Hundreds of people piled in both Saturday and Sunday to show off their prized animals, where participants were able to enter their dog(s) into one of a large variety of classes that varied with size, breed, and gender, among others.

Dog owners could enter their dog in agility and conformation, which is when they show the dog and the judge determines how well the dog matches the ideal standard for the breed; or obedience, which is when owners give their dogs commands and are judged based on how well the dogs follow them.

Ribbons are awarded to the winners, along with a more important prize, moving up in the rankings. To become a champion dog, one must acquire 15 points and two major wins, needing 25 more points after that with three more majors to become a grand champion.

The Fort Dodge Kennel Club has been hosting this event every year since the chapter was founded in 1992, and some of the original 30 are still active within the club.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Mahrian McWilliams, of Hartford, takes a nap with her dog Dey-Smooth, a Dachshund, at the Fort Dodge Kennel Club Dog Show Saturday at the Webster County Fairgrounds.

Pat Saunders has experience in both agility and obedience and was in attendance helping everything run smoothly.

“These guys know everything,” a competitor said while pointing at Saunders and the team. “If you have any questions, you talk to them.”

Saunders was willing to give advice to younger handlers. But just like everyone else, she couldn’t help but be impressed when she saw a 5-year-old girl walk in to show her dog.

“She handles them so well for her age,” one of the girl’s competitors said, “There’s nothing more rewarding than training your own dog, and she has done it at such a young age.”

Dog handling can be for everyone, but just like other competitions, you have to want it to win it.

One of the favorites, Armani, was strutting around before his chance to swoon the judge, holding his head high with confidence.

“He’s been doing shows since before he was 1,” said Amrani’s handlers Rory and Samantha Grandfield, of Grimes. “He knows what’s going on here and what to do.”

Both Grandfields have a lot of love for the sport, with three show dogs between the couple.

“I’ve been doing shows since I was 18,” Samantha Grandfield said with a smile. “I didn’t start doing it consistently, however, until about five years ago.”

Her consistency has led to her owning one of the top dogs in the country — her crowned jewel, Armani. Armani is currently the only black and tan field spaniel campaigning in Iowa, and the only one that is ranked nationally. Armani sits at six in Allbreed rankings and is a champion, only two majors away from reaching grand champion status.

The Grandfields take Armani and two show dogs when touring the Midwest and around the country.

“We started across the Midwest at places like Grand Island (Nebraska) and Waukesha (Wisconsin),” Samantha Grandfield said. “We’ve done shows that are big majors, and we’ve attended more local events. We love doing this, so we dedicate a lot of time to this.”

Not only was a lot of time spent, but a lot of money is dedicated to being the best at this hobby as possible for these two. But they aren’t alone.

For decades dogs have been known as man’s best friend, but some people prove why they’re called that.

Kevin McMannus, one of the original founders of the Fort Dodge chapter of the American Kennel Club, is one of those people.

“We only took one,” McMannus said of his experience buying a show dog. “But man, I really could’ve taken the whole litter.”