Pooches from across the borough will switch their regular walks along the Thames for an arena in Birmingham this week, as they do their best to be crowned a winner at Crufts.

Dog owners from Elmbridge have been working hard to help their four-legged friends prepare for the highlight in a show dog’s calendar before the competition begins on Thursday, March 6.

From pugs and affenpinschers to border terriers and Gordon setters, a range of breeds will be represented at the four-day Kennel Club event.

Liz Ede, 66, from Walton, enters her two Gordon setters into Crufts again, with two-and-a-half-year-old Marty and seven-year-old Megan being shown on the final day of the competition.

Mrs Ede has been breeding the dogs since 1986 and has welcomed a number of litters over the years.

She said: “Sometimes you would only have one or two [puppies]. The biggest litter I had was 11, but the last two lots have been eight. It is a lot of mouths to feed.”

Mrs Ede described the breed as “very energetic” and “lovely and beautiful dogs”.

Last year, Marty finishes second at Crufts, gaining automatic entry into this year’s competition, while Megan was entered because she is in the Kennel Club’s stud book.

Mrs Ede said: “I love the competing and meeting all my friends. I am showing Marty’s brother as well who lives in Hampshire. They are big dogs to show and his owner is getting quite elderly so I am showing him for her. I am really looking forward to it.

“I think we have got a record number of entries, of about 200 for the breed, which is very big. We have one judge who has to judge all of the dogs, so it is quite difficult. If it is over 200, normally they are split into dogs and bitches.”

To see how the boroughs show dogs fair, Crufts is being shown on Channel 4 and More 4 from Thursday, March 6 to Sunday, March 9.