10 weird and wonderful things you can buy for your dog at Crufts
As dog lovers and their pooches descend on the famous Crufts dog show, there are plenty of opportunities for owners to treat their dogs to a new toy, snack, or accessory.
With hundreds of trade stands offering everything from tasty treats to high-tech toothbrushes, there's something for every dog owner and every budget.
We've picked out 10 of the most weird and wonderful items that we think are unique. Here's the best of the bunch.
1. Diamond Dogs: luxury collars
This luxury brand run by Joanne Mahon offers stylish collars, leads, and accessories for the most fashionable of pooches. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but who says they can't also be a dog's?
The company has a long history of designing for fashion houses, including Hugo Boss and Paul Smith, as well as making pieces for celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Elton John, David Bowie, Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez.
That's not forgetting Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Streisand, Duran Duran, and the patronage of UK and foreign royalty.
For over 18 years, they designed costumes for the London production of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Starlight Express and they have also created pieces for the musical Cats.
Their items have also appeared in English National Opera productions and Hollywood films. Their latest commission was for a pair of cheetahs who featured in Sir Ridley Scott’s film, The Counselor, starring Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz.
With illustrious clientele, these accessories carry a larger prize tag. A range of the Swarovski crystal-embedded collars were reduced at the show to £80 - a half price offer, while bespoke creations range from £180 to £400.
2. Perfect Pawtraits: a special portrait
Britain is known as a nation of dog lovers, and Perfect Pawtraits offers owners the chance to turn their beloved pet into a special portrait.
All you need to do is upload a picture of your dog and pick it a quirky outfit, and you'll get your own picture of them as a king, princess, or Peaky Blinder.
As well as portraits, you can get the image of your dog on a variety of products such as mugs, dog bowls and coasters.
Prices vary per product with portraits ranging from £150 to £250.
3. BooDoggo: bamboo drying robes.
Dogs love the chance to run around outside in all kinds of weather, but they're not as much a fan of getting wet.
Nicola Sandys decided to make her own solution in the form of sustainable drying robes made from soft bamboo, the equivalent of a dressing gown.
The robes are soft and come in a variety of aesthetically pleasing colours, all of which are made and manufactured in Loughborough.
The outfit includes an adjustable and extendable snood with a hanging loop, an opening for a lead attachment, and an adjustable fit at the waist.
Robes range from £46 to £69 depending on the size.
4. Donut Dudes: vegan treats for dogs
You could mistake these vegan dog treats for items you'd find in a patisserie or the cake aisle of a supermarket.
Donut Dude treats are completely vegan, with no meat, dairy products, honey, or butter included.
These dog snacks are the definition of fun: they're bright, colourful, and have cute edible decorations in the form of pigs, ducks, and dinosaurs.
We're told that one of them even tastes like a Greggs sausage roll, but you'd have to take their word for it as our reporter wasn't going to taste it.
These treats come in at four for £10 or 10 for £20.
5. Emma Pet: ultrasound toothbrush
Dental health is a pivotal but often overlooked facet of canine wellbeing. Emma Pet's ultrasound toothbrush promises a holistic, calming treatment for dogs which will also get rid of tartar and impurities.
While it looks like an electric toothbrush, the brush itself does not move or vibrate, meaning it is less likely to scare your pooch.
This is intended to be initially used weekly, and later every six to eight weeks.
6. The AMAZEbrush
When you have a pet, you find fur everywhere. On your clothes, in your bed, sometimes even in your food. There's no way around it.
The Amazebrush calls itself the world's most effective lint and pet hair remover, easily brushing away fur as well as removing pills from clothing.
It can be used on any material or furniture excluding leather, with none of the fur or material brushed away sticking to the brush itself.
The brush costs £12 for one or £20 for two and comes with a two year warranty.
7. Roses Top Dog: dog grooming dryer brush
These dog brushes are the canine equivalent of a Dyson hairdryer: brushing and drying the fur as you comb your dog.
This saves the hassle of holding a brush in one hand and a hairdryer in the other, as well as the bonus of not having the loud noise of a regular hairdryer.
Roses Top Dog also sells an infrared therapy and drying brush, which promotes a positive regrowth of hair and cell reformation. The company also claims it is good for joints, muscles and tendons.
The brushes are on offer at Crufts currently, with the dryer brush selling at £20, reduced from £40, while the infrared brush is reduced to £15 from £50.
8. Kong Squeezz Jels
These are vibrant, animal-shaped characters that squeak and bounce in equal measure. Ideal for throwing, tugging, fetching as well as interactive play, they can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors.
Made from durable non-toxic materials, this is a great addition to your dog’s toy chest.
These cost £4.50 for a small toy and £7.50 for a large.
9. TastyBone: flavoured nylon treats
These nylon bones are infused with flavours including cheese, chocolate, T-bone steak, and peanut butter.
Other exotic flavours that you won't often see on the dog toy market include apple pie, beef wellington, fish 'n' chips, and chicken tikka.
These bright, imaginative toys claim to remain tasty for the entire lifetime of the product, while promoting strong and healthy teeth.
TastyBone only uses human consumption grade flavours with no animal content, salt, sugar, additives or preservatives.
The bones are made from tough, durable virgin nylon with natural flavour which have not been recycled.
Even the Royal Corgis approve! TastyBone was recognised for its worldwide expansion and export growth by being honoured with the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category 2017.
The bones range from £3.50 to £20 in price.
10. Webbox Easter Egg for dogs
Last but not least, why should dogs have to miss out on all the Easter fun? Chocolate is toxic to dogs and should not be fed to them in any circumstances, which is why these eggs are made from carob.
A dog-friendly alternative to chocolate, the egg can be used as a treat or reward and should be broken down into bite-size pieces as part of a balanced diet.
A standard egg is £3.80 while a collection of treasure hunt eggs costs £5.
