I took my mum and my leonberger to Goodwoof 2024 and it was a paw-sitively perfect day out

The dog event, which is a beloved annual dog weekend at a popular estate in Chichester, attracts thousands of people and their adorable dogs. I was fortunate enough to bag tickets to Goodwoof 2024 and I took my mum who bought along our family dog, Daisy, who is the size of a miniature pony. As this was my first time at the event, I had no idea what to expect, but when I walked through the gates, I realised that it was going to be a good day.

Before my eyes was a field absolutely filled to the brim with dogs of all sizes, including a lot of puppies, and my heart immediately melted. I obviously knew that there would be a lot of dogs attending the event, but the extent of it blew me away.

Rather than being eager to socialise with the other dogs, Daisy decided that a very big stick was far more interesting as she bolted across a muddy footpath for her stick of choice - almost taking me and my mum down. Once she realised that the day was actually all about her, she quickly warmed up and took a significant interest in the cute golden retriever puppy that instantly wanted to be her friend. As I mentioned, our dog is a leonberger so she is a considerable size in comparison to a puppy - but the interaction was so heartwarming. Rolling to the floor to try and match the puppy’s size, Daisy was in a dog embrace and I hadn’t seen anything cuter.

The entire event was put together so well and it was really lovely walking around and seeing the love between the dogs and their owners - they really are man’s best friend. To make things even better, the weather held out for everyone, apart from a small shower at the start of the day.

There was also a range of free activities to get involved in which was ideal for people on budget. We got a couple of nice pictures taken from partners at the event - free of charge - and it was a really nice touch to be able to take something away with you.

The Ruby Tree, which was near the Goodwood house, was something that choked me and my mum up. The tree was dedicated to dogs that are no longer with us and it gave owners the opportunity to remember them. We hung a ribbon on the tree in memory of our gorgeous golden retriever who sadly died when I was 16. Despite the years that have passed since her leaving us, the love is still as strong and she will always be part of our family - which is why honouring her memory felt so emotional and I know we weren’t the only people getting teary at the remembrance tree. It was lovely to be able to do that for our pup and we were able to take the ribbon home, so it is now on the tree that we planted for her.

After working through the immense emotions, we decided to pay for Daisy to take part in a photoshoot that was organised by Jai Dog Rescue. It was the best thing - she was in a car, looking out of the window with a wind machine blowing her hair. It was hilarious watching her take in her five minutes of fame and thankfully, she didn’t jump out of the car.

I spoke to the team at the Jai Dog Rescue tent and listening to the work they do to try and improve the lives of street dogs over in Thailand is remarkable. They have a farm two hours from Bangkok and the main work they do aims to spay and neuter street dogs to try and control the population of street dogs who tend to suffer. They had dogs at the event that had been rescued by the charity and now have loving homes, and it is incredible to see the outcome of the work they do.

The entire day was full of wholesome experiences and I’m really glad that I got to attend with my mum and Daisy. The combination of the lineup, the doggy agility course, the remembrance tree and the weather remaining glorious made the day a brilliant one and I would definitely recommend taking your dog if you ever get the opportunity.