Young Aiden follows in his mum’s footsteps with dog show win

Aiden Kovacs impressed judges and earned a rosette for the way he handled seven-year-old Rottweiler cross Marley.

Aiden’s mum Jodie, 35, of Steep Lane, Findon, said: “I was over-the-moon. I think my husband got a bit emotional, it was a nice moment.

“He’s very good with the dog and quite bossy, obviously, given the dog’s twice the size of him.

“I think the judge let her heart rule her head and said it was the cuteness factor – he’s so diddy and Marley is so big.

“He gets quite excited when we drive past where the dog show is. He always asks ‘is the dog show on?’ so he remembers that’s where it was. I think he would be keen to have another go if he has the opportunity.”

When Jodie was five she won a dog class with her golden Labrador Jethro at a show in Arundel Park.

Jodie’s mum Lyn Wilson, of Wentworth Close, in High Salvington, said her daughter’s victory as a five-year-old was the first thing she thought of when learning of Aiden’s success.

She said: “Aiden is close to Marley, as Jodie was to Jethro, they are like siblings.

“Her dog won all those years ago for being the most handsome dog. When Jodie was a child she fell in love with him and she’s been in love with animals all her life. I think that’s passed on to Aiden.

“Marley was in the family before Aiden arrived and she always brought him up to be respectful to the dog. He throws the ball for him and they run around together. Marley loves Aiden because he’s so kind to him.”

Marley had previously won a competition in Bognor aged just one.

Jodie said she has looked for other classes for Aiden to enter but so far he had been too young to enter them.