Crufts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Crufts

Formation	1891
Founder	Charles Cruft
Type	Dog show
Headquarters	Birmingham, England
Location	United Kingdom
Official language	English

Crufts is a world-famous dog show that takes place every year in the United Kingdom. It started way back in 1891 and is now the largest dog show on the planet! It's organized by The Kennel Club, the UK's main organization for dogs.

Crufts is much more than just a show where dogs are judged on their looks. It also has a huge trade show with all sorts of cool dog-related things to buy and see. Plus, there are exciting competitions in dog agility, obedience, flyball, and even dancing with dogs, called heelwork to music.

The event also celebrates amazing dogs in our daily lives with the "Friends for Life" award. It even has a special competition for crossbreed dogs called Scruffts. The whole event happens over four days in March at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in England.

The biggest prize at Crufts is the famous Best in Show award. Dogs and their owners come from all over the world hoping to win this top honor.

The Story of Crufts

The first Crufts dog show in 1891

Who Was Charles Cruft?

Crufts is named after its founder, Charles Cruft. He worked for a company that made dog biscuits. His job took him to many dog shows, where he realized there was a need for a bigger, better-organized event.

In 1891, he held the first show called "Cruft's Greatest Dog Show." It was a huge success, with about 2,000 dogs competing.

Growing Bigger and Better

The show quickly became very popular. Even royal families from around Europe entered their dogs. The show had to take a break during World War I but came back strong.

In 1928, the first Best in Show prize was awarded to a Greyhound named Primley Sceptre. After Charles Cruft passed away, his wife ran the show for a few years before selling it to The Kennel Club in 1942 to make sure it would continue.

The show was paused again during World War II. After the war, it started being shown on BBC television in 1950, which made it even more famous.

Over the years, new and exciting events were added:

• 1955: The first Obedience Championships were held.
• 1980: Agility became an official competition.
• 1990: Flyball was introduced.
• 1992: The first Heelwork to Music (dog dancing) demonstration took place.

By 1991, the show had become so big it had to move from London to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where it is still held today. That same year, it was named the world's largest dog show by the Guinness Book of Records.

A Focus on Dog Health

Over the years, there have been important discussions about making sure all dog breeds are as healthy as possible. Because of this, Crufts and The Kennel Club now put a big focus on responsible dog ownership and the health and well-being of every dog. This led to some changes in how the show was broadcast, and since 2010, it has been shown on Channel 4.

What Happens at Crufts?

The Road to Best in Show

A dog can't just show up to compete at Crufts. It must qualify by winning at other dog shows during the previous year.

Once at Crufts, the competition happens in stages:

1. Best of Breed: First, dogs compete against others of the exact same breed. The winner is named the Best of Breed.
2. Best in Group: Next, all the Best of Breed winners are sorted into seven groups. They compete to be the best in their group. The seven groups are:
   • Toys (small dogs like Pugs and Chihuahuas)
   • Gundogs (dogs that help hunters, like Labradors and Spaniels)
   • Utility (dogs with various jobs, like Poodles and Dalmatians)
   • Hounds (dogs that hunt by sight or smell, like Beagles and Greyhounds)
   • Working (strong dogs that help people, like Boxers and St. Bernards)
   • Pastoral (herding dogs, like Border Collies and German Shepherds)
   • Terriers (energetic dogs originally bred to hunt vermin, like Jack Russell Terriers)
3. Best in Show: Finally, the seven group winners all compete in the main arena. The judges choose one dog as the Best in Show winner and another as the Reserve Best in Show.

The Best in Show winner gets a copy of a special silver trophy and a cash prize.

Best in Show Winners (since 2006)

Here are some of the amazing dogs that have won the top prize at Crufts in recent years.

More Than Just a Show

Crufts is packed with other fun competitions that show off how smart and athletic dogs are.

• Agility: This is a fast and exciting race against the clock. Dogs have to run, jump over hurdles, go through tunnels, and weave through poles with help from their handlers.
• Obedience: This competition tests how well a dog can follow commands. Dogs perform tasks like walking perfectly beside their handler without a leash and retrieving items.
• Flyball: This is a high-speed relay race for teams of four dogs. Each dog has to run over four hurdles, press a box to release a tennis ball, and carry the ball back to the start.
• Heelwork to Music: Also known as "dog dancing," this is where handlers and their dogs perform a choreographed routine set to music.

More to See and Do

Crufts is a huge event for any dog lover. Besides the main competitions, there are over 500 stalls selling everything you could imagine for your pet.

One of the most popular areas is called Discover Dogs. Here, you can meet and pet almost every dog breed recognized by The Kennel Club. It's a great place to learn about different types of dogs if you are thinking about getting one.

You can also watch amazing demonstrations from specially trained dogs, like police dogs and medical detection dogs, who use their incredible sense of smell to save lives.

Scruffts: A Show for Every Dog

Crufts isn't just for purebred dogs. Since The Kennel Club also registers crossbreed dogs (or mixed breeds), there is a special competition just for them called Scruffts.

Hundreds of crossbreed dogs enter Scruffts each year. The finalists get to compete at the main Crufts event for the title of Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year. It shows that every dog, no matter its breed, is special.

See Also

• Breed groups (dog)
• Catwalk Dogs
• World Dog Show