Dogs are putting on a show at the Laird Fairgrounds (16 photos)

Dog breeders, trainers, and enthusiasts from near and far are coming together at the Laird Fairgrounds this weekend to participate in this year’s dog show presented by the Sault Ste. Marie Kennel Club.

Approximately 100 canines of all breeds, colours and sizes are competing in the three-day showcase, which features six conformation shows, four obedience trials, and four rally trials.

Typically held at the Sault Curling Club, the city’s last dog show took place in 2019 before the pandemic postponed the event for two years.

Kim Doan, the president of the Sault Ste. Marie Kennel Club, is thrilled to welcome back the showcase in an outdoor setting.

“We’re really excited to be back,” she says. “It’s a bit smaller than we usually have; we typically get about 175 dogs or so, but it’s our first year back outdoors. Things seem to be getting back to normal now.”

Lynn Doel, a breeder from Brampton who has been participating in dog shows for close to 40 years, is also happy to be back
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“We love coming up here,” she says. “It’s great to see all our friends we haven’t seen in three years.”

Doel has nine dogs representing four different breeds, including a six-month-old male puppy named Yolo.

Yolo will be competing against dogs much older than him in the breed competition, and while his chances are slim, Doel explains it’s a huge honour to even be in the same pool.

“The older dogs have much more coat, much more furnishings, bigger fluff on their ears – they’re more impressive to look at,” she says. “But it’s a very prestigious honour for a breeder with a junior dog to go over the adult dogs that have been out on the circuit for a year or two years trying to earn their championship.”

Conformation judging will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday for the event’s final day.