The oldest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years, 5 months for a Queensland 'heeler' called Bluey in Victoria, Australia. The average dog lives to around 15 years of age.
Doggy Facts, The Kennel Club web site

For those who are interested, here are the entries for The Agility Club Show in 2002. We're told these numbers are not unusual for a weekend show in the Mid-South of the country. Bear in mind that dogs were limited to three runs including team and/or pairs so not all eligible dogs were entered in each class.

Elementary

Starters

Mini Intermediate

Intermediate

Senior

Advanced

Championship

Source: Bill Glover

The Kennel Club has announced that the final total number of entries for Crufts 2003 was 22,431, from 21,031 dogs. That is 171 more dogs than last year, making it the fifth largest in Crufts history.

The 2003 show has also attracted an overseas entry of 543 dogs, an all time Crufts record. It is envisaged that this figure will continue to increase each year, as the PETS Travel Scheme gathers momentum and overseas competitors make the journey to the UK to exhibit at the greatest dog show in the world!

Agilitynet Stats

• Busiest month: January 2003 (68,607 requests for pages)

• Busiest week: Week beginning 26 January 2002 (20,490 requests for pages)

• Busiest day of the week: Monday

Dogs Are Good for You - It's a Fact!

The University of Warwick recently reported on research carried out on the benefits of pet ownership to the health of children. It will come as no surprise to you that children from pet owning families spend significantly more time at school than others and have a more stable immune system.

The researchers add a note of caution about the risks of owning a dog - the inevitable bleat about the risk of toxocara infection. While are are all conscious of the need for hygiene, the reality is that any minute risk is far outweighed by the enormous benefits not just to the health of children, as demonstrated by the research, but also the the mental well being that our canine companions bring us.
Source: Kennel Club Gazette (August 2002)

Time for some Interesting Numbers

1. 81cm - Height at the shoulders of the Irish Wolfhound, the tallest dog.

2. 15cm - Height at the should of the Chihuahua, the shortest dog.

3. 329 BC - Year the Saluki, the oldest known breed, is thought to have emerged.

4. 420 - Number of known dog breeds.

5. 400 million - Number of dogs in the world.

6. 400,000 - Number of wolves in the world.

© Time (9 December 2002)

KC Agility Tests

Date                               2002                        2001
30 June                                    117                                 83
31 July                                     153                                121
31 August                                 209                                158
30 September                           240                                200
31 October                               255                                211
31 December                            264                                226

Source: The Kennel Club Gazette

Supa Dogs Super Stats

Description               2002             2001         1997

Entries                     23,723          19,711        9,900
Camping Units              615               463           217
Rings                             10                   8               6
Trade stands                  20                  7               4
Dogs                          3,000+
Clear round rosettes 2,000 approx.

Source: Linda Croxford

Pet Insurance

From a survey conducted by Saga by BMBR 2001

Pets that can expect to visit the vet in a year...    55%

Pet owners who would consider having their
animal put down if faced with a large vet's bill...   28%

Source: Saga Magazine (Summer 2002)

Show Entries 2002

First half 2002

According to June Richardson of Agility Aid, entries to shows are up 10-12% in 2002.

Source: June Richardson of Agility Aid

Pet Accessories & Healthcare

The trend is away from  'high maintenance' animals like dogs and towards cats etc.

The UK pet market is estimated to have been worth £371m in 2001. Much of this growth is attributed to strong performance in the healthcare sector.

Products bought by pet owners in six months prior to Dec 2001 include:-

• Toys - 35%

• Worming medicine - 34%

• Flea collars/powder/spray - 33%

• Collars and leads -20%

• Shampoo/deodorant - 20%

• Feeding/water bowl - 15%

• Bed/basket/bedding - 15%

• Other - 61%

Source: BMRB/Mintel. Base: 524 pet owners (15+)

Dog Food Sales

Food type                                            No. buyers

Branded tinned dog food                             30
Any dog chews                                            27
Branded dry complete dog food                    26
Specialist dry or tinned food                        21
Any dog biscuit/treat                                  20
Supermarket own-label                                17
Dry mixer                                                   15
Premium dry or tinned food                         10
Other                                                         42

Source: Mintel International

Dogs In Need

1. Did you know that Dogs in Need have given over £80,000 to various charities over the last ten years. Early indications from June Richardson at Agility Aid indicate that this years DIN is going to be the biggest yet.

2. Dogs in Need entries are up around 7% in 2002.

Number of Agility Dogs & Shows

Q. Approximately how many agility dogs are there around the world and how many shows?

A. In 2000, there were 261,000 dogs that competed in 877 agility trials in the USA and around the world.

Source: Laughing Dog Press