PEDIGREE dogs from across the country will be putting their best paws forward when the world’s biggest dog show gets under way today.

And a large contingent from East Lancashire will be among those making the trip to the NEC Birmingham for the four-day Crufts show.

Among them will be retired wholesale florists Jackie and Michael Day from Whalley who will be showing their beloved Afghan Hounds for the 37th year in a row.

Jackie, 61, and Michael, 67, of Clitheroe Road, have been competing at Crufts since 1978 and will be joined this year by Champion Scented Britta Staffan at Khorinyas (imported from Finland) and Jhanzi-T-Sterlin at Khorinyas (import from New Zealand).

Jackie, whose dogs are cousins, said dog shows were her main passion.

She said: “We just enjoy it and it is nice to be able to do it as a family.“We have been all over the place to shows in all different countries. It is a way of life for us.”

At 25, Colne police officer Sian Hindle is one of the youngest competitors at Crufts and this year she will take her three pugs Teaseltail Priscilla White at Readstone, Readstone Puggy Princess and Dallonsnowbele Princess at Readstone.

Sian, of Hambleton View in Read, had ridden horses since she was four and started off at horse shows but moved on to dogs when work commitments got in the way.

She said: “My time was taken up by work, so I went into dogs and now spend even more time doing it.

“I don’t know what it is about it that I like so much. I love dogs and I also like the social side of it.”

Sian said she prepared for the competition by trying to get her pugs as fit as possible.

She said: “We have to make sure they are really fit and get them good muscle tone.

“Pugs are the best. They have the best temperament and are the easiest dogs to live with – and they are beautiful.”

Vet Laura Steel will take time out from operating at Springfield Vets to show her four Ibizan hounds.

Laura, 44, of Milking Lane, Lower Darwen, has high hopes for Beryique Bid For Gold at Alanaura and his two children Snow Lief Speed of Love with Alanaura and Snow Lief Carress of Steel from Alanaura, as well as promising Norwegian import Rosenhill’s La-Tosca with Alanaura.

She said: “I have been showing dogs now for more than 15 years.

“A friend of mine had shown dogs for years and I never had but she had a dog that was just jumping up and down and not behaving, so she asked me to have a go.

“He was good as gold for me and I got second out of 13.

“I’ve been in love with it ever since then.”“I waited five years for my first Ibizan hound as there are only a couple of hundred in the country.”