Thousands descend on Cheshire's Arley Hall for DogFest 2017

Packed full of amazing displays, activities, expert advice, shopping, music and much more - my partner, my dogs and I weren't left bored as the beautiful grounds were a hub of activity from start to finish.

Popular presenter Noel Fitzpatrick hosted a live show over the weekend, revealing the latest advances in the veterinary profession and recounting heart-warming tales and success stories from past shows.

He also marked the start of the show's Great Dog Walk sponsored by Big Tick - a charity walk around the grounds of Arley Hall on Sunday, June 18. Thousands joined with their four-legged friend on both a 2km and 4km jaunt in aid of The Humanimal Trust.

There were a variety of brand new activities for the 2017 show such as the option to camp for the weekend and make a holiday of the event, the Great Dog Run, Dogs Monthly's Dogs with Jobs arena that showcased the amazing abilities of working dogs, and the ROYAL CANIN® Chill Out Area - a feature that became critical to the weekend with scorching temperatures leaving many patrons suffering.

Wellbeing is at the centre of everything DogFest do - with various stall attendees providing paddling pools and water bowls for overheating pooches, demonstrations being halted as staff joined in the effort and K9 Aqua Sports dog diving activity providing a much-needed fun relief for dogs and owners alike.

The Natural Instinct Agility Ring held have-a-go sessions throughout the day to see if your dog had what it takes to become the next dog star - and the Drontal & Advantage Dogs Activity Ring was jam-packed with jaw-dropping displays including Flyball, Giant Dog Agility and death-defying fire hoop stunts. Shows were performed with a more laid-back approach concerning the heat, with dogs only performing once a being kept in cool conditions for the remainder of their stay.

DogFest has many activities just for dogs to enjoy instead of their owners - our dogs particularly loved Temptation Alley and surprisingly ignored the treats their to distract them, and also enjoyed having a professional photoshoot with Bartley Portrait Studios who treated our dogs like royalty.

Other activities for dogs included the raucously-fun Hay Bale Races and the MORE TH>N School For Dogs which successfully made the daunting task of training your dog fun. The school included a session with expert trainer and Birtain's Got Talent finalist Lucy Heath, an entertaining and informative session filled with handy tips and tricks.

The Top Dog Ring held various competitions throughout the day for everyone to enter - such as Best looking Male and Female Dog, Celeb Lookalikes, Best Rescure Dog, My Dogs Got Talent and more . These competitions aimed to include all and celebrate the beauty of dogs rather than pit them against each other, adding to the family-friendly aura the event emanated.

Hundreds of stalls littered the grounds of Arley Hall with everything from leads to gourmet dog biscuits, dog bath robes to elegant costumes - all with expert sellers to advise patrons on what items would best suit their dog's needs. Various healthcare professionals were also in attendance to educate owners on different aspects of dog healthcare such as the Big Tick Project and the ROYAL CANIN® Weight Management Zone where dogs were treated to the extremely popular Healthy Weight Checks and provided with hand-tailored advice.

Fun for all the family with dogs firmly at the heart of what they dog - DogFest Cheshire was the perfect day out for man's best friend with a variety of attractions and stalls.

DogFest heads to Knebworth House in Hertfordshire from June 24 to 25.

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