry cat food)
• Cute cat toy/ball
• Note pad

£10 bag:

If you've slightly more 'cash to splash' the £10 bag proves to be fantastic value.  Everything comes in a lovely linen bag, which contains:

• Your choice of 1Kg dried dog food (I chose the puppy food for Sherlock's sensitive tum)
• 2 x 400g cans of dog food (I chose Venison & Wild Boar Terrine and Recovery Recipe)
• Sample of Delicious Baked Biscuits (I chose the Calming biscuits)

£10 bag

 



You can find Lily's Kitchen stand in Hall 1 - stand 116

Companion Dog World magazine

Companion Dog World is the sister magazine to the weekly Dog World newspaper.  I have to admit that I'm a tad biased (as I am their resident 'Ask the Expert' for behaviour and training and questions) but it's a great magazine that is available both in print and online.

The Companion Dog World goody bag is a free bag and my bag contained:

• Latest copy of Companion Dog World
• A 150g tray of Butcher's Choice Simply Gentle food
• A sample of Eden Holistic Pet Foods, Country Cuisine - dry food
• A trial size sample of Fish 4 Dogs, Sea Jerky Tiddlers

All in all, not a bad 'haul!' A great read (I'm on pages 40-41, in case you're interested) and the dried food and sea jerky can be used as training treats.  You'll find Companion Dog World in Hall 4 - stand 78

Companion Dog World

Your Dog magazine

I subscribe to the monthly Your Dog magazine and as I remembered to bring along my 'voucher' (which was included with the latest issue), I received a free goody bag, which contained:

• A packet of Adventuros Nuggets in Boar flavour
• 7 x Simply Dental, Joint Care sticks
• 100g sample of Vitalin Adult, Chicken & Potato dry food
• 50 g sample of Platinum Adult, Iberico & Greens, dry food
• 1 mini Webbox Dream Bone
• 180g packet of Hi Life Treat Me! training treats

If you don't subscribe, never fear, you can subscribe for 4 magazines (I think) for £10 + get a goody bag.  You'll find Your Dog in Hall 4 - stand 34

What's in your bag?

We'd love to know what's in your bag. So if you make it to Crufts for the final day, do let us know!

Last 'Tongue out Tuesday' of February

Celebrating 'Tongue out Tuesday'

Plus another chance to win tickets for Crufts 2016

In honour of today being the last 'tongue out Tuesday' of February, here are 3 pics of my happy hounds - all with their tongues out!

Happy Ava

Derping Jasper

Smiley Sherlock

In case you don't know what #tongueoutuesday is - it all started over on Twitter, with people sharing photos of their hounds with their tongues out!  It's a bit of fun and in the case of Jasper, who only has one tooth, it's very difficult to keep his tongue in his mouth!

Win a pair of tickets to the 125th Crufts

Don't forget, to be in with a chance of winning tickets to the 2016 Crufts, simply comment on this, or any of our blog posts that are published during February 2016.

*The giveaway ends at 12:00GMT on Tuesday 1 March 2016 and Terms & Conditions apply.

PS. If you'd like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me @sukesu

Win a Pair of Tickets to Crufts 2016

The countdown to Crufts 2016 & our giveaway has begun

This year, Crufts celebrates its 125th anniversary.  To help celebrate this, the lovely folks at Crufts have provided me with a pair of tickets* (day passes) to giveaway on my blog.


It's fair to say that over its 125 year history, Crufts has experienced its fair share of ups and downs.  However, love it loathe it, Crufts is here to stay and it is now much more than a best of breed show (although that does remain at its core).  I'm not a huge fan of the showing element of Crufts, but I do love watching the various demonstrations of dogs competing in sports such as agility, heelwork to music and competitive obedience.

The 'must-sees' at Crufts

One of my favourite areas of Crufts is the Discover Dogs section.  In this section,  you get a chance to meet over 200 breeds of dogs and find out what living with a particular breed is really like. If you're thinking of getting a pure-bred dog, this is the first place I'd check out.

Me, meeting a beautiful Borzoi at Discover Dogs

There is also the chance to meet some great breed rescues, many of whom have stands at the show as well as canine ambassadors.  The Retired Greyhound Trust is a regular at the show, and a charity that is close to my heart - this year, you'll find them in Hall 1, stand 10.

The 'marketplace' is where you need deep purses, and even deeper pockets or bags to take all your purchases home! The shopping is fabulous and many companies show-case new products at Crufts and provide 'show specials.'  So, no matter what you're looking for, you're likely to find several dog-inspired purchases to tempt your purse strings.

A 125 years in just under 5 minutes..

Did you know that it was a greyhound that won the first ever Best in Show and that Crufts was originally started by a dog biscuit salesman, Charles Cruft?  To find out more about Crufts, watch the video below, or see the facts and figures page on the Crufts website.

Win a pair of tickets to the 125th Crufts

To be in with a chance of winning tickets to the 2016 Crufts, simply comment on any of our blog posts that are published during February 2016.

*The giveaway ends at 12:00GMT on Tuesday 1 March 2016 and Terms & Conditions apply.

Crufts round-up & interview with Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club

Well, Crufts is over for another year.  My feet have just about recovered from all the miles I walked through halls one to five of the NEC, Birmingham.  This year, I was only at Crufts for two days, so I needed to make sure that I packed as much in as I could.  It was also the first year that I had my 'official photographer' with me, in the guise of my husband.

So, what were the highlights this year?  There were several new products launched at Crufts and blog posts are going to follow on these.  I also managed to catch up with, and interview, Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, and Gwen Bailey, author, behaviourist, founder and director of Puppy School (interview with Gwen to feature in a later blog post).

Visitor numbers were up this year at Crufts

It seems like the tide is turning for Crufts.  Visitor numbers were up this year - almost 145,900 dog-lovers came through the doors of the NEC; an increase of 3% from 2012 visitors.  Around 1.7 million viewers tuned in to Channel 4 and Channel 4 +1 on Sunday night to see Jilly, the Petit Basset Grifoon Vendeen, be awarded Best in Show and to witness Owen and Haatchi announced as winners of the Friends for Life Award.

When I caught up with Caroline Kisko, I asked her about what the Kennel Club has been up to in the last year, its plans for the coming year and what work it is undertaking to overcome the health difficulties in pedigree dogs.  You can listen to the interview below.

listen to ‘Crufts interview with Caroline Kisko, Secretary of The Kennel Club’ on Audioboo

Fabulous Flying Staffie in the agility display

Apart from having the chance to sniff out some new products to try on the hounds, the highlights for me had to be the agility and displays of dogs having fun/being trained (after all, training should be fun) in the main arena and the various rings around the show.

I loved watching the Staffordshire Bull Terrier agility in the main arena.  Staffies get such a bad press (the majority of which is completely undeserved) and it was fantastic to see these dogs enjoying agility so much.

Ashleigh & Ruby compete at agility

We were even treated to an agility display from Ashleigh (without Pudsey), working with a lovely Staffie called Ruby.  We were told that Ruby was one of Pudsey's best friends and she certainly seemed as talented as Pudsey - especially when it came to agility.

Samsung stand in all its splendour

The Samsung stand was also a revelation.  I hadn't realised how long Samsung had been a sponsor of Crufts (20 years) or their links to supporting and working with dog charities.  This year, their stand provided a place to chill out and try out the latest gadgets from tablets, to cameras.  There was even the opportunity to have a free photo postcard taken as a memento of your visit.  Needless to say, I couldn't resist this.

L-R Rosemary Smart, CEO of the Kennel Club,
Kim Hamilton, CEO of the Blue Cross, &
Samsung representatives with donation

The Sunday culminated with Samsung presenting the CEO of the Blue Cross, Kim Hamilton, with the funds for the equivalent of 2,000 health checks for Blue Cross dogs.  The donation was a result of the great Samsung/Crufts Help-a-Dog-a-Thon facebook app, which provided facebook users with the chance to adopt and interact with a 'virtual dog'.  For each virtual dog interacted with, Samsung donated money to help reach the target of 2,000 health checks.

What next?

All in all, I enjoyed my two days at Crufts.  I managed to catch up with friends - both old and new - and have discovered some great products... anyone for a canine cuppa? (Woof and Brew blog post to come in next few days).  

I have to say though, I'm not a huge fan of the showing aspect and much prefer to see dogs in action in doggy disciplines.  I do, however, love the opportunity that Discover Dogs provides for people to meet and see different breeds.  My only concern with Discover Dogs is the long days for the dogs and potential stress that they can be under.  No matter what, one thing's for sure, the dates for next year's Crufts are already in my diary for 6-9 March 2014.

6 tips for making the most of Crufts*

Well, Crufts is nearly here.  Rather than days to go, it’s more a case of hours remaining before the doors open and the hordes of dog enthusiasts fill Halls 1-5 of the NEC, Birmingham.  Just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock and aren’t sure, Crufts starts tomorrow, Thursday 7 March, and will finish on Sunday 10 March with Best in Show.

I love Crufts and have been lucky enough to have had the chance to blog about it each year.  This year is no exception and I’ll be blogging and posting photos thanks to Samsung.

Navigating the 5 halls and making the most of your time at Crufts is a skill in itself – particularly if you’re only there for one day. So, if you want to maximise your time at Crufts, here are my top six tips to ‘survive’ and get the most out of your Crufts’ visit.

Ditch the heels

1. Give the heels a heave-ho… 

Speaking from experience - I have, on one occasion, gone so far as to buy a new pair of flat, comfortable boots whilst working at Crufts – comfortable shoes are a necessity! I only had low heels but they took a right battering – as did my poor aching feet.  Walking through the halls every day is tiring and before you know it you’ve covered a few miles and more than likely achieved the recommended 12,000 steps per day!

2. Layer on the layers…

The halls at Crufts are all air-conditioned.  However, depending on what time of day you arrive the temperature in the halls varies.  First thing in the morning, before the crowds, the halls are cool…. by the afternoon though, it’s a different story.  The halls are packed and it can be rather warm – especially if you’ve been pounding the avenues in search of the ultimate doggy bargain.  My tip is to wear loose layers and remember to keep your cool.

3. Don’t leave the water to the Spanish Water Dogs

Crufts is thirsty work.  There are plenty of places to buy drinks from milkshakes to coffee to good old water, however they do come at a cost and often with long queues.  If you can bring some bottled water, you’ll save yourself from paying over the odds and wasting valuable shopping or spectating time in queues!

4. Navigating the halls

Spread over 5 halls, it can take a while (particularly when it’s busy) to walk through the halls to reach another hall.  One of the best tips I was given was to come out of the halls into the Piazza and then use the Piazza as your main navigation point – providing short cuts to each of the halls. It saves on the shoe leather and can give a much welcome breather from the crowds.

5. Plan your day

Buying a guide to Crufts is well worth the investment.  You can buy them before you enter the halls and they provide a day by day what’s on guide as well as an index to all the trade stands.  If you get the chance, it’s worth stopping for a coffee in the piazza and then planning your day.  Crufts time seems to go by very fast!

6. Enjoy your day

Me & a Borzoi say hello at Crufts 2011

There are so many great things to see and do at Crufts.  It’s not just dog showing – there’s so much more.  The shopping is great, the events in the arena and rings around the halls are amazing - from Staffordshire Bull Terrier agility to KC Canine Good Citizen displays – there’s something for everyone.
This year, on the Samsung stand in Hall 3 (stand 72), the theme is ‘CARE home’ – creating a space to relax and share time with dogs. There’s a chance to see and interact with Samsung products such as: experiencing stress reducing music for dogs, experiencing the 3D SMART TV experience (including playing Angry Birds) or even creating your own photo postcard to email to friends.

Whatever you decide to do at Crufts – enjoy your day, don't forget your purse – and who knows we may even bump into each other.

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung

Final Day for Crufts Giveaway*...

...And 3 more chances to win Crufts tickets

The sun is out (at long last) and it feels like spring is in the air.  This time next week, Crufts will have started and hopefully, I'll be making my way around the Halls to see what new products are on offer.

And as it's hound and terrier day, I'll be paying a visit to the benches to get my annual Crufts fix of sighthounds - followed by a visit to the Discover Dogs area to get up close and personal with my favourite types of dog!

All this spring sunshine has gone to my head, and as today is the last day for a chance to win 2 tickets to Crufts, I thought I'd give you all 3 extra chances to win!

If you leave a comment on any of my February 2013 blog posts, you'll be entered into the draw to win one pair of tickets.  If you'd like more chances to win, why not visit each of my websites and put your best sleuthing hat on to find what's hiding on each site, for another chance to win a pair of tickets...

Celebrating the launch of Happy Hounds Dog Training

Find Mina's pawprint

To celebrate the launch of my new Happy Hounds business, Mina has left a red pawprint on one of the pages.  (picture is not to scale!)

Simply find it and email me the URL for another chance to win tickets.

 

 

Find the black dog

 

It must be puppy love...

And over on my Puppy School North Lincolnshire site, there's a little black dog just begging to be found...(picture is not to scale)

When you find the black dog, simply click on it and email the URL link.

Closing date & time:

You've got until 4pm today (Thursday 28 February, 2013) to enter, so why not give it a go? (Terms & Conditions apply)

Feeling 'appy?

If that's not making you feel 'appy enough (excuse the dreadful pun), why not have a go on the fabulous new Samsung/Crufts app on facebook.  The 'help a dog a thon' is in aid of the Blue Cross.  It allows you to adopt a virtual homeless dog and interact with it to make sure it is happy and healthy.

For each virtual dog that is adopted Samsung will make a contribution towards a vital health check for a Blue Cross rescue dog.  Samsung have a target of 20,000 virtual adoptions (which equates to 2,000 health checks) by the last day of Crufts. Can you help them reach it?

Simply click on the logo to be taken to the app.
Please note: The app has been developed for browser use only. It will NOT work on smart phones or tablets.

Terms & Conditions

• Giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner’s choice).
• The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
• Closing dates for entries is 4pm (GMT), Thursday 28 February 2012
• Winners will be notified by email

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung. 

Forget the telethon - meet the help-a-dog-a-thon*

Raising money for charity through telethons started back in the 1940s in the USA. Fast forward several decades and telethons are an ingrained part of the nation's psyche (think Children in Need, Comic Relief etc).

With the advent and growth of the Internet and social media channels, it's not surprising that we now have 'app-a-thons' - different ways of raising money for charities.  These app-a-thons are typically a facebook app or a web page that encourage us to get involved with a certain charity, by interacting with the app.

Often these types of apps are developed and sponsored by large organisations, in support of a charity, under their corporate social responsibility policies.  Sometimes they can be dry, sometimes they can be fun but (generally speaking) they are always in aid of a deserving cause.

This year, Samsung has launched the 'dog-a-thon' app on the Crufts facebook page.  The app is in celebration of Samsung's 20th year of sponsoring Crufts and is in aid of the Blue Cross.  Samsung have a target of 20,000 virtual dogs adoptions, which will equate to a donation of 2,000 individual dog health checks to the Blue Cross.

You get to choose from three types of dogs to adopt: a Labrador, a Cross Breed and a Greyhound (no prizes for guessing which breed I chose)! Then you've the chance to name your dog (I chose, Scout), choose from different activities and finally, share the app with your friends so they can participate.

It's a fun app, with some nice illustrations and a nice level of interactivity. So, if you're on facebook why not give it a go and help some of the dogs in the care of the Blue Cross? Just click on the photo to go to the app.

Don't forget our Crufts ticket giveaway...

To be in with the chance of winning 2 tickets to Crufts (for the day of your choice). Simply leave a comment on any of my blog posts in February (including this one). For terms & conditions, see below.

Terms & Conditions

• Giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner’s choice).
• The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
• Closing dates for entries is 4pm (GMT), Thursday 28 February 2012
• Winners will be notified by email

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung. 

Crufts 2013 Ticket Giveaway*

It's official.  I'm on the countdown to Crufts 2013 and several dog-tastic days of shopping, socialising and watching dogs and their handlers in doggy disciplines like agility, heelwork to music and the Good Citizen scheme.

Ticket Giveaway

I've also got 2 tickets to Crufts 2013 to giveaway to readers of my blog - courtesy of the nice folk at Crufts and Samsung.

To be in with a chance of winning (terms & conditions apply), all you need to do is leave a comment on any of my February 2013 blog posts (including Wordless Wednesday posts).

The giveaway is open until 12 noon on 28 February 2013 and winners will be announced/contacted by email on Friday 1 March 2013.

My Crufts shopping list

This year, I'm on the look-out for new products to try on the hounds.  In particular, I'm interested in interactive toys, cereal free foods and supplements for the aging dog.

Over the last few months, Mina has begun to show signs of canine cognitive decline (often referred to as doggy dementia) and I want to do everything I can to help slowdown this decline.  I'm hoping that Crufts will come up trumps with some new toys, suitable for an aging greyhound.

Interactive fun with Mina

Currently, Mina's favourite interactive toy is the Nina Ottosson Dog Brick.  I tend to use this several times a day and hide kibble under the bones and bricks.  Mina loves it and has become a whizz at lifting off the bones and sliding the bricks to discover the kibble lurking beneath.

Mina loves this toy and I hope I can find something just as challenging for her to bring home from Crufts.

Live blogging from Crufts

I'll also be blogging live from Crufts and thanks to Samsung, I'll be able to upload some (hopefully) great photos as they're kindly supplying me with a camera.  

I didn't realise, either, that Samsung has been a sponsor and partner at Crufts for 20 years - beginning their sponsorship in 1993. To begin with, it seemed a tad odd to me that an electronics giant would be involved with dogs.  However, I've subsequently found out that, in Korea, they fund the Samsung Guide Dogs for the Blind - where growing numbers of dogs are trained every year. They also work with the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind Guide Dog School, helping to ensure that its trainers are certified to international standards.

So, all in all, I'm gearing up for a fun few days and lots of miles walked in the NEC.  And fingers crossed, I may be able to get the 'inside scoop' on some new product launches too.

Do leave a comment and let me know if you're going to Crufts and what's on your shopping list.

Terms & Conditions

• Giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner’s choice).
• The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
• Closing dates for entries is 4pm (GMT), Thursday 28 February 2012
• Winners will be notified by email

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts' experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung. 

A Greyt Summertime Read - Dash, Bitch of the Year

If you love dogs - particularly greyhounds - and if you like a good read, then Dash - Bitch of the Year is well worth adding to your summertime reading list.  The book is written by Andrew Dilger and chronicles his and Dash's journey from the initial adoption of Dash through to Andrew organising his wedding with Dash playing her part as ring bearer.

Me ,with Dash, at Crufts 2011

I met Andrew and Dash at Crufts back in 2011 and made sure I got my hands on a copy of the book, which had a special 'pawtograph' from Dash too.

For any greyhound owner, the book may well raise a wry smile of the early days of sharing a life (or should that be sofa?) with a greyhound.  It can be a steep learning curve, especially if you've not owned an ex-racing greyhound before.  Dash raced at  Oxford Greyhound Stadium and had won Bitch of the Year - hence the name of the book.

Andrew & Dash

There are some 'oh no!' and touching moments in the book as well as some real laugh out loud moments too.  Andrew succumbs to greyhound accessorizing (a fatal habit that afflicts many a greyhound owner) but doesn't say whether it extended past coats to tassels and encounters many different dogs and owners on his walks with Dash. And the description of Dash's first roach made me chuckle (to anyone who doesn't know what a greyhound roach is, Google it.  You're sure to come up with some great photos).

One of my favourite parts of the book are Andrew's accounts of meeting fellow dog owners on his walks with Dash. Ryan and Tolstoy made an impression as did Sally and Kate with their greyhounds.

The book works on many levels - it provides a heart-warming (and at moments, heart -stopping) insight into novice owners adjusting to a greyhound, running parallel with the love story that builds into the finale of Andrew and Sarah's wedding...

...if you want to know how Dash's role played out on the big day - you'll have to read the book.

Win a copy of Dash - Bitch of the Year*

Luckily, I have a copy up for grabs! It's signed by Andrew and also has Dash's pawtograph.

To be in with a chance of winning*, all you have to do is leave a comment and let me know the funniest thing your dog has done.

*Terms & Conditions:
Prize consists of one signed copy of Dash - Bitch of the Year.
The winner will be sent the book by 1st class post or international equivalent.
Closing dates for entries is 12 noon on Friday 24 August 2012
The winner will be chosen at random from the entries submitted
The winner will be notified by email and/or via my blog 

Read All About It: The Bark & Read Greyhound

Crufts is over for another year and away from the dramas of the show ring (and this year there was plenty of drama with a number of high profile breeds failing the newly introduced independent vet checks), there is much more to discover about dogs than whether they conform to the Best of Breed, Best in Group or Best in Show.

If you've visited my blog before you'll know that I'm a greyhound fanatic. If this is your first visit, first of all - hello - and secondly be prepared for lots of posts about greyhounds!  This post is no exception to the rule and the subject of this post is a truly remarkable hound who is making a difference to children in schools across the country.

Tony & Danny take a break at Crufts

So, who is this greyt hound you may ask? Well, his name is Danny - a beautiful, blue and white greyhound who was found wandering the streets of Cork and was rescued by Tony Nevett.  In my opinion, all greyhounds are special, but what makes Danny even more special is that he is a listening dog and helps children improve their reading skills.  He's also one of the first Bark & Read Foundation dogs, which is an initiative supported by the Kennel Club.

I caught up with Tony and Danny on the Bark & Read stand at Crufts, where Tony told me more about Danny's work and his up and coming adventures:

listen to ‘Crufts Interview with Danny, the amazing Bark & Read greyhound ’ on Audioboo

Tony & Danny with Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary

Danny's next adventure is a trip stateside to Iowa. In August this year, Danny and Tony are off to work with Corridor Therapy Dogs - a dog therapy organisation that works with local libraries and authors.  They will help show the 'greyt' help that dogs can be helping people learn to and enjoy reading.

If you'd like to find out more about Danny's trip and how you can support his American adventure, you can visit Danny's facebook page - Danny on Tour.

Crufts Catch-up with the Retired Greyhound Trust

One of the 'greyt' things about Crufts is the chance you have to meet up with fellow dog lovers and find out more about them and their passions.

One such person is Peter Laurie, the new Chief Executive of the Retired Greyhound Trust (RGT). Peter is a greyhound lover through and through and became CEO of the RGT on 4 July 2011.

He took some time out of his busy diary to chat to me about why greyhounds make such good pets and what the charity's plans are for the coming year.

You can listen to the interview below, or for more interviews check out my audioboo channel: http://audioboo.fm/sukesu

listen to ‘Crufts Interview with Peter Laurie, CEO of RGT’ on Audioboo

The RGT is a national charity which, as its name suggests,  helps rehome retired racing greyhounds once their racing days are over. The RGT rehomes hounds through its network of around 70 branches, all of which are staffed by volunteers.  The cost of rehoming hounds doesn't come cheap and although the racing industry makes a contribution to the RGT, the charity still needs to supplement this to help rehome all the dogs in its care.

Some of the ways the charity does this are through events such as the Great Greyhound Gathering (you can read my blog post about last year's Gathering here) or the Greyhound Extravaganza.

This year, the Greyhound Extravaganza is taking place on Sunday 27 May at the Animal Health Trust, nr Newmarket. It promises to be a 'greyt' day out for humans and hounds alike.  Unfortunately, it's a tad too far for me, Mina, Stevie and Jasper however, all is not lost as we have the Great Greyhound Gathering in September to look forward to.




The Great Greyhound Gathering is happening on Saturday 15 September at Nottingham Racecourse.  This is a little nearer for us, so is an event we'll definitely be attending.

The Great Greyhound Gathering, or GGG as its known, is a fabulous day for greyhound fans and is not to be missed. 

Chasing Snowballs - Greyhound Winter Games

Adele may be chasing pavements but it's fair to say when there's snow around, Mina is definitely fond of chasing snowballs!

I normally wrap the hounds up in their coats and keep walks fairly short when there's snow. Mina even gets to wear two coats; she tends to feel the cold very badly, so has an undercoat and a rather red (and aptly named) blizzard coat as her top coat.  However, no matter how cold Mina loves two things about the snow - snorting it, or catching snowballs.


The snow at the weekend meant we had a chance to play one of her favourite games... Catch the snowball! She loves it,  and hopefully the video shows this (Watch out for Jasper's nose making an appearance at the end)




We had great fun in the playing field and I was very careful with the snowballs I threw (I didn't want them to contain any hard lumps of ice). The snow was very powdery and ideal for a game of fetch.

Share your tips for snow time fun for chance to win Crufts tickets

What are your favourite snow time games with your dogs?
Please do leave a comment and share - I've two pairs of tickets* to giveaway to Crufts to visitors who leave a comment on my blog!

*Terms & Conditions:
Giveaway is open to UK residents only.Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner's choice).
The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
Closing dates for entries is Tuesday 28 February 2012
Winners will be notified by email and/;or via my blog posts

Countdown to Crufts – Win tickets to this year’s show

Crufts has a very special place in my heart and, believe it or not, is responsible for changing my life back in 2010!  So, to celebrate this fact, I have two pairs of Crufts tickets to giveaway to readers of my blog during February.

I’m somewhat ashamed to say that prior to 2010 I’d never been to Crufts.  Sure enough, I’d read about it and seen coverage on the TV but I’d never actually mustered the energy to go.  Then back in 2010 I took the plunge and visited for the first time…little did I know it, but that visit was to have a profound effect on my life!

A rather blurry pic of my first Crufts tweetup 

2010 was the year that I really became serious about pursuing a career with dogs.  I had enrolled on my canine behaviour and training degree, started reading (a now) ever-growing pile of dog books and become friends with some great dog trainers, behaviourists and fellow dog lovers.  Crufts 2010 was also the place that I attended my first ever tweetup – meeting many of the people I had been tweeting with over the previous year and months leading up to the show.

I didn’t really know what to expect from Crufts.  All I really knew was that it was a dog show and that I’d chosen to go on Friday, 12 March, the Terrier and Hound day (naturally).  Well, if Crufts used to be just a dog show, it had certainly evolved by 2010.  For a first timer like me, I was struck at how huge the event was – halls and halls of the NEC were filled with trade stands selling absolutely everything and anything dog related; it was shopping heaven and I came away with rather a lot of goodies and even had to invest in a wheeled trolley to cart them all home in.

I also managed to watch some of the displays and got my first glimpse of dog agility, which I’m now beginning to train in with Mina, and watched dog trainers and instructors giving demonstrations with their pupils – both human and canine.  It was also my first ‘proper’ introduction to the Kennel Club…

Little did I know it at the time, but a mere 5 weeks later I would find myself working for the Kennel Club.

Thanks to Crufts, I discovered that the Kennel Club tweeted and I started to follow them on Twitter.  A few days later, on 1st April, I received notification that I was being made redundant from my marketing job and then I spotted a tweet from the Kennel Club.  They were looking for someone to work in their press office for 3 months to cover sabbatical leave.  Fate must have played a role that day.  I applied for the job and within the space of a fortnight had been offered the role and joined the team and for the 3 months I was with them had one of my best jobs ever – mixing my two passions of marketing/PR and dogs!

Me, in my element, with a beautiful Borzoi at Crufts 2011

Fast forward to 2011 and I had the opportunity to work in the Crufts press office.  Once again, I jumped at the chance.  It was a great experience and really opened my eyes to the huge amount of organization and dedication that goes into organizing the ‘greatest dog show on earth.’  A working day at Crufts is a long day – we were on coaches to the venue at 6.30am and leaving on the 10pm coach on a daily basis. 

This year, however, I’m visiting Crufts as a blogger and visitor and to help celebrate that fact, I have two pairs of tickets to giveaway to two lucky people during February.*  To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is leave a comment on any of my February blog posts.  For each post you comment on your name will be entered into the draw.  So if you post on this post and say, 3 others in February, your name will be entered 4 times!

The closing date for entries is Tuesday 28 February and I’ll announce the winners on Wednesday 29 February.

If you want to double your chances of winning, I’m also giving away tickets through my Puppy School Facebook and Twitter pages – all you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is post or tweet us a photo of your dog with their favourite toy.

*Terms & Conditions:
Giveaway is open to UK residents only.Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner's choice).
The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
Closing dates for entries is Tuesday 28 February 2012
Winners will be notified by email and/;or via my blog posts