It's a Dog's Life! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Visit people in hospitals

Pets As Therapy (PAT) continues to be one of the UK's most impactful volunteer-led charities, connecting trained therapy dogs and cats with people in need of comfort and companionship. As of 2025, over 7,000 locations, including hospitals, care homes, schools, and community centres, receive regular visits from PAT teams, reaching more than 272,000 individuals annually.

Each animal undergoes rigorous temperament assessments to ensure they're calm, obedient, and well-suited for therapeutic work. These visits are designed to reduce stress, ease loneliness, and bring joy, especially in settings where emotional support is vital. Programs like Read2Dogs also help children build literacy and confidence by reading aloud to a non-judgmental canine listener.

PAT's mission remains rooted in the belief that unconditional love from animals can foster healing, connection, and joy in even the most challenging circumstances.

Answer: It has been taken from a poor background and rehomed with me

In Britain, the term 'rescue' is widely understood among working dog owners, though it can still surprise newcomers. It refers to dogs that have been rehomed after coming from difficult or neglected backgrounds, often surrendered to shelters or abandoned by owners who didn't value them.

Many of these dogs, despite lacking pedigree papers, go on to excel in agility and other disciplines, showing remarkable loyalty, drive, and intelligence. Unlike some European countries where pedigree status is required for competition, the UK allows crossbreeds to participate, making it a more inclusive environment for ex-rescues to thrive.

Rescue centres across the UK follow strict protocols before rehoming dogs. They ensure every animal is spayed or neutered to prevent further breeding and conduct thorough home checks to confirm the suitability of the new environment. These measures help reduce the cycle of abandonment and ensure that dogs are placed in homes where they'll be safe, supported, and loved.

Answer: Good Citizens Award

If you're looking for a way to show that your dog is well-behaved both at home and out in the community, the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme is the UK's gold standard. It's open to all dogs, whether pedigree, crossbreed, rescue, or working, and focuses on practical, everyday obedience. The scheme is designed to promote responsible dog ownership and help dogs become polite, confident companions in real-world settings.

There are three progressive levels:
1. Bronze covers the basics, like walking on a loose lead, staying calm around other dogs, and responding to simple commands.
2. Silver builds on that with more advanced control, including recall and road safety.
3. Gold is the highest level, testing your dog's reliability, focus, and manners in more complex situations.

Training clubs across the UK offer classes and assessments, and many rescue centres encourage new owners to take part. It's about building a strong bond with your dog and giving them the skills to thrive in everyday life. You can find full details, including training resources and club listings, on the Kennel Club website.

Answer: Crufts

The dog show, Crufts, is a celebration of canine excellence, diversity, and companionship that has captured the hearts of dog lovers for over a century. Founded in 1891 by Charles Cruft, the event has grown from a modest exhibition into a global phenomenon, drawing competitors and spectators from around the world.

Crufts remains the most prestigious dog show in Britain and arguably the world. Originally held in London, the show moved to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull, West Midlands in 1991. It spans four days of championship competitions, agility trials, working dog displays, and trade stalls.

One of its prominent features is Discover Dogs, a dedicated area where visitors can meet representatives of popular breeds and speak with experienced owners about what each breed is like to live with. This helps potential dog owners make informed decisions before choosing a pet.

Answer: all of these

At Crufts, crossbreeds are welcome to compete in a range of non-pedigree events including agility, flyball, and heelwork to music. These disciplines focus on skill, teamwork, and performance rather than breed standards, making them open to dogs of all backgrounds. In fact, crossbreeds regularly shine in these high-energy competitions. While pedigree dogs dominate the breed judging rings, Crufts celebrates all dogs through its inclusive performance events.

Beyond competition, Crufts also features live demonstrations from working and assistance dogs. Visitors can watch Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, fire and police sniffer dogs, Good Citizen Award dogs, and many others showcasing their training and roles in public service. The event offers a broad spectrum of canine activities, highlighting the versatility, intelligence, and value of dogs across all walks of life, not just the show ring.

Answer: a team relay race to retrieve tennis balls

Flyball is a high-energy relay race where two teams of four dogs compete side by side. Each dog runs down a lane over a series of low hurdles, triggers a spring-loaded box that releases a tennis ball, grabs the ball, and races back over the jumps to the start. As soon as one dog finishes, the next is released. Timing is critical, and clean handovers can make or break a race. The sport is judged electronically, with sensors and lights confirming whether each run is valid or needs to be repeated.

Team strategy plays a huge role in flyball. Dogs must turn tightly at the box to save time, handlers must catch returning dogs quickly to prevent chaos, and the crossover timing between dogs must be razor-sharp. You'll often see flyball at major events like Crufts, where it's a crowd favourite thanks to its speed, noise, and sheer excitement. It's open to all breeds and crossbreeds, making it one of the most inclusive and thrilling dog sports around.

Answer: at a country or hunting show

A scurry is a fast-paced retrieving competition typically seen at country fairs, game fairs, or hunting shows. It's designed for dogs with strong retrieval instincts, especially gundogs, but any dog with the drive to fetch can take part. The setup usually involves a fenced-off area filled with natural or artificial cover like long grass, hay bales, tunnels, or wooden obstacles. Several canvas dummies, about eight inches (20.32) long and filled with sand or similar material, are hidden throughout the course.

Dogs run individually, racing to find and retrieve all the dummies as quickly as possible. The winner is the dog with the fastest clean run. Scurries test not just speed, but focus, scenting ability, and the dog's bond with their handler. You can see them at rural events where working dog skills are celebrated, and they're a great way for pet owners to get involved in light-hearted competition without needing formal training or pedigree status.

Answer: all of these

Dog rescue centres and sanctuaries in Britain are funded through a mix of public donations, adoption fees, and sometimes legacy gifts left in wills. Some larger organisations receive support from high-profile patrons or national campaigns, while smaller centres often rely on local fundraising and community goodwill. When someone adopts a dog, they usually pay a fee that helps cover the cost of vaccinations, microchipping, neutering, and care, but this fee rarely covers the full expense of rehabilitation and rehoming.

Sanctuaries typically operate on a no-kill basis, meaning they won't euthanise healthy animals unless there's a serious safety risk. Other rescue centres may have to make difficult decisions based on resources and the likelihood of successful rehoming. Sadly, many potential adopters still focus on puppies or young dogs, overlooking older pets who are often well-trained, gentle, and in need of a second chance, especially when their previous owner has passed away. These senior dogs can make exceptional companions and are a vital part of the rescue landscape.

Answer: the poodle coat is nonallergenic and doesn't shed

Many families choose poodle crossbreeds, like Labradoodles, Cockapoos, and Cavapoos, because they hope to combine the best traits of both parent breeds. One of the most common reasons is the poodle coat, which is low-shedding and often described as 'hypoallergenic', though no dog is truly allergen-free. Poodles are also highly intelligent and trainable, which makes them appealing as part of a crossbreed. These traits, combined with the popularity of designer dogs, have led to a surge in poodle mixes across the UK.

However, this trend raises important concerns. Not all puppies in a litter inherit the poodle coat, and those that don't may be harder to sell, raising ethical questions about breeding practices and the fate of less 'marketable' dogs. Poodles themselves come in three sizes (Toy, Miniature, and Standard), offering plenty of variety for different households.

However, they're clever, energetic dogs that need mental stimulation and regular grooming, especially if they have the signature curly coat. Owners drawn to the idea of a cute, non-shedding dog may not realise the commitment involved. A bored poodle or a bored poodle mix will find its own entertainment, and it might not be what the owner had in mind.

Answer: any or all of these

In the UK, spotting a stray dog happens, and knowing what to do matters. The dog might be genuinely lost, abandoned, or simply escaped from a nearby garden. If you see one, the safest approach is to keep an eye on it without getting too close, especially if it seems nervous or reactive. Your priority should be keeping the dog safe from traffic and alerting the right people. You can contact the local dog warden, a nearby rescue centre, or animal control services, who are trained to handle these situations.

While it's tempting to intervene directly, not all dogs are friendly with strangers, and approaching them could escalate the situation. Still, many dog lovers carry treats or a spare lead just in case. It's a quiet act of readiness that reflects how deeply we care. If your own dog ever went missing, you'd hope someone would stop, notice, and help. That's the spirit behind responsible action: protect the dog, alert the right people, and never just walk on by.