A Worcester dog trainer has set her sights on wowing the crowds as her 'unicorn' pet prepares to take centre stage at Crufts.

Georgie Lott, 37, is far from new to the dog show world, having been practicing her skills in agility since the age of nine.

Yet despite her wealth of experience, this will be her maiden outing in the main ring at Crufts next week, qualifying alongside her working cocker spaniel Eadie.

Lott has become accustomed to seeing her spaniel dazzle onlookers, standing out from the crowd enough to earn a rather special nickname.

“She’s actually known as ‘The Unicorn’, that’s her nickname,” she said.

“When she was a puppy, she went on a training day and she was in a group with loads of collies – and of course, collies are renowned for being super intelligent.

“All these collies got this thing wrong and Eadie rocked up and just nailed it. The trainer was like ‘she's not a dog, she's not even a collie, she's a unicorn!’

“She's just really clever. She literally gives her whole heart. She's very intense, screaming the whole way around.

“She acts so cute and innocent on the start line. And as soon as I let her go, she turns into this crazy beast.”

Lott isn’t short of love for her three-year-old pooch, citing the restrictions imposed by lockdown as the catalyst in developing their special bond.

Seemingly destined for stardom, it didn’t take much for Lott to spot the sparkle in Eadie’s eye.

“She’s very special, she reads me like a book,” she added. “She knows what I'm thinking and I know what she's thinking just by looking at her.

“I knew she was very special at eight weeks old when I picked her up as a puppy.

“I used to play thinking games and problem-solving games, and she would just work them out straight away. She'd be like ‘make it harder, that's too easy.’

“She’s like a sponge, she just absorbs learning.”

Crufts is a unique celebration of happy, healthy dogs and the loving relationship that they enjoy with their owners.

The world's biggest dog show recognises the varied roles that dogs play in society and highlights the many different disciplines and activities for dogs and owners.

Lott is a major advocate for dog training, having discovered it as a fantastic outlet for dogs to channel any anxiety they may have.

She believes it’s vital that dogs are allowed to put their brains to good use, seeing agility as an effective solution to any behavioural issues.

"The general public get a lot of dogs nowadays, particularly working dog spaniels, because they're a nice, manageable, friendly family pet," she said. "But they do actually need to use their brain.

“A lot of dogs do end up getting behavioural problems and I believe it’s because they don’t channel their energy. They don’t get to do something.

“A lot of dogs need a job, like your average collie would not make a good house pet because they want to work.”

After suffering a few setbacks in her attempts to qualify for Crufts in past years, Lott will finally have her shot at glory next week as she graces the main ring for the first time.

With dreams of silverware in her senior Crufts debut, Lott can't wait to get going.

“I've tried for years, so just to make it into the top eight dogs in the country is an incredible achievement for a three-year-old dog,” she said.

“I’m really excited. I can’t explain how excited I am.”

Crufts, run by The Kennel Club, is a unique celebration of happy, healthy dogs and of the loving relationship that they enjoy with their owners. Crufts is held from 7-10 March 2024 at the NEC Birmingham. Viewers can follow all the action and highlights on Channel 4, and for further information and tickets visit: http://crufts.org.uk