This weekend the DogCast Radio team will be in great company with hundreds of other dog lovers at Discover Dogs. The Kennel Club show will be at Earls Court 1, London, and to whet your appetite for it, here's a few facts:
• Discover Dogs coincides with Remembrance Sunday - there will be a two minute silence to remember not only the men and women who have fought for our country but also the many animals which have sacrificed their lives in wartime.
• The Crufts Factor, which was launched to great acclaim at Crufts earlier this year, is coming to Discover Dogs. For the last month, owners of talented dogs have posted videos on the Discover Dogs Facebook page in a bid to win a place in the Crufts Factor heat on Saturday 10th November at Discover Dogs. The winner of the heat will qualify for the final which will be held in the famous main arena at
Crufts 2013.
• The Kennel Club has launched an ‘at watch’ list for the UK’s native breeds that are showing worryingly low registration figures and risking being added to the vulnerable breeds list. One of Britain’s most iconic dog breeds, the Old English Sheepdog, has been put on the ‘at watch’ list by the Kennel Club because of concerns that the breed could face extinction in the future.
• There are twenty nine native breeds to the UK on the Kennel Club’s vulnerable breeds list, meaning they have fewer than 300 puppies registered each year. Discover Dogs is welcoming a number of these to the event to educate people about what wonderful dogs they are.
• Young dog lovers will be showing visitors how to train, groom and play with dogs at the dedicated ring for the Young Kennel Club.
• There will also be a reading corner for young visitors to read to dogs, following the success of the Bark & Read Foundation reading corner at Discover Dogs 2011. The Bark & Read Foundation supports charities bringing dogs into schools to help children learn to read.
• The dedicated Kennel Club Breed Rescue area returns this year where visitors can find out the benefits of buying a purebred rescue dog. There may also be an opportunity to get your picture taken holding an Olympic Torch on the Breed Rescue stand for a donation to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust.