Canine catwalk! Dogs arrive for the first day of Crufts

Canine catwalk! Crufts begins in Birmingham – and this year’s four-legged competitors arrive looking snug in fleeces, snoods, and some VERY garish onesies

  • The 128th year of the famous dog show runs at Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC) for four days 
  • Canine competitors arrived at the venue today – looking perfectly groomed and wearing an array of outfits 
  •  Annual show is named after Charles Cruft and the competition’s most coveted prize is ‘Best in Show’
  • Some 170,000 doggy fans are expected to make their way to the Midlands city for the competition 

The glossiest coats in town were seen arriving at Birmingham’s NEC this morning ahead of the 128th annual Crufts competition. 

The world-famous event, founded by Charles Cruft in the late 19th century, brings hundreds of dogs to the Midlands city, with many vying for the coveted Best in Show prize.     

This morning the canine catwalk began in earnest with competitors and their owners trotting into the arena sporting a variety of eye-catching dog onesies, fleeces and even colourful snoods to keep their fur-covered ears extra warm. 

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Pow-wow! The first competitors for this year’s Crufts competition, dog owners and their pets make their way into the Birmingham NEC, ahead of the world’s biggest dog show, where some 170,000 visitors are expected to attend over the next four days

Surf’s up! This frizzy-haired cock-a-poo makes a big impression as it wanders through the entrance wearing what looks like a wetsuit – with neon pink sleeves

Well, we are animals! Two toy poodles wear super-cute leopard and tiger print onesies as they pad through the grass

Clearly their owner is a fan on animal print too, co-ordinating perfectly with her pets for the prestigious event

Best paw forward: Many of the pooches were dressed in eye-catching onesies, waterproofs and even bibs documenting their previous achievements


Spring chill! Many of the prized pooches, which have come from across the globe to compete, wrapped up warm with fleecey dog onesies. Right: This gorgeous white and chocolate brown breed goes for a racing green onesie

Keeping their perfectly groomed coats under wraps until competition day, a trio of King Charles Spaniels waddle into the NEC

The competition has courted controversy in recent years with protesters calling the competition ‘cruel’, although the UK Kennel Club, who are behind the event, say they’re ‘committed to ensuring that all dogs have the opportunity to lead healthy, happy lives, with responsible owners’.

The pooch-filled pow-wow s was established by Charles Cruft in 1891 as a much smaller event held at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, and has grown to become the world’s biggest dog show.


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As well as ‘Best in Show’, this year five pets are in contention for Crufts’ dog hero competition, proving that some pups go above and beyond in being mankind’s best friend.

The Kennel Club’s Friends for Life competition looks to showcase the animals across five categories including working dogs, assistance dogs, pets and rescue dogs. 

Hound taxi: A dog owner pushes four dogs, in a caged trolley into the competition. In the past the world-famous dog show has been hit accusations of cruelty…but the UK Kennel Club which organises the event maintains that it has the canines’ best interests firmly in focus


Check us out! Tartan seems to be on trend in the canine fashion world, with several dogs turning up in stylish checked onesies. Right: This King Charles Spaniel makes a nod to Scotland in a bright red traditional tartan

In the pink: this fleece all-in-one protected the very shiny coat of this brightly-attired pooch

Elegance: An elegant-looking short-haired breed strides in, flanked by two blank-and-white spotted dalmatians  

A touch of luxe: These little long-haired scamps dash in wearing nifty green and gold satin overcoats 


And some more hardy animals – including this adorable husky, left, didn’t need any extra layers. Right: A very shaggy dog makes its way into the competition arena 

Doggy ice-cream? It’s enough to make a cat laugh… Billy and owner Margot slurp up some refreshing treats on day one

This handsome long-eared pooch kept its coat immaculate by dressing neck to foot in a red fleeced onesie

Among them is Finn the German shepherd who saved owner Pc David Wardell’s life while working as a police dog, receiving life-threatening injuries in the process.

The pair were chasing a robbery suspect in October 2016 who turned and attacked with a knife, stabbing Finn in the head and chest as he leapt to protect David.

 

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