Penny Sprocker Archives - HodgePodgeDays

Today we went along to the Woolsery Agricultural Show in North Devon. Despite a drizzly start to the day, the sun shone for the most part. We saw the show advertised and on a whim we decided to go along and enter our nine month old pup in the dog show. It was not purely for pedigree pups, but scruffs, crosses and mongrels were welcome to enter too. We entered with no real expectation of success. Penny is a lively pup with fairly uncertain parentage, so we didn’t rate her chances against seasoned, well-groomed pups whose owners knew what they were doing.

Taking part in the Dogs Show at the Woolsery Agricultural Show

There were 15 classes to enter and rosettes would be awarded to the first six placing dogs in each category, with the first place dog from each being put forward to Best in Show.

1. Best Puppy any breed – 6 to 12 months old
2. Best Large breed
3. Best Small breed
4. Best Cross-bred
5. Best Rescue
6. Best Veteran – 8 years and over
7. Best Condition
8. Best Scruff
9. Best Child handler – 12 years and under
10. The waggiest tail
11. The most appealing eyes
12. Best pair (match or mismatch)
13. Prettiest bitch
14. Most Handsome dog
15. The one the judge would most like to take home with them

Taking part in the Dogs Show at the Woolsery Agricultural Show

We entered a few categories, we faced disappointment in Best Puppy. Penny was very nervous as it was her first time in the show ring and showed herself up by hiding from the judge. Undeterred we entered her for the Best Cross-Breed and we were delighted when she came 4th.

We had some time before her next category – Best Scruff came up, so we stretched our legs, explored the Woolsery Agricultural Show, found some lunch and gave Penny a nice cool bowl of water. We were sure she would do well in Best Scruff since she is a big gangly scruffy thing, but we were wrong. She failed to place at all in Best Scruff. Maybe she’s too pretty to be scruffy? A change of plan was required, if she’s too pretty to be scruffy, should we enter her in the Prettiest Bitch category?

Reader, we did just that. After some deliberation, we were astonished when the judge handed us the 1st rosette. Penny is the prettiest bitch in Devon (or at least the prettiest bitch entered in that category at the Woolsery Agricultural Show). We were absolutely delighted!

Taking part in the Dogs Show at the Woolsery Agricultural Show

Because we’d come first in Prettiest Bitch, we were put forward for Best in Show. We were certain she wouldn’t win that one and we were right. There was stiff competition, with some dogs there being proper pedigree show dogs, as well as a small collection of scruffs and mutts. We were happy just to be there.

We were thrilled, we hadn’t expected to come away with any rosettes, but to come home with a 1st and a 4th was amazing. We’d only gone because we thought it would be a fun thing to do and it really was. Have we got the dog show bug? Probably, but we have got some work to do before next year!

In December last year we welcomed a new addition, Penny the sprocker puppy. Despite the date of her arrival, she was not a Christmas present, she was a much longed for member of our family. When she arrived she was so tiny, a little dot of a thing who moved at lightening speed. She quickly made herself at home and now, aged nearly 8 months we can’t imagine life without her.

She’s cheeky, greedy and rambunctious, but a great friend to us all. When we first got her she was so tiny we couldn’t find a dog collar to fit her, so for her first few months with us she wore a cat collar with a bell on it. The bell was actually quite helpful as she had a habit of getting under your feet when you don’t expect it. I miss that bell.

Naturally she grew out of her tiny cat collar and needed something a bit more suited to her handsome doggy features.

Review - Meg Heath Dog Leads & Collars

Meg Heath Dog Leads, are a small, independent business based in Lincolnshire. They specialise in making bespoke handmade dog leads, collars and harnesses as well as long lines, training leads, webbing leads, collars, head collars and their unique car safety lead. All of their products are made from soft, strong and durable cushion web.

Meg Heath Dog leads is owned and run by Sarah Greave, a dog owner and canine rescuer with over 11 years experience in crafting quality, durable, handmade collars and leads.

Review - Meg Heath Dog Leads & Collars

The Meg Heath website is really simple to use. I knew what I wanted, a simple collar and a sturdy lead to walk Penny. I knew from our previous collar we needed an extra loop to hang her tag on the collar. This is called a double tag collar, it saves you trying to figure out where to hook the tag. Although she is micro-chipped I still think it’s worth having a dog tag on her, just in case.

When you order your collar and lead from Meg Heath, you can choose from a number of options. There is a whole rainbow of colours to choose from as well as size and finish options. We went for red as she’s always worn a red collar, but I’m slightly regretful I didn’t go for something a bit different. Next time I will be braver.

Review - Meg Heath Dog Leads & Collars

It cost £12.99 for the collar I wanted. I thought this was excellent value as I’ve seen collars which are much more expensive in pet shops which don’t match the quality and the finish of our new Meg Heath one.

I liked that Penny’s collar had a nice sturdy clip. There’s nothing worse that trying to undo an old fashioned buckle on a wet collar worn by a wriggling dog. The collar was soft and easy to adjust and she looked very smart indeed.

I opted for a matching lead. Although there are a number of different styles of lead available on the Meg Heath website, we just wanted a plain lead to walk her with. If you’ve got a dog who pulls or needs a training lead, or perhaps a special safety lead for in the car, Meg Heath have all of these options and more.

The dog lead we chose cost £11.90 and was made to the same high standards as the collar. This was a simple lead with an O ring on the handle. The O ring makes it easier to put over your shoulder while your dog is off the lead.

Review - Meg Heath Dog Leads & Collars

The lead was very comfortable to hold, sometimes I find dog leads to be quite abrasive in my hand, but this was fine and it was very comfortable to walk her with.

Meg Heath Dog Leads & Collars – The Verdict

We were very impressed with the quality of the Meg Heath Dog leads and collars. They are very well made, the fixtures are smooth and snag free and they seem comfortable for Penny to wear and are comfortable for us to walk her with too.

The collar and lead look very smart and are easy to keep clean. We are all happy with her new collar and lead and we’d recommend them if you’re looking for a well made, comfortable collar and lead for your dog.

For more information about Meg Heath dog leads and collars, visit their website.

Note: We were sent the dog lead and collar from Meg Heath for review. All images and opinions are our own. Our images may not be used without our permission.