PETPLAN, the UK’s largest pet insurance provider, has been delighted by the success of their Forum, which was launched at Crufts 2005.

The Petplan Forum Seminars, which were supported by Our Dogs weekly newspaper, were specifically designed to give breeders the opportunity to learn more about the breeding and caring for dogs from a number of prominent experts in the field. The subjects covered a wide variety of topics and each was hotly debated by speakers and audiences alike.

Gyles Haverty PR and Events Executive for Petplan said: “We wanted to offer something a bit different to enhance the breeder’s experience at Crufts. This was the first time we had offered the Forum and we have been delighted by the feedback we have received from attendees”.
Andrew Brace gave a lively and informative seminar called, “Selecting a puppy to win”, which helped breeders to identify the puppy with those special qualities that will appeal to the judges when they are in the show ring.

Liz Stannard, Secretary of the Leeds Championship Dog Show, examined whether judges or breeders improved a breed. Liz examined the contribution made by both parties in her seminar.
Meg Purnell-Carpenter, who runs a busy quarantine kennel, shared her expert knowledge in a seminar on travelling overseas with dogs. As more and more people are travelling abroad with their animals, be it for dog shows or family holidays, Meg provided tips to help make those journeys as trouble free as possible.

David Cavill, publisher of Our Dogs, Our Cats and Dogs Monthly, ran a seminar on breeding good dogs. For many years David and his wife Angela have ranked amongst Britain’s top dog breeders. David’s seminar explained the secrets of their success.

Veterinary consultant, Heather Briggs, ran a fascinating seminar on emergency first-aid and passed on some invaluable tips to the audience for dealing with emergencies when time can be a matter of life or death.

In her seminar titled “Finding the right breed for you”, Margaret Wildman, who has bred champions in six breeds and is a group judge, helped prospective buyers choose the breed that matches their temperament and lifestyle.

According to Gyles Haverty, “The topical subjects, combined with the interactive element of the Forum, proved a winning combination for all that attended. A great deal of time and effort was put into making sure that the speakers and topics were the right ones.

Petplan chose prominent experts to deliver the talks and we were delighted to have been able to provide an opportunity for breeders to go home with a new perspective on important and topical issues”.