Thousands of visitors enjoyed The Kennel Club’s Discover Dogs event in London this weekend, meeting and greeting 200 different breeds and speaking to experts.
Taking place on the 15 and 16 October at ExCeL London, the capital’s biggest dog event run by The Kennel Club, saw the return of exciting canine activities, clever training displays, the ever-popular Cuddle Corner and hundreds of breed booths. Dog enthusiasts, prospective owners and those already with canine companions spent the two-day event speaking to experts, learning about how to choose the right dog for their lifestyle, enjoying training demonstrations and watching a variety of canine competitions, including agility and flyball.
In a celebration of everything dogs can do, Discover Dogs packed in displays, demonstrations and competitions across three different rings. This year saw the debut of the ‘Woofball World Cup’, where a crowd of football fanatic fans gathered to see a highly anticipated match of Barkalona vs. West Hound Utd. Impressive displays from the smart sniffing Medical Detection Dogs, courageous West Midlands Police dogs, and the synchronized Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Golden Retriever Display teams were memorable for onlookers.
Elsewhere, the weekend saw the semi-finals of the Novice ABC agility competitions, Young Kennel Club Handling, and Scruffts heats, the nation’s favourite cross-breed competition sponsored by James Wellbelloved, which gave some lucky dogs and their owners a spot in the semi-finals taking place at Crufts, the world’s greatest dog show, in March 2023.
Top training tips were demonstrated by dog behavioralists, experts, and representatives of The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog scheme, to help owners with basic skills for everyday life and understand more about competitions like Obedience and Obreedience they can try with the four-legged friend.
While Kids Zone and the Young Kennel Club ring kept younger members of the family entertained, away from the rings shopping stands supplied a variety of goods for taking home souvenirs, as well as areas for visitors to learn more about different welfare organisations, including The Kennel Club Charitable Trust and Kennel Club Breed Rescue.
Vanessa McAlpine, Events Executive at The Kennel Club, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed so many dog-loving visitors to London this weekend for another successful event.
“The two-day show packed in an incredible amount, and we could not put on this fantastic event without the help of our wonderful and committed volunteers, including; breed experts and their canine companions, breed rescue volunteers, trade stand exhibitors, stewards, vets, ring party, commentators, judges, competitors, display teams, our contractors and so many more that all contribute to making this show what it is!
“We would like to extend a special thank you to all those volunteers that spent time representing their breeds and answering important questions from would-be owners – we really see this as a fundamental step in helping more people make informed decisions and find responsible breeders, and ensuring they can provide the best home and find a happy and healthy dog.”
Other key competitions taking place over the two days included the Starters Cup Agility Final, Small/Mixi Pairs Challenge Agility Final, UK Junior Handler of the Year, Rescue Dog Agility and the Junior Warrant. Results are available at thekennelclub.org.uk/agilitydiscoverdogs
