Crufts

1. More than 120,000 dog lovers, together with 20,000 top pedigree dogs, are expected to attend this year's Crufts - the fifth largest in the dog show's history - held at the Birmingham NEC from today until March 9.

2. Each dog is judged on an extensive array of traits peculiar to that breed. For example, the pug should show "charm, dignity and intelligence" and have feet that are "neither so long as the foot of the hare, nor so round as that of the cat. The rottweiler should appear "self-assured and fearless" and its "calm gaze should indicate good humour". To find out more about dogs, here's another webguide.

3. After an illustrious career selling "dog cake" dog biscuits, Charles Cruft ran his first dog show at the Royal Agricultural Hall, in Islington, in 1891. Crufts is now the largest dog show in the world.

4. The late Barbara Woodhouse was famous for her firm handling of dogs and their owners. She said there is no such thing as a difficult dog, just an inexperienced owner. Dogs up and down the country are still subjected to her catchphrase, "Walkies!" every night before a quick hike around the block.

5. The oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who lived for 29 years and five months (that's human years). The UK's oldest canine was a black Labrador gun dog called Adjutant, from Lincolnshire, who lived to the creaky old age of 27 years and three months.

6. In 1957, a mongrel called Laika made history by becoming the first earthling into space. Rounded up from the streets of Moscow, she was sent into orbit in a capsule attached to the end of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The capsule was not designed for recovery and Laika died after a few days in orbit, with the capsule eventually burning up as it fell back to earth.

7. Other famous dogs include Snowy, Tintin's loyal companion; Dogmatix, Obelix's menhir chasing mongrel; and Scooby Doo, the fearful cartoon hound.

8. The correct name for the Mexican hairless dog is "xoloitzcuintli". That's pronounced "show-low-eats-queent-lee", in case you were wondering.

9. It's a dog-eat-dog world, it's raining cats and dogs, you've been working like a dog and you're in the doghouse. There are more doggy cliches in our language than there are fleas on a dog's back.

10. Americans eat more than 20bn hot dogs each year. The snack's name is supposedly derived from German immigrants eating "dachshund sausages" in a bread roll. The overeating of such snacks has contributed to Americans being one of the most obese races in the world - but their canine companions are catching up fast (although not, presumably, though overindulging on hot dogs).