Crufts 2026 in Pictures: 26 adorable photos from the first day of the world's biggest dog show

Day one saw the judging for the pastoral and working dog categories - and lots more canine fun.

The world’s biggest and best dog show is now underway, with almost 20,000 pups expected to make their way to the 136th year of Crufts.

The event dates back to 1886 when a Charles Cruft - the manager of a dog biscuit factory - organised ‘The First Great Terrier Show’, with around 600 dogs taking part.

The show continued to grown in popularity after Charles Cruft’s death in 1938, with entries of over 10,000 until it was interrupted by the arrival of the Second World War.

It returned in 1948 under the stewardship of the Kennel Club for the first time and the 1950 show London’s Olympia was televised for the first time by the BBC, with a record entry of 13,211 dogs.

The first Obedience Championships were held in 1955, which was also the first year working sheepdogs were invited to Crufts.

Agility was introduced as a demonstration in 1978, becoming an official part of the event in 1980, with Rescue Dog Agility added in 2000, and an international invitational competition arriving in 2001.

Flyball was introduced in 1990, when the Kennel Club also started to campaign for responsible dog ownership with the addition of the ‘Discover Dogs’ area’ to Crufts.

Last year saw a Whippet named Miuccia crowned Best in Show and all eyes will be on which perfect pooch will follow in his pawsteps.

Yesterday saw two prospective winners crowned the best in their respective groups - with Tibetan Mastiff Dzhozias Viking crowned the best of the working dogs and a Welsh Corgi called Bill Me Later triumphing in the pastoral category.

Here are 26 pictures of the first day.

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