Dog Show at Pioneer Days

This year’s Pioneer Days festival will include carnivals, live music, parades, and magic. And in the midst of all the festivities, there will also be a dog show.

Chip Adkins is a volunteer with the Humane Society. “We’ve noticed over the years that a lot of people are travelling more now with their dogs and animals,” Adkins said. “When they come to Pioneer Days, you see them out there with their dogs on a leash. So what we wanted to do was kind of just set up a little place where they have a little water and a pool for the dogs to cool off in and treats and stuff like that. We’ve morphed into having a dog show.”

“We’ve called it two different things over the years. We’ve called it ‘Strut your Mutt Dog Show,’ and we’ve also titled it a ‘Fun Dog Show,’ and that’s basically what it is.”

There is a $10 entry fee to participate in the dog show. The money serves as a donation to the Humane Society. “All the funds that we get from this, we do vaccination clinics, we support that through various vets in the area, and also our spay and neuter voucher program.”

According to Adkins, the competition involves nine classes.

“The first class is called a Look-Alike, and it’s just how the owner and the dog resemble each other.

“Class two would be Best Costume.

“The third class would be Best Trick, and we just judge whatever they can have their pet do, based on difficulty, balance, agility. Does he go up on two legs, does he do maneuvers, aerial maneuvers—things like that.

“Class four would be Most Mysterious Heritage. Does the owner actually know the breeding or is it a mixed breed. How many different breeds are involved in this pet, and how well does the dog carry that heritage.

“Class five is Best Vocal Performance. Does he howl, bark, can he carry a tune? Does the owner play a harmonica and can the dog sing?

“Class six is Best Tail-Wagging, and that’s just enthusiasm and stuff like that.

“Class seven is Most Obedient, and class eight is Least Obedient. So if you lost class seven, you may win class eight.

“The last class is called a Clothesline Race, and that’s where we have a clothesline set up and we have a box of clothing that was donated by the thrift store in town. The owner can put all these clothing items on the dog, and then they run the dog across the little lot area to the clothesline and take the clothes all off, and whoever does it the fastest and uses the most articles of clothing would be the winner of that event.

“The last prize is Best of Show, and that’s a people’s choice award. Where we have a judge that judges the first nine, the people will actually determine who wins Best of Show.”

The dog show will take place on Thursday, July 10^th at the gazebo in Marlinton. Registration starts at 5pm, and the show begins at 6. “We’re trying to get done by 7 because that’s when the kid’s parade starts and we think we have some children that might be walking dogs in the parade.”

While the event is known as a dog show, it’s also been known to welcome outsiders.

“Last year a cat won Best of Show,” Adkins said. “And we were surprised and we weren’t really prepared to have a cat show up, so we had to kind of scramble around to work out for the cat. The cat was very talented, and everybody enjoyed the cat.”