Well there's Crufts over for another year!

I had a fantastic time, I love Crufts. As usual I didn't have enough time to see everyone I wanted to see, nor do everything I wanted to do!

Elton was in Graduate Dog, which had 21 entries. Looking through the catalogue I don't think there was a single dog that always beats him - either he usually beats them, sometimes he beats them sometimes they beat him or he'd never been up against them.

So his class was called, and into the ring we went. He almost let me down majorly once in the ring - decided he would go into one of his "oh, I know you! And wow, and there's another dog next to me! I like you! Let's play!" (his breeder was two dogs away which didn't help as he sees her at least once a week most weeks and obviously knows her very well) and his mind and attention was anywhere but on me. Then - being the last day - there had been ample bitches in the ring and he picked up on the scent and dropped to the floor and commando crawled over to the first water mark, cocked his leg and then dragged me over to the next one and did the same! We had words and thankfully he did settle (benefit of a large class) by the time it was his turn, though he's shown better.

He isn't a fan of the rings at Crufts - it was his first time there, but he hates the grills under the carpet. When the chair goes over them it makes a much bigger sound/movement than a person, and of course I can't avoid them (well, I can avoid the horizontal ones but not the vertical ones!). He didn't like City of Bham for the same reason (different location but same grills), but LKA (same venue as Crufts) was ok - think our ring happened to be in a better place in relation to where they were!

However, the judge shortlisted and Elton made the cut :-) I was ecstatic, thinking he'd definitely got a place - and then my heart sank when I saw the judge had pulled out 6 (5 places), and I was just hoping he wouldn't be that 6th! After multiple laps of the ring (big rings, his poor little legs were worn out lol) he made his decision - and Elton got a 4th :-D

To be in the cards at Crufts is a big achievement, so I'm more than happy - especially for Elton's first time there.