DOGS of all shapes and sizes were strutting their stuff yesterday as the South Wales Dog of the Year show came to Gwent.

The sixth competition was held at the Commodore Hotel, in Cwmbran, with 49 entrants stepping into the ring.

The dogs faced each other in a series of head-to-head battles and were judged on how closely they matched their breed. Some of Gwent's finest were on show, and one handler in particular wowed the crowds.

Seven-year-old Libby Jones, from Ynysddu, Newport, one of the youngest dog handlers in the country, guided her four-year-old Sealyham Terrier Scarlet around the performance ring.

She said: "I've really enjoyed the day. I love everything about it."

Lynn Deacon, 63, from Willow Close, Lliswerry, was knocked out in the third round of the competition with Sunny, her Lhasa Apso, but was not too disappointed.

"There were some beautiful dogs on show here," she said. "He's won other prizes before and he is a wonderful dog."

Competition co-ordinator Bridget Croucher said the show was one of the most prestigious in the country.

Competitors came from around the UK but had to have won a dog competition in Wales in order to enter.