Meet the adorable Wakefield dog appearing on the BBC's Pooch Perfect with Sheridan Smith

Rachel New, who goes by the name Rachel Poodle on her social media sites, entered her own perfect pooch to be the star of a new BBC new show.

Almost six-year-old silver Standard Poodle, Maxwell, will appear on the BBC’s new Pooch Perfect, which is seeking to find the UK’s best dog groomer.

The Saturday night show, hosted by singer and actress Sheridan Smith, is on a mission to find the nation’s best dog groomer, by giving contestants a series of challenges to test their skill.

Rachel, who also works as a dog groomer and owns VIP Dog Grooming (Wakefield), said: “Being a dog groomer is how I heard that dog models and contestants were wanted for ‘Pooch Perfect’ on BBC.

“I didn’t feel brave enough to enter myself, I put Maxwell forward as a model.

“I was told he was as good as gold for the groomer.”

And it seems as though fun-loving Maxwell took to the challenge.

“Maxwell was a show dog, and has been shown at a championship level, so he’s also been shown at Crufts a few times too,” Rachel said.

“He has a happy look on life and I’m sure he’s got a sense of humour!

“He has a few tricks like, roll over, he can be shot (I say ‘bang’ while holding my hand like a gun, and he lays down and rolls onto his back as if I’ve just shot him) and he presses a button which says ‘hungry’ when he wants his meal.”

To secure his place on the show, Maxwell had to pass a series of checks, including a reference from their groomer, a health check from a vet and a stringent audition process before being selected by the BBC’s casting team.

Once on the set, Maxwell and his fellow models were treated like the pampered pooches they are, with access to a qualified vet, animal welfare advisor and frequent breaks to relax or go to the toilet.

But Rachel said her friendly pooch just loves people.

She said: “We pop into our bank regularly, the girls there now keep a stash of treats behind the counter for him.

“As a result we can no longer walk past the bank.

“When anyone arrives home, Maxwell, very thoughtfully, brings them a shoe.

“He never chews them but we sometimes have to go around the house hunting for a matching pair of shoes to wear.

“He’s so affectionate, he loves me so much and we are hardly ever apart.

“Everywhere we go I have people wanting to chat to us, stroke Maxwell, even ask for photos.

“It’s so lovely that he spreads a smile wherever he goes.”

A team of 16 professional dog groomers are each presented with a series of challenges, including the Breed Makeover and Dog Walk Challenge.

Judged by veteran dog groomers Colin Taylor and Verity Hardcastle, as well as vet Bolu Eso, the contestants compete in four heats, two quarter finals, one semifinal and a final.

At the end of the competion winning groomer will be awarded the Golden Stanley trophy and crowned the Nation’s Top Dog Groomer.

The episode featuring Maxwell will air on BBC One on Thursday, February 25.