Everything You Missed At Crufts

Updates on the annual gathering of 24,000 dogs. Is this heaven?

7 March 2024

Welcome to Crufts! The annual dog show is held at Birmingham’s NEC and features no less than 24,000 dogs from 50 countries all doing their thing. Sure, only one will be crowned ‘Best in Show’ but, as pet parents, we know that all of them are winners. And these winners are capable of creating some fabulous moments.

Read on to see what’s been going on at Crufts, 2024.

At the end of the day, they’re all good boys

Cats would like the spotlight back on them please

Winner! Best in Show! Crufts 2024

It's Viking! The Australian Shepherd and his equally glam parent Melanie Raymond. Who lives just down the road. Congratulations to the pair.

Fight at Crufts – PETA protesters attempt to storm the arena

As per their social media: “Crufts perpetuates the homeless dog crisis by encouraging impulse purchases of trendy breeds, neglecting the lovable pups in rescue centres.” Find out more about why you should adopt a less adoptable dog here.

Runner-up: best in show – Jack Russells forever

This is a Zen stan blog – the people‘s princess.

Look, he’s not wrong

Midsomer Murders could never

Winner! Best in group: hounds

Get you! No, GetMe. Weird name, but what a dog. A Basset Griffon Vendeen, to be exact.

Sue Perkins, saying what we were all thinking

Winner! Best in group: terrier

It’s Zen! Or, to go by his full name: Multi Ch Original Master's Voice Lovesong Monamour. He’s flown all the way from Japan for this honour. He also won the public vote. I mean, look at him.

No really, look at him

Winner! Kennel Club Hero Award

Shout out to Vesper, a search and rescue dog for the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. She originally trained to be a police dog but didn't make the cut because she was more about cuddling the criminals than catching them.

Vesper's story

Not only has Vesper located and saved casualties from structural collapses across the UK, she also travelled to Turkey and Morocco to help find people trapped after the earthquakes there last year.

Terriers and Hounds assemble

All creatures great and small gather for the fourth and final day of Crufts.

Drop the hair-care routine

Who is she?

Winner! Best in group: working

Go on Neville! King of the Leonbergers.

Editor’s pick

Special mention to these Best of Breed winners from day three who we just need to show you, for obvious reasons.

Bertie, the Mastiff. What size shoe does he take?

Mike, the Russian Black Terrier (who knew Terriers could be so large?)

Kalise, the Samoyed – whose handler Jacqui nailed the outfit coordination.

Ron Ron, the Tibetan Mastiff, who is so big they named him twice.

Denny, the Old English Sheepdog. The hair envy is real. It‘s giving Lempit Öpik.

Winner! Best in group: pastoral

Meet Viking – who is a local from Solihull.

Winner: Scruffts

This is Diesel, the 13-year-old Labrador Cross who taught himself how to detect epilepsy – the most deserving of winners.

The official sound of Crufts

Fergus is just having fun

Sweetpea the Border Collie with that sweet side-eye

Miss Honey, from Matlida, as a dog

Day three: Working and Pastoral dogs... and the Scruffts final

Meet some of the Scruffts (crossbreed) semi-finalists:

Fergus, an Irish Wolfhound and Bearded Collie Cross, is a semi-finalist in the Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog category – we can see why.

Toto is a semi-finalist in the Golden Oldie Crossbreed category, proving that dogs only get better with age.

Tabitha the goodest dog is a semi-finalist in the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme category.

Winner! Best in group: gundog

Meet Hendricks, a Weimaramer.

The video Kinship editorial team show people who ask if we miss writing about humans

The perfect dog photos don't exis...

Meet Winter and Ambrozja, Hungarian Puli dogs and keepers of our hearts.

Drink it in

When winning the Toy group title 2024 feels as good as scoring a Premier League-winning goal. Was this the best moment of Raffa (a Papillon from Sweden) and owner Asta Maria Gudbergsdottir’s lives? Judging by their expressions: definitely.

@crufts Watch it. Drink it in. #cruftsdogs #dogtok #crufts2024 #aguero #football #dogsoftiktok ♬ original sound - Crufts

The RSPCA have weighed in on Elton’s win

Brachycephalic dogs face a number of well-reported health issues. Including breathing issues, trouble sleeping and the potential for heat stroke and heart problems.

Smooth puperator

Be still my beating heart.

@crufts Smooth Puperator 🐾👅 #Crufts #crufts2024 #dogsoftiktok #dogtok ♬ Smooth operator - ⭐️

The Gundogs are out in force for day two

It’s Gundog day and the hunting breeds are ready to showcase their skills and style.

Marmalade, an American Cocker Spaniel.

Orla, Nellie and Lola, three Spanish Water Dogs.

Wilgot the Cocker Spaniel from Sweden.

Snipe, an Irish Water Spaniel.

Winner! Best in group: toy

Congratulations to Rafa the Papillon. It goes without saying but... look at his little legs!

A small selection of the best dog names so far

Meryl Streep Will See You Now is a personal fave.

Winner! Best in group: utility

This French Bulldog called Elton! Rocket Man indeed.

ASMR break

God bless the social team at Crufts. Sit back, relax, enjoy.

Heelwork to music freestyle competition

90s kids will not want to miss this Lion King medley routine. No expense spared! I just can't wait to be king? You're already there buddy.

Elder emos, don’t sleep on this Evanescence routine

“Brriiiiiing meeeee tooo liiiiiiiife!”

Winner! Medium Champion Agility

Congrats to Dalton Meredith and Munchies.

Flashback to last year’s heelwork to music freestyle competition

It’s Cornelia Demling and Kiara of Barnsley (confusingly actually from Germany) with their LOTR themed routine.

Flyball, the team relay race, is in full swing

The atmosphere is tense and I’m getting Bleep Test flashbacks.

The fashionistas have arrived

“Hopped off a plane from Paris Fashion Week with a dream and my cardigan. Welcome to the world of Crufts excess, am I gonna fit in?”

Blink and you’ll miss the super-fast pups in the agility competition

Please Clapham guy, tell me again about your Tough Mudder personal best?

Dorothy’s decade

Dorothy the Miniature Poodle is celebrating her 10th birthday in style with a pampering session at the Sue Oliver Dog Grooming Studio.

Chinese Crested Dogs Coco & Boston

Would very much like you to know that it’s not just a phase mum.

Poodles protecting their blowdrys

It’s Utility and Toy day, which means the always-fabulous Poodles are out in full-force hoping their perfectly groomed coats can withstand the elements.

Meet Joel the Corded Poodle

It’s giving vegan food truck in Bristol. And it’s fabulous. He’s competing in the utility category.

It’s Clare Balding’s 20th year presenting Crufts

So they baked her this cake.

Jess Commons

Jess is a writer, editor and former global lifestyle director at Refinery29 with previous stints at ITV, Grazia, The Debrief (RIP) and more. She is a sucker for an older gentleman cat with A Past and spends most of her time being told what to do by her toddler and her three-legged rescue cat, Mac.

Ro Elfberg

Ro previously served as Kinship’s Senior Editor. Now a freelancer, she has written and copy-edited for British Vogue, Glamour, DICE and of course, Kinship. When she’s not being manipulated into dishing out Dreamies to Kobe the cat, she spends her free time trying to convince her snake, Butters, to wear a tiny hat.