More than 200 purebred dogs are at the Toe Blake Memorial Arena in Coniston this weekend for the Nickel District Kennel Club’s annual show.
“All the dog people here are amazing animal lovers,” organizer Richard Paquette told Sudbury.com on Saturday. “You have to have a big passion for your dogs, and we’re very proud of our dogs. We worked hard to breed good ones, healthy ones.”
The dog show aims to determine who best exemplifies breed traits, including both physical and temperament.
Paquette’s dog of choice is the shih tzu, which he chose because of their temperament and beauty.
“Probably one of the most important considerations if you’re going to get into the purebred dog hobby is you must have a lot of dedication and be passionate about it,” he said.
“It’s a great family sport, but it’s a lot of work.”
Those interested in seeing the canines are still able to stop by the Coniston arena from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday for the show’s final of three days. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for kids, $10 for families, and free for anyone over the age of 55.
As Sudbury.com experienced on Saturday, the dog owners at the show are keen on sharing their experiences with those interested in learning more.
Judith Maynard brought her biewer terrier, Ronnie, to the show.
“We fell in love with the biewer terrier, and the next step is to show what we produced,” she said, adding that the moment she met Ronnie she fell in love with him.
“He’s a velcro dog,” she said. “Their whole being is there for love and being loved.”
She combs his coat daily in order to make sure it’s in tip-top shape for shows, at which she said he enjoys the attention.
Jaime Larkman, from the Ottawa area, brought Katie, a havanese currently ranked No. 3 dog in the country and No. 1 toy.
“She conforms to the standard very well,” she said. “They’re very sweet, they kind of draw you in. They’re perfect lap dogs. She’s my constant pet, so she’s not in the kennel or anything like that.”
Boogie Woogie, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, was on display by owner Elaine Mitchell, who came from Chatham to participate in this weekend’s events.
“He hasn’t been in a show in a while, so he’s just coming out now,” she said while brushing his coat.
“He’s a bad dog,” she said with a chuckle. “But that’s why we like him. ... He’s a lot of fun. He makes me laugh.”
This weekend’s show in Coniston is one of more than 200 Canadian Kennel Club-registered purebred dog shows across Canada, with everyone vying for titles and ranking points to determine Canada’s No. 1 dog.
For those who miss this weekend’s show, the next big event will be the Sudbury and District Kennel Club’s annual show at the same location in September.
