Day 1 at the Dog Lovers Festival – Sydney Olympic Park
- Lauren Mills
- Aug 24
- 3 min read
The Finnish Lapphund Club of NSW had a fantastic start to the Dog Lovers Show this year at Sydney Olympic Park. A huge thank you goes to Danielle Giacovani for organising our beautifully decorated stand, and to our wonderful volunteers – Danielle Giacovani, Troy Richardson, Harrison Mills, Sarah Vansteijvoort, Rosie Dutton, Chris Palmer, EJ Lam, Emily Garnett, Genevieve and Isobel Juillerat, Arpie and sister and Caroline – for their time, energy, and love of the breed.
A Stand Full of Lappie Love
This year, for the very first time, our stand featured a puppy playground. Children (and plenty of adults!) were thrilled to enjoy puppy cuddles, and our Lappie pups thrived in the attention.
Ruska was the star of the front of the stand, soaking up belly rubs all day.
Sprinkle decided that the best spot was on
a table, where she was patted continuously by visitors (and says a big thank you to Lyka Pet Food for all the tasty treats!).
Sophie adored all the affection she received.
Nyla, living for the pats.
Alma, with tricks galore
Kahvi, such a superstar for her young age
Buns, lapping up the love
And our puppies – Gus, Chingu, Buddy, Boss, Jasper – gained valuable socialisation and were unfazed by the crowds and noise.
We also showcased the beautiful colour variety in our breed:
Ruska (Brown & Tan)
Sprinkle (Black & Tan)
Sophie (Black Domino)
Saara (Wolf Sable)
Puppy Chingu (Cream)
Bigger, Busier & Brighter
This was by far the busiest Dog Lovers Show we’ve ever experienced. From 9:30am to 5pm, the crowds were non-stop – unlike previous years, there wasn’t even the usual afternoon slowdown.
The contrast with previous years was striking:
2023 was noticeably quieter with fewer vendors and visitors, still rebounding from the 2020–2022 COVID break.
This year, the show was back in full force – bigger, busier, and more vibrant than ever.
The Experience
While there were no “Ask the Breeder” talks this year, Pat-a-Pooch remained as popular as ever.
Vendor and breed stand innovation and presentation had clearly stepped up, making the event even more engaging.
The quality of exhibitors this year was top notch. We didn’t get to explore many stands today, as we were flat out at our own, but we’re looking forward to visiting more of them tomorrow.
Visitors enjoyed plenty of freebies and giveaways, making it excellent value for ticket holders.
We loved catching up with our friends at Lyka Pet Food (our puppies are raised on Lyka!) and reconnecting with owners and people who have been following the Finnish Lapphund breed for many, many years.
Feedback for Organisers
From a breed club perspective, we did find some challenges this year:
The volunteer ticket allocation was too limited. With such a vibrant, interactive stand, we ideally need around 15 volunteers per day to manage the stand.
The 10-dog limit required by organisers was also restrictive. Our stand attracts a huge number of visitors, and rotating dogs is essential for their welfare. We hope these rules can be adjusted in the future to better suit popular, interactive breed stands like ours.
We also missed Farmer Dave as MC; his warmth, humour, and genuine love of dogs always bring unity and character to the event. Hopefully, he will return next year.
Looking Ahead
The Dog Lovers Show continues to be one of the best networking events for breeders, trainers, and pet industry professionals. We’re excited about the connections we made and look forward to potential collaborations in the future.
At the end of the day, though, the real stars were – as always – the dogs. Their joy brought joy-and it was infectious. Our Lappies absolutely loved it, and it was wonderful to see new people learn about the breed and fall in love with them too.
We’re now looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow – another busy, full-on day ahead!
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