It's best paws forward at dog show in Canfield

By BILLY LUDT

bludt@vindy.com

CANFIELD

The Vindicator ( Youngstown)

Photo

ROBERT K. YOSAY | THE VINDICATOR...Ollie a Black Russian Terrier and handler Rhanda Glenn of South Carolina as she gets him ready for the show Thursday.

All the fairgrounds are a stage this week as dogs and their handlers from across the country gather in the Valley for four days of competition.

The 26th annual Steel Valley Cluster Dog Show runs from today to Sunday at the Canfield Fairgrounds. More than 159 dog breeds will compete in American Kennel Club shows, as well as North America Diving Dogs dock-diving competitions.

Daily AKC competitions with only purebred dogs begin at 8 a.m., and final judging will be between 5 and 6 p.m.; the diving-dog events also will occur each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Steel Valley Cluster chairwoman Gael Damron of Wintersville is the head organizer of the show and has been involved in various capacities from its inception.

“I want to see the sport grow,” Damron said. “I want young kids to go through the process of raising and training a dog for shows. It taught me poise and grace, and it taught me how to win or lose gracefully.”

Damron has shown dogs all her life. Her parents were involved with dog shows, and her family has participated as well.

She said she hopes to see her grandchildren carry on the tradition.

The cluster is made of regional clubs Fort Steuben Kennel Association, Columbiana County Kennel Club, Beaver County Kennel Club and Mahoning Shenango Kennel Club.

Shery Alligood traveled with her nine dogs from Gurley, Ala., to Canfield, and said she has come to the show her whole life.

“I love these fairgrounds,” she said. “All dog shows are down in entries, but this is one of the biggest in the country.”

Alligood’s Afghan hound Anya will compete in a standard conformation. Anya has won two reserve best in shows, or second best, and Alligood is hopeful she’ll take a win.

Alligood’s dogs have made appearances at Westminster Kennel Club and Madison Square Garden, two prestigious conformation shows.

Nature’s Farmacy, from Jasper, Ga., manufactures and sells probiotics and holistic products for animals and is one of 30 dog-related vendors at the Steel Valley Cluster this year.

Lori Pickett, the company’s president, helped found Nature’s Farmacy with her mother in 1984 and travels to dog and trade shows across the nation with her products.

She said dogs that travel to these shows have a greater need for probiotics than those that don’t. Nature’s Farmacy has supplements for calming puppies.

“People that show dogs are really great folks,” Pickett said. “They know their breeds, and they’ve been breeding them for decades. When you get a dog from a breeder who shows, you know there won’t be the sort of health problems you see from other breeders – blood or hip or bone problems.”

The best four junior participants from all four days of competition will compete Sunday for a $1,000 scholarship.

While purebred dogs will be shown only in AKC competitions, any breed is able to participate in NADD’s dock diving.

The show’s sponsor this year is Purina PetCare.