Strathmore dog trainer ranked among top in the world at Crufts

After two months of hard work, fundraising and lots of puppy love, local dog trainer Jennifer Fraser and her pup Daiquiri made the trek all the way to Crufts 2022 in Birmingham, England.  

Crufts is one of the largest dog competitions across the Globe and it was a dream come true for Fraser.  

“Well, it has been a great experience. The whole travelling part is what stressed me out the most, but once I got there that went away and then the nerves got to me, which was unbelievable because I thought that I'd be used to that by now. 

Fraser was the only entry from Canada in the heelwork to music competition and had started a GoFundMe account that raised over $2,500 to help with travel expenses to get to Crufts.   

“Once I got on the stage and it was just me and Daiquiri, the routine was just a joy. It was so fun and so easy and he was so responsive, nothing fazed him. He just wanted to do his job and he wanted to have fun playing with me.” 

Fraser said that Daiquiri nailed the most difficult parts of the routine, “I was just so happy that he did that and he did it fluently and I was able to be his partner in a true sense and not mess him up and just let him do his thing.” 

Daiquiri really gave the judges a run for their money as he and Fraser ended up tying for first place in a competition with over 10 competitors.  

“I think that's pretty unbelievable, seeing how I had never competed before in freestyle, and I had only eight weeks to get my routine together and I placed first.” 

In the end, Fraser was awarded second place, as the judges took musical interpretation into consideration because there was a tie. Daiquiri and Fraser danced together to Dolly Parton’s Cracker Jack for their freestyle entry. A video of them competing has gotten traction online and has led to Fraser possibly staying in Europe a little longer than expected.  

"I was supposed to fly home tomorrow, but apparently people in Europe are very interested in hearing how I train, how I put together routines, how I make everything flow and they see something that they like and want to learn that because they want to better themselves in the sport.” 

In addition to sharing her knowledge, she has also been invited to the Purina Challenge Cup in Chile. 

“Obviously I wanted to challenge myself at Crufts, it was a dream come true, but the long-term goal was to get myself and my dogs out there and open other doors for us.” 

Fraser said that competing at Crufts was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she thanks all who donated to her GoFundMe to help get her to Birmingham for the competition.  

Watch Fraser and Daiquiri perform at Crufts below!