The world's premier dog show, Crufts 1999, which took place at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, on the 11th to 14th of March, welcomed an international audience to the largest celebration of dogs on earth.

Innocence Abroad: Our First Crufts
By H. Cavanaugh

Final Thoughts

If there is a single thing that stands out as the most significant difference between American shows and Crufts, it would have to be the attitude of the British exhibitors as well as the spectators. It is not merely their numbers, though those are considerable, but something more subtle. The difference, in part, amounts to an unspoken but palpable respect for dogs and the sport of dog showing. This gathering of exhibitors and spectators is for the serious and respectable activity of appreciating and enjoying dogs.

But it is also about the variety of things that dogs do and how they are an integral part of the lives of people. It is not too much to say that dog shows in Britain are more mainstream than they are here.For exhibitors, this is a fervent hobby, just as it is sometimes in the States, but for those who come to watch, this is a sporting event not unlike horse racing, tennis, or sheep dog trials (which are televised and extremely popular).The only thing that comes close to this attitude of respectful appreciation in the US is the Garden. Even so, the Garden seems to focus on who-what big money, what moguls--owns what dogs. But in England, dog showing appears to be more about which neighbors own what dogs and what the dogs have done and can do. Westminster is said to display the best of the best, more or less, at least those who can get in their entries in a fifteen-minute period, a sample of US champions, whereas Crufts puts a lot of very good dogs on display, many champions as well as many others working their way to the top, although the actual number of champion dogs being shown will be limited given the English system.

But that is really the point. Crufts isn't just about making champions. It's about dogs, how dogs are a part of human lives, how they can be of service, how they can be enjoyed. I came away with a different attitude too. Although I have been around dogs all my life and have gone to shows for many years, I found myself seeing dogs in a new light, as far more capable and intelligent than I ever suspected. One has only to watch some of the brilliant demonstrations of service dogs and Canine Good Citizens, something we rarely if ever see at US shows, to gain a new awareness of canine abilities. Crufts takes in a whole range of dog activity that we are ordinarily unaware of. It also reveals a regard for dogs that goes beyond hauling them in and out of the ring for a beauty contest. And while there is certainly nothing wrong with that, dogs can be and are so much more than furry starlets and hairy hunks.That being said, Crufts is likely to shift in character over the next few years. With quarantine rules being changed by 2001 to allow freer passage of dogs from the European Union into England, it seems highly likely that foreign dogs will soon be able to compete at Crufts. Just how Crufts will change as a result is anyone's guess. It would seem nearly impossible that this show could grow even bigger than it already is, yet the venue is certainly large enough to handle a bigger entry, even if greater numbers of dogs in competition is a mind-boggling notion. Given the number of foreign visitors and the growing world-wide interest in showing dogs, however, it is probably inevitable that dogs from the Continent, in addition to English-owned imports will soon appear more frequently and cannot help but have an impact on what is already the world's biggest show. One can only speculate on what Crufts may become within two or three years.

Bleary-eyed, fatigued, and not a little overwhelmed, we left Crufts after three of most dog-intensive days we have ever spent, a little more savvy about what to expect when we go next year, a little less apprehensive about how things work. We knew that we could not cover everything that we wanted to watch, but next time we'll be a little better at figuring out ring times and the length of a class, for instance, and we'll be certain to bring a lunch. One thing that we will look forward to is the friendliness of the English exhibitors. Whether in Discover Dogs or in the grooming areas beside the show rings, people were always pleasant, eager to answer questions about their dogs, and polite to visitors. We were fortunate in meeting a number of exhibitors who graciously invited us--American strangers--to their homes, and are pleased to say that we accepted and anticipate our new friendships continuing on both sides of the ocean. We were left to wonder how often outsiders would be made welcome like this at an American show?

More from "Innocence Abroad" ...

Judging
The Exhibitors
Spays and Neuters
Facilities and Amenities
Discover Dogs
Additional Events
Spectators
Cell Phones
Gleaming Brass Horns
Photographers
Final Thoughts
History of Crufts