Crufts Dog Show 2023: When it is, what’s on, and how to watch
Arguably the greatest canine competition in the world, the Crufts Dog Show is back and better than ever in 2023 with thousands of dogs set to go paw-to-paw as they compete for the world-class title of Crufts Best in Show.
But that’s not all Crufts 2023 has to offer. Alongside the main event, there'll be fantastic displays in the main arena showcasing a range of competitions plus plenty of trade stands selling the best longest lasting dog chews and food.
Of course, not all of us will be able to attend Crufts in person, but with all of the action from Crufts being screened live on Channel 4 in the UK and YouTube, you can sit back, relax and catch all of the action from the comfort of your living room.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this epic dog show, including when it is, where it’s being held, what’s on, and how you can tune in. Let’s take a look…
What is Crufts Dog Show?
The Crufts Dog Show is an annual event organized by The Kennel Club that focuses on celebrating the role dogs play in our lives. Named after its founder, Charles Cruft, the first show was held in 1891 at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, and attracted almost 2,500 entries.
In 1948, the first Crufts show under The Kennel Club took place and in 1950, it was televised for the first time by the BBC. In 1991, the show left London and moved to its current home at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.
Crufts is a celebration of all dogs, including working and rescue dogs, and includes a variety of events, from agility and flyball to obedience and heelwork. There’s even a Friends for Life Competition that celebrates the many hero dogs that walk among us.
When is Crufts Dog Show 2023?
The Crufts Dog Show will take place over four days, commencing on Thursday the 9th of March, and concluding on Sunday the 12th of March with the moment everyone has been waiting for - the awarding of Best in Show.
Where is Crufts Dog Show 2023 being held?
In 2023, the Crufts Dog Show will once again take place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK - the place it has called home since it moved there from Earl’s Court in London in 1991.
What’s on at Crufts Dog Show 2023?
There’s so much going on at the Crufts Dog Show in 2023 that it’s hard to know where to begin! Here’s a breakdown of the main events that you’ll want to tune in for:
Agility: Taking place in the main arena across all four days, you won’t want to miss all the best and most spectacular agility displays that include a range of nail-biting competitions, such as novel, team, international, and singles.
Flyball: Watch all the fun, speed, and excitement of the action-packed major flyball competition, which will see 16 teams competing to become the champions in front of a very noisy and enthusiastic audience!
Heelwork to music: A relatively recent competitive event, heelwork to music (HTM) sees human participants devise routines of up to four minutes that are set to music and which they perform with their dog.
Obedience: There are three different obedience competitions that take place over the course of the event:
The inter-regional rally competition involves owners and their dogs working together to navigate a course with numbered signs, each of which indicates a different exercise that they must perform.
The inter-regional obedience competition
Obedience championships for dogs and obedience championships for bitches
Obreedience: A less formal and competitive event, obreedience is designed to encourage more breeds to have a go at some of the more familiar tests that would be associated with a formal obedience competition. A team event, comprising four handlers and four dogs, takes place over two rounds and includes a round of heelwork performed as a group.
Rally: This event involves a handler and their dog working as a team to navigate a course and complete a range of different exercises.
There’s also a junior section at the Crufts Dog Show with events featuring dog lovers aged six to 24 years who are part of the Young Kennel Club and of course, the four days culminate in the not-to-be-missed Best in Show award.
How can you watch Crufts Dog Show 2023?
Whether you’re in the UK or somewhere else in the world, you can rest assured you won’t miss a single minute of the Crufts Dog Show action. For those viewers within the UK, you can catch all of the events live on Channel 4 or on-demand at More4. If you’re outside the UK, you can watch all of the main arena action and everything that’s happening in the obedience ring via the Crufts YouTube channel.
Which dog won Best in Show at Crufts 2022?
Taking out the coveted crown last year for Best in Show was a rather handsome flat-coated retriever named Baxer. After winning the Gundog Group Title, Baxer was entered into the running for top dog where he became the first ever liver flat-coated retriever to win the prize - that’s a flat-coated retriever with a brown muzzle instead of the more common black.
Can any dog go to Crufts?
Unfortunately not! Crufts is a fairly elite competition and a dog being entered must meet certain criteria which vary depending on which class is being entered and whether or not challenge certificates are offered.
