Around 27,000 dogs of all shapes and sizes are heading to the NEC Birmingham over the next four days to take part in Crufts, the greatest dog show in the world. 

Just under 21,000 dogs from 220 different breeds will be competing for a chance to win Best in Show, 20631 of these dogs will be travelling to the NEC from 44 different countries securing Crufts as a truly international event.

As well as the competition side, Crufts also features the Discover Dogs zone, where visitors can meet and greet around 200 breeds, speak to experts in each breed about what they are like to live with and care for, and find out which breed might be best suited to their lifestyle.

More than just a dog show, Crufts celebrates the many diverse roles that dogs play in our lives, and sees competitions such as the Friends for Life final for hero dogs, the Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year competition, Obreedience, in which different breeds compete against each other in teams to prove who is the most obedient, and the ever popular fast-paced agility and flyball competitions.

Crufts in numbers

27,000 – dogs expected at Crufts across the four days of the show.

165,000 – dog lovers expected to visit Crufts.

220 – different breeds of dogs compete for the prestigious Best in Show including:

3 – new breeds competing for Best in Show 2019 – the Black and Tan Coonhound, White Swiss Shepherd and Russian Toy.

200 – Around 200 breeds will be represented in the Discover Dogs area of the show, where visitors can meet and greet their favourite breeds and find out which ones might be a good match for their lifestyle.

1891 – The year Crufts began.

128 – This year is the 128th year of Crufts (that’s 890 years for our furry, four-legged friends).

3,611 – The number of dogs from overseas entered into the show this year.

Hundreds of crossbreeds take part in Crufts, through agility, flyball, obedience, heelwork to music, Scruffts and Friends for Life competitions.

91 – The number of years the Best in Show prize has been awarded.

7 – The number of times a Cocker Spaniel has won Best in Show – more than any other breed. This is followed by the Irish Setter, Standard Poodle and Welsh Terrier which have won on four occasions each.

25 – The number of acres of the NEC in Birmingham that Crufts covers. This includes five halls, the Pavilion and the Crufts Best in Show Arena.

4 – The number of venues in which Crufts has been held over the years.

9 years 7 months – the oldest dog to win Best in Show, which was a Flat Coated Retriever in 2011.

45 – The total number of countries with dogs entered into Crufts this year.

1 – The number of dogs that have pooped live on TV in the main arena at Crufts.