maybe not your idea of a happy day, but for me...

It's Gundog Day at Crufts and all is right with the world! Okay, so maybe that's a stretch but if you've been reading the last few days you know what kind of a week I have been having. Cut me some slack.

That's Penguin and me at Crufts in 2004, with judge Bill Ironside's kilt nicely blocking the bitch who beat us. But we are not at all bitter, since that bitch's offspring, owned by a friend, won Best of Breed today. Paws are crossed for him in the group ring.

Showing that day was tough on the nerves. It had taken about 8 months of preparation, once we qualified, in order to get around the UK quarantine and use the Pet Passport scheme to enter the country with Penguin. Lots of things went wrong on the trip, but we survived. The show itself is insane! over 20,000 dogs! Yes, it's four days, but still, that's a lot of dogs. Penguin handled the stress as she usually does, by going to sleep.

I would love to be back there today, maybe without my own dog. My idea of a perfect Crufts experience would be to spend a few days shopping and seeing the other attractions, then be asked by a Clumber friend to take one of their lovely dogs (that they have already groomed!) into the ring. Winning would be a bonus.

If YouTube ever decides to cooperate, I will update this post with a video of Penguin and me at Crufts. She never looked better.