‘Chance’ walkies away with top dog title

EXQUISITELY coiffed, gorgeously buffed and showing dainty displays of anklework, the creme-de-la-creme at Crufts were as captivating as any two-legged catwalk lovelies.

Although five-year-old Chance was a more than worthy winner of the Best in Show Award, choosing top dog at the four-day event was a tough task for the judges.

With oodles of poodles, and every kind of comely canine to choose from, whittling down the selection to just one woman and her dog was never going to be easy. Californian Nancy Resetar was in celebratory mood when the Australian shepherd dog was chosen above six other group winners from the past four days.

Last night’s prizegiving brought to a close the most popular dog show on earth, involving up to 20,000 dogs of 178 breeds.

As well as the top Best in Show competition, pooches pulled out all the stops in categories such as Agility, Flyball, Obedience and Heelwork to Music.

The Good Citizen Dog Scheme display - the Kennel Club’s basic training programme for dogs and their owners - attracted thousands of spectators to the five halls in Birmingham’s NEC. The 400 trade stands reported brisk business in everything from diamond-studded collars to Burberry blankets and funky food bowls, and attracting attention particularly from those who consider a pedigree a necessary fashion accessory or social status sign.

In the Toy section of Crufts, Chow Chows, Chihuahuas, Schnauzers and others primp and preen for the judges.

Other breeds competed in the Working and Pastoral dog competitions while terriers and hounds fought it out in a separate section and gundogs strutted their stuff on the final day of the show.