Thousands of dogs descend on Birmingham for Crufts 2024
The world-renowned dog show is back at the NEC this week.
More than 24,000 dogs are heading to Birmingham over the next few days, as Crufts 2024 gets underway.
The world-renowned dog show at the NEC runs from 7-10 March showcasing top breeds and competitions including agility and obedience.
Over 200 pedigree breeds will be in contention for Best in Show, which will be awarded on Sunday evening.
Organisers said this year's entry is slightly up on last year, with 19,252 dogs entered into the breed, agility and obedience championship competitions.
The show continues to maintain its international flavour and this year has attracted more overseas entries than ever before – 3,766 dogs – with the Netherlands leading the way with 382 dogs, just ahead of Germany (375), France (371) and Italy (330).
The Golden Retriever has drawn the largest entry for an individual breed from the whole show, with 538 dogs. This is just ahead of the Labrador Retriever (519).
In contrast, the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) and Foxhound has attracted just 3 dogs each, while the Turkish Kangal Dog has 2 dogs entered.
Bill Lambert, from the Kennel Club, said: "It's really more than just a dog show. We like to say it's an education event.
"Anyone who has got a dog, or wants to find out more about dogs, Crufts is the place to come.
"We have on display here Discover Dogs, and that's where we have the 222 registered breeds on show and they are there with expert owners and breeders.
"So it's an ideal opportunity for people to find out what breed is right for them and what will fit in their with lifestyle."