Hundreds of dogs, dozens of product vendors at Canfield Fairgrounds this weekend

CANFIELD

It won’t be long before the Canfield Fairgrounds shows its longtime traditional fair side, but for now, Fox terriers and French bulldogs, not Ferris wheels, dominate the landscape.

“She has coarse hair and a wet beard,” Haley Wilkins of Bowling Green said about Mia, her 1-year-old Spinoni Italiano, an uncommon breed of dog that is the Italian version of a pointer, known for its hunting prowess.

Wilkins was preparing her pet for one of Saturday’s conformation competitions, which was among the events at the annual Steel Valley Cluster dog show at the fairgrounds.

An estimated 1,979 dogs among about 153 breeds and varieties are in the four-day event, which got underway Thursday and continues from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the fairgrounds. Admission is $5 per vehicle.

The gathering features four American Kennel Club-based All-breed dog shows and obedience trials.

Roughly 40 local, regional and out-of-state vendors have set up shop, noted Paul Thomas, show chairman. In addition, more than 100 dog-product vendors are at the event.

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