http://www.yourdog.co.uk 25“...we realised:
OK, this is
a special one!”
Kathleen believes the bond
between her and Dylan is vital to
him doing well in the show ring.Image: Tommaso Urciuolo.Image: Anna Szabó.▼There are 25
acres of Crufts to
look around, so wear
comfortable shoes!TOP TIP!Image: Anna SzabóA BORN PERFORMER
Kathleen Roosens and Papillon Dylan,
from Belgium. Dylan was Crufts 2019
Best In Show winner.
“He’s a fantastic dog to live with,” said
Kathleen of three-year-old Dylan.
“The moments in the ring were fun, but
it’s the moments at home, and the walks
— those are the really precious moments.”
Dylan’s rise to fame was meteoric, yet
he was never intended to set a paw in the
show ring.
“We sold him as a puppy to a pet home
in Sweden,” recalled Kathleen. “They are
very good friends of ours, and we knew
they were going to be the perfect dog
owners. They walk six miles every day,
they bike and hike and explore thewoods. Dylan was a very active
puppy, so we thought it was the
perfect match.
“He got the training he
needed to be a perfect
companion. He went
everywhere with his owners
— to the city, to the woods, to their parents’
retirement home. But they never, ever
trained him to be in a ring, or to be on
a table.”
Then, in 2017, at the World Dog Show
in Germany, Kathleen was one dog short
to enter the breeders’ competition. Her
friends agreed to bring Dylan, and, to
make the journey more fun, Dylan wasimpressive police dogs, extraordinary
support dogs, to phenomenal pet dogs, the
winners of this award — and indeed all the
nominees — warm the heart and bring
a tear to the eye.
For many visitors, a highlight of the show
is shopping! Any product you can imagine
for a dog, a dog owner, a house or car that
hosts a dog, is displayed for your perusal,
and you can often bag a bargain.
Keep your eyes peeled for celebrities,
because many attend the show, to publicise
a good cause, sign copies of their books,
or just to indulge their love of dogs.
Youngsters may want to i nd out more
about the Young Kennel Club, and anyone
can get involved with the Good Citizen Dog
Training Scheme.
After all that activity you may need
refreshment, so it’s just as well that you can
buy a range of snacks and meals, for both
you and your dog.
Combining so many aspects
of the dog world, Crufts
has at its heart
a celebration of dogs.
The dog-human
bond has endured so
long, and enriched
so many lives, it
deserves such an
extravaganza!
We spoke to three
people who had lots to
celebrate after competing at
the show last year...entered into the show classes too.
“He won Junior Male Papillon. He went
on to become Junior World Winner that day,
Best Of Breed Junior, and he even ended
the weekend as the Best In Show Junior.
And it was his i rst time in the ring! That
was the moment we realised: ‘OK, this is
a special one!’” said Kathleen.
Since then, Dylan has split his timeEveryone wants to meet and
stroke a Crufts winner!22-25 YD Crufts Mar20 CS(SW)ok.indd 25 23/01/2020 10:38