Hi
I know you can obviously walk your dog around the benching area and to be toileted but can you take them with you when you are looking around the stalls etc?

I didnt think it was allowed but how can you do shopping if you cant take your dog - my husband is coming too but we like to nose together and its not always nice to leave someone else watching your dog. People get easily distracted talking etc.

If you do walk round with your dog and your not allowed are you likely to be told off? we are first in the ring so its a long time til 4pm to escape and leave her in her cage while doing a bit  of shopping.

I wouldn't try and shop with a dog - it's usually far too busy unless you can go first thing before the public and any other exhibitors with a later starting breed.  TBH it's a nightmare with dogs, pushchairs etc and IMO better to take shifts between partners or friends where one dogsits at the benches to allow the other freedom to push through the madding crowds. 

Dogs and small children are IME in danger of being trampled on very easily by mid morning through into late in the day.

regards, Teri

No strictly speaking you are only allowed 30 minutes off the bench for exercise and preparation for showing. I have in the past attempted to take a dog round with me when shopping and I will never do it again -not because you get found out and told off, but because is really unfair on the dog -the visitors are everywhere and amazingly to most it seems dogs are nuisances and you get sworn at for being in the way, dogs feet and tails are being stepped on etc....... (Happens every year when we arrive and HAVE to walk through a hall or two to get to the benches.) Hence my husband and I take it in turns to shop, or don't bother at all and go an extra day for that, without dogs. Or bring a third person.

Snap Teri. :)

The only walking round with our dogs is what is nessercary.  On show day we spend most of our time round the ring with the dogs and do an extra (or two/three) days dogless to be able to do our shopping :)

last year we were the sunday and it was busy but this year we're thursday so was hoping for quieter day! will leave her in her cage being watched i think, i just wondered if you would get challenged by an official of the show.

lorri dont worry u wont get told off i always walk my dog's around the stalls with me and in many years i have never been told off btw i'm there on sunday

I've had 2 different dogs at Crufts (at different times) and took both shopping as they weren't used to being left on a bench. You just have to be sensible and not walk them through the really busy parts, it also depends on your dog's temperament as to how well they cope.

I have taken my dog around the stalls with me , if I can leave him with someone on the bench then all the better but I would never leave him by himself , so would take him with me .

My friend's taking hers around in his pushchair (Cav). I'm not going to take Henry round though - I do want to buy a couple of bits, but if I can't find them in hall 5 I'm not searching through Crufts, I want to stay with him, specially in view of his breed....

oh my god the pushchair bridgade !! i dont care what toy dog people say but they are not human babies!!!!!!

I have to admit when I moved to a toy breed from GSDs I could not imagine why people had the prams however a lot of the ladies who are slightly older and find walking around not so easy love these. They are more acceptable to them than a walking frame and can help them push dogs down to the showground.
Live and let live I say- There's a lot worse out there than ladies pushing a small dog in a pushchair you wouldn't be seen dead with.

Just my view

> oh my god the pushchair bridgade !! i dont care what toy dog people say but they are not human babies!!!!!!

It wouldn't be my choice but you see so many dogs being pushed out of the way and trodden on by thoughtless people I can see why something like a pushchair feels a lot safer for the dog and it's owner, paticularly small dogs.

In years gone by I'd only visit on Gundog day and only then if it fell on the Thursday or Friday preferably.  I did Discover Dogs last year with my pup on the Saturday and I think that if that had been the first time I'd ever visited I wouldn't go again.  It was soooooo busy and trying to get out of DD with the dog for toilet breaks was almost impossible.  I was astonished at how rude some people were.  I wish they had dedicated dog aisles to help get through the crush.

How about a Dog Lane like a Bus Lane?

I'll be watching the poodles if I can get the computer working, cheering on the white standard I think will win.

I'd love a dog lane!

My bet is also on Donny for BIS.

I wouldn't use a pushchair at most shows myself, but my friend is perfectly aware her dog is a dog thank you. She is also aware that he is a small dog who will get frightened and possibly injured trying to move through the Crufts crowd, and she is aware that she can neither carry him all round Crufts as he isn't a chihuahua, nor can she leave him on his bench unattended for an hour, nor can she pull a heavy trolley through all the halls. The pushchair seems a pretty good solution to me!