Dog Fest 2017

Tilly and I were lucky enough to attend Dog Fest South last weekend in the Knebworth House grounds. We had an absolute blast, read along to see what we got up to. It’s a long one, so grab a cup of tea and a biscuit!

Due to the long drive, we travelled up the night before, and stayed in a hotel close to Knebworth with our poochie pals Aurora the collie, and Colin + Rhapsody the poodles. The dogs loved The Redwings Lodge, mainly because of all the extra attention from staff and guests…plus, there was a super handy green space behind the building where the dogs were able to run around and sniff.

The poodle girls, relaxing at the hotel.

Wanting to avoid the queues, we arrived nice and early. This meant Colin + Aurora got to try their paw at Dog Diving. This sport is bloody brilliant, with dogs sprinting off the dock and bombing into the water tank below.

I always enjoy watching and photographing this, and I’m very jealous of people with dogs who love it. Tilly wouldn’t dare jump off!

Aurora showing Colin how it’s done.

Colin was coaxed down the ramp into the water, and was then consequently ‘rescued’ as he tried to exit the wrong way. Much to the amusement of the crowd!

Colin being a true wimpy dog.

One stand that caught my eye, was Guru with their bright yellow branding. We’ve followed them on Instagram for some time, and it was great to put a face to the name! Tilly had her first taste of their cold pressed dog food, which is perfect for us as it can be fed alongside a raw diet. This is definitely a food we’ll be looking into for trips away.

We made a beeline for some have-a-go activities. It’s a great opportunity for the dogs to be off-lead for a minute, and they look so cute giving it their all!

Flying through the hay bale course!

Beginners flyball.

Tilly’s top stall was definitely Bybenji with their biltong treats. These gourmet herby beef treats are something I will have to get for our agility sessions, the dogs were shamelessly begging for more!

The poodles approved!

They even had a fun photo frame for a cheeky pose!

I was pleased to see poodles out in force. They are just the sassiest of creatures, I wanted to take them all home!

Tilly and Aurora posing for treats at Vet’s Kitchen.

A necessary purchase. Having heard about how hot it was at Dog Fest North the weekend before, we were intent on keeping the dogs as cool as possible. This included a break in the middle of the day back at the hotel, along with buying some cooling mats from Aquamat. These things work wonders! You simply wet them, and apply to your dog! Tilly stopped panting within minutes of lying on hers.

Siesta time…

We sat down with our friends @_alfiebear and @spaniellife (plus humans!) to hear talks from Chris Packham, and Noel Fitzpatrick, plus music from Annemarie Quinn, who has a beautiful voice.

Alfie looking rather dashing.

My personal highlight of the weekend was meeting Chris Packham. We love watching his wildlife programmes, and he’s as enthusiastic about poodles as we are!

We visited Chris and the team at The Big Tick Project, who had a tent full of dog beds! Miss T also got a free tick check from one of the lovely ladies.

Food for everyone. I was very impressed with the catering options, it isn’t always easy finding vegan options on the go. I bought some lunch from a falafel wrap food truck, so yummy!

Stopping by Elite Hound was a must. I’m seriously in love with their range of couture collars and leads, particularly the rose gold. Mick, their sweet greyhound was helping out for the day, such a precious guy!

Miss T was a very lucky lady, and got to try on a collar. I know what our next little splurge may be!

Modelling, with the help of Mick.

Dog Fest is perfect for meeting up with our dog crazy friends, who are doted all around the country. We even made some new ones!

The gorgeous Ruby of @rubytheboxerdog, giving her best over-the-shoulder-smolder.

Cheeky little Archie, such a delight! @archiesgreatadventures

Goofy Polly of @springador_adventures. The best personality!

The pups kept cool with the help of paddling pools and doggie ice cream.

Pit Pat Poodles. We love Pit Pat and their awesome dog activity monitor. They’d managed to bring a beach to their stand, the dogs were BIG FANS. I did have to stop Tilly from digging the sand up!

The dogs are always so pleased to get some attention, clearly they get none!

Glastonbury-for-dogs. This description could not be more accurate. There is so much to do at Dog Fest, with dog demonstrations, food for all, and even a main stage complete with live music! It’s a hub for all things dog in the UK, is brilliantly run and we’re already looking forward to next year.

The gang: Aurora, Colin, Rhaps, Tilly.

By the end of the second day Tilly was flagging, at this point we decided to make tracks. Apologies to any dogs she told off in her grumpiness! She slept all the way home bless her.

One pooped poodle.

Thanks for reading, did you attend Dog Fest this year? I’d love to know what you thought of it!

I took too many photos for one blog post, lookout for another blog post to see more cute dogs I snapped photos of.

Amy and Tilly