A TOP dog has made his owner proud after winning awards at a world famous dog show.

Sue Smith, from Tow Law, won the overall title in Best in Breed at Crufts with her samoyed nine-year-old dog, Dan.

Mrs Smith said: “It means the world to me that Dan has won. I was so nervous, the adrenaline was rushing through me. When he got picked, I thought ‘oh my God’ and I started to cry.”

Mrs Smith co-owns Dan with fellow breeder Val Freer from Lichfield.

The samoyed saw off 111 other entrants and 99 finalists to take the top slot.

Mrs Smith said: “Although Dan may not understand his achievement, he knows the moment and he know what he has done is good for me.”

Mrs Smith moved to Tow Law four years ago and said: “He’s always been a star and he’s always full of energy, he likes going in the woods and playing in the streams a favourite walk of his is Stanley Crook to Waterhouses.”

Dan had previously won reserve best in show at Crufts in 2014 and won in his Junior Warrant group when he was only 18 months old.

Samoyed are originally from Russia and bred to herd reindeer and pull sleds. The breed has always been seen as friendly family dog however have recently fallen out of fashion as many people think they are high maintenance due to their thick fur.

Mrs Smith, who runs a small boarding kennels in Tow Law, describes Dan as a laid-back gentleman.

She said: “He loves the show-ring and when I didn’t take him with me one time, when I got back home, he refused to speak to me for 15 minutes. Ordinarily, Dan’s a dream to live with, he’s better than any husband.”