A record number of overseas entries will be attending Crufts this year, proving that Britain is top dog when it comes to showing man’s best friend.

Leader of the pack

The Kennel Club will welcome 1,388 dogs from 38 different countries including Germany, Latvia, Canada, the United States, Thailand and, for the first time, Chile. With the UK entrants, this makes an incredible total of 21,029 dogs, all competing for the top prizes.

“The number of overseas entries reflects the truly international flavour of the event,” says Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary. “The fact that dog owners come in their tens of thousands to celebrate their dogs on the world’s most famous dog stage is testament to what a special place Crufts holds in the hearts of dog lovers throughout the world.”

Docked dogs disqualified

Once again, the breed with the highest attendance numbers will be the popular Golden Retriever, with 526 dogs and bitches entered. The lesser-known Hungarian Puli has seen the biggest increase with entrants up by 81% from last year, from 31 to 56 dogs.

Due to the docking legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, even legally docked working dogs cannot be shown at events where the public pay an entry fee. The only exemption is if dogs have been docked before the legislation was brought in, but this increasingly applies to fewer dogs, which has had a negative effect on the numbers of certain breeds and classes.

The show runs from 8-11 March.