The Four Legged Foodies guide to Dogfest 2024
Forget Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading - those festivals are just too noisy and have one major flaw - they have nothing for dogs!
That's where DogFest comes in! This fabulous series of festivals for dogs celebrates its 10th year in 2024 and we have been huge fans since the very first one.
DogFest has grown over the 10 years and now dogs from all over the England can enjoy the show with the choice of 7 locations in Surrey, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Bristol, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire.
Visit DogFest to check out the dates.
What we love about DogFest is that there really is something for every dog.
You can get expert advice from the behaviour zone, enter one of the many fun dog shows or have a go at one of the fun activities. Our favourite is the hay bale race even though we're not very good at it!
Each show has a schedule of breed meet-ups where you can find lots of dogs that look just like you and the humans can swap stories and share tips. This is particularly useful if you are the human of a naughty terrier!
The breed meet up schedules are available on the DogFest website now under What's On.
Many of the retailers and sponsors also have activities you can take part in.
We visited Wisdom Panel to find out if Nacho was definitely a Norfolk Terrier. The vets there can take your DNA (quick mouth swab) on the day and a few days later you will receive a comprehensive report on your genetics, any possible health problems and even a list of relatives that they have on their records.
Nacho is hoping to meet up with his half brother very soon.
It goes without saying that our favourite part is the shopping (tell your humans to take a large bag) where you can find anything and everything your heart desires.
Each show has a whole host of vendors, some of which will be local pet businesses, some larger that attend all 7 shows. There is no list of retailers on the website so our advice is to follow the #dogfest on Instagram.
If you have some favourite companies, contact them directly and ask if they will be at any of the shows this year.
The shows raise money for Dogs Trust and the charity also host their Dog School at the event.
You can book a 15-minute group training session where you will learn some top tips and new skills, including how to make your training fun and rewarding for you and your dog!
