Discover Dogs 2005

Discover Dogs 2005
(November 12th and 13th 2005)

Discover Dogs Earls Court 2005
          The idea behind Discover Dogs is education but we always think that entertainment and having a good time should be important too. The visitors have paid enough to come in and we owe it to them to put on a good show so we usually have a dog or two on the table for going over and another outside the pen sitting on the carpet within easy reach of the children and toddlers. Norfolks are ideal as ‘feel good’ dogs and there can’t have been many people who did not have a smile on their faces after patting, being licked by, photographing and talking about, and to, our dogs.
        It goes without saying that the families will be keen on dogs but it’s really heart warming to see the great affection the children have for the dogs and especially for our cuddly Norfolks who, in return, seem to lap up the attention.
          This year we had two newcomers to the scene, Carolyn Hoare with Teddy and Nabuko Matsumura with Diamond, both were somewhat thrown in at the deep end and did marvellously well. I heard them telling the visitors with great conviction that you have to wait YEARS to get a puppy – they knew only too well.

 

Discover Dogs 2005

 

Old hands Valerie and Paul Montgomery brought Monty and Bertie, Anne Blackman wisely left lovely Badger at home, he's now 14 years old, but she kindly came along to help. Margaret and Dennis Ruffles enjoyed their first visit – they brought Ch.Cleo who loved her day in the limelight again.Carolyn Hoare and Teddy,  newcomers to Discover Dogs,
talking to visitors on the Norfolk booth. 
A print out of our Coco at Crufts pages are in the background 
and also pictures demonstrating coat care.
Carolyn says, ''Teddy was exhausted but enjoyed it, 
especially washing the childrens faces."

          Gilean White (how many years in the breed did she say!?) with Crunchy, and Sue Inman with Henry did Sunday followed by Carole Goldsmith and Roy with Posy and Paddy.
          I think I've mentioned the breed’s stamina before, but our Kevin, nearly 11 years, was on the go all day on Saturday and then still had the energy to pull on the lead while walking to the tube station in the evening. Same on Sunday but with a nap at lunch time and we were asked again if he was fully grown!
          Our thanks to everyone and their dogs for all the effort and not little expense in making Discover Dogs Norfolks such a success -  judging by the enjoyment we all had I would advise -  ‘book early to be part of it again next year!’
        Don't forget that Dorothy and Gina Dorkins will be organising Discover Dogs Crufts 2006

Sally Willbie 
Tel: 01983 875470
willbie@mailbox.co.uk

Crufts 2006  NEC Birmingham.
March 9 Working & Pastoral
March 10 Terrier & Hound
March 11 Toy & Utility
March 12 Gundog.

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Discover Dogs Crufts 2006
Dorothy and Gina Dorkins
email:norfolk_mad@yahoo.co.uk

 

Congratulations to the Dorkins family 
for organising a highly successful 
Discover Dogs at Crufts 2005. 
Their account of the show is below.

Well Crufts 2005 was one for the record books with the Norfolk winning Best in Show.

We were co-ordinating the Norfolk booth for the first time. We had a tough act to follow as Sally Willbie has been doing it for as long as I can remember.

All the volunteers and their dogs did a wonderful job on what turned out to be a very busy Crufts. After Coco won the group the following days were extra busy and the booth echoed to the sound of "Is this the dog that won the group?"

I would like to thank Mr and Mrs Mead, Lisa Charnock, Judith Worthington, Valerie Montgomery, Rosalie Rider, Jon Rudkin, Sue Wilding, Mr and Mrs Buckley, Pat Wilson, Maureen McPhee, Jill and Allenby Stevenson, Lesley Harpham, Pete Hulance and Kristian Hitchen and his Mum and Dad.

I hope you and your lovely dogs enjoyed yourselves as much as Gina and myself did. Our two first timers, Misty and Jack were old hands by the end of 4 days.

A couple of funny things you might like to hear about are, when we arrived at the NEC on Wednesday to decorate the booth I said to Gina this should only take about half an hour to do! Two and a half hours later we were still there! Not as easy as it looks you know!

One other funny thing for everyone else but not me, we were camping in a caravan about half an hour away and one night after returning to change and go out to dinner it had been raining hard, everyone was in the car and I was left to zip up the awning, what I didn’t know was a large amount of water had collected on the roof of the awning, a gust of wind and woosh the whole lot was over me! My screams can still be heard across the campsite! Gina and her Boyfriend Paul thought it was very funny. I ran out of dry clothes that weekend! (Tip of the week, always buy clothes you can put in the tumble dryer!)

Will I be doing Discover Dogs next year? The vote was Yes, if Sally lets us!

Dorothy and Gina Dorkins.

email:norfolk_mad@yahoo.co.uk

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