'He’s absolutely changed my life' - Black Country woman's little dachshund with a 'big personality' returns to Crufts for 2026
A clever pooch from the Black Country who can help undress his owner and empty the washing machine returned to compete at Crufts in Birmingham.
Lillie Abbott, a railway accessibility delivery manager from Tipton, has suffered from mobility problems for a significant portion of her life.
But since getting Ignatius, a miniature long-haired dachshund who is now four-and-a-half years old, Mrs Abbott has hailed the role her four-legged friend, who is a fully qualified ADUK assistance dog and believed to be the only one of his breed, has had on her quality of life.
“He’s absolutely amazing,” the 44-year-old said.
“He’s given me back my independence. I can now go out and about and he comes to work with me.
"He can help undress me, he picks things up for me, he can empty the washing machine, he can take the washing off the line, he can take my card from the card machine – the list goes on!
“My health has changed over the years but having a dog this small, he’s very portable, and being able to take him absolutely anywhere is amazing. I don’t have to rely on my husband as much.
“If I do have a fall or if I’m not doing so well, I can say 'Go find your dad', and he’ll run and find him.
"He’s absolutely changed my life. [Watching Ignatius] never gets old. Every single day when he does his tasks, I sit in awe of him and think that for such a little dog he has such a big personality.”
Ignatius, whose Kennel Club name is Idirsholas Ignatius Ay I, also goes by the name Twiglet due to the canine’s trousers getting covered in twigs when he goes out and about foraging and competed on the opening day of Crufts at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.
The delightful canine featured in the Obreedience final, a team-based dog sport where different types of breeds face off against each other in heel work and other set exercises, alongside his pup mates in their team Dachtastic who placed 7th in the competition.
Mrs Abbott still has her previous assistance dog, a German Shepherd named Ezekiel, and she explained that he was Ignatius’ best friend.
Ignatius was attending his third Crufts and Mrs Abbott said the main aim of the day was for the dogs to enjoy themselves.
She added: “I could not be prouder of them all. The dogs and the people have been absolutely amazing. They are like my little family. We have supported each other through so much over the last year and they have smashed it out of the park.
“We’re not competitive but we really like to have fun with our dogs. We like to work our dogs, and we all come together to have a nice day out with them.”
