Dog of the Year Awards 2024
The awards recognise exceptional dogs who enrich our lives whether that's through being a fantastic working dog, companion or just for having the waggiest tail.
MEET OUR 2024
Dog of the Year Winners
This year we had our highest ever number of nominations, our fantastic judges created their shortlists and you voted in the thousands to crown all our 2024 Dog of the Year Winners!
Thank you so much to everyone for getting involved, it's been amazing to put so many amazing dogs in the spotlight and give them so very well earned prizes!
Make sure to come back for an even bigger awards in 2025!
SERVICE DOG OF THE YEAR
Alfie
Breed: Labrador
Age: 7
Alfie is the helping hand to an owner who lives with complex, life limiting conditions.
He knows how to get help when she needs it and assists her every single day with even the smallest tasks that most would take for granted.
When he's not hard at work, he's there as a best friend, support, cuddle partner and provides a huge amount of love to his owner.
Even for those that are just visiting Alfie he's always there to provide a wagging tail, a big smile and lots of slobbery kisses.
A true hero, he's also been awarded as our DOG OF THE YEAR CHAMPION!
FARM DOG OF THE YEAR
Stitch
Breed: Border Collie
Age: 7
Stitch can do it all, from working on the farm to being the best family pet!
He can help around the house with daily chores but at the same time is incredibly smart and a fabulous sheepdog. He's great with all the animals on the farm big & small.
Happiest when zooming around the fields all day or spending days off at the beach with his furry baby brother Forest.
COMPETING DOG OF THE YEAR
Ben Nevis
Breed: Leonberger
Age: 14 Months
'Nevis' has been showing for only 8 months and has already started stacking up the rosettes.
He's achieved Best Puppy in Breed and Best of Breed many times. He's also had placings in Working Group and won Working Group 1st place twice!
His owner is also new to showing, and together they've had to learn so much in just a short space of time. He gets comments at every show they attend about how much he's enjoying himself in the ring and is always the happiest and liveliest boy.
We know one day he's going to be a champ!
RESCUE DOG OF THE YEAR
Nora
Breed: Kokoni Cross
Age: 7
Nora had come to the UK all the way from Romania, but was rejected by the original family who brought her here, luckily she found a home with her loving new owners.
After settling in she started to show her true character, as many rescue dogs need a little time to decompress.
She loves a cuddle, jumping around and is a huge poser in front of the camera!
She's the most popular dog at doggy daycare and her favourite spot at home is right on top of the sofa... perfect for making sure she gets all the fuss.
A fantastic sister to her rescue sister Luna, she tells her she loves her with a big loud "AWOOOO!"
GUN DOG OF THE YEAR
Smudge
Breed: Flat-coated Retriever
Age: 2
A dog willing to learn anything he's challenged to.
Described as a dream to work with, he has been performing like a superstar!
In just 2 years he's gained his Good Citizen Bronze + Silver (Gold coming soon!). He came 2nd at his Gundog assesment day in 2023 and 1st place in 2024. He's completed level 1 Flat-coated Retriever (WFCRDP) working development and won Novice dog in the inter country team challenge... a very busy day!
FAMILY DOG OF THE YEAR
Holly
Breed: Unknown
Age: 12
Holly is the gentlest dog around. She joined her current family almost 4 years ago as their very first dog and has set the standards for any furry future family members very high!
She has a lovely temperament, loves to snuggle her toys and really is a princess.
She's had a tough year in and out the vets, with a mass on her bowel being the cause of her pain. An older girl that deserves a little moment in the spotlight after bringing so much joy for 12 years!
Meet Our Judging Panel
We've pulled together a fantastic panel of judges to review all the nominations.
They will each choose their top 2 dogs to be shortlisted for each category. Not only are our judging panel huge dog lovers, they are Benyfit Natural ambassadors and each have their own vast experience working with or spending time with dogs.
Dog of the Year FAQs
Can I enter multiple categories?
Absoloutely! We know that some dogs may fit into multiple categories so we encourage you to enter them into as many as you'd like.
You can also enter multiple dogs into the same category
How are awards judged?
After our initial nominations stage all our judges will deliberate each category and choose their shortlist finalists per category. We'll then get together as a group to decide the final 6 per category.
Once we have our final 6 we will open public voting and the winners in each category will be voted for by you!
Once winners of each category are announced, there will then be a chance for each of winners to be voted for as the ultimate 'Dog of the Year 2024'.
What if I can't make the photo shoot day?
We would love for our overall 'Dog of the Year' to become the face of Benyfit Natural, however understand you may not be able to make the date of our next photoshoot.
When is the photoshoot?
Our overall winner of Dog of the Year 2024 will be invited to our next photoshoot. The exact date is to be confirmed, however is expected to take place in late 2024 or early 2025, we will contact you closer to the time to discuss details.
The shoot will be located near Uckfield in East Sussex. We will cover transportation costs, you'll get a goody bag to take home and access to all the images from the day.
