Dogs, Owners Come To St. Cloud From Around the U.S.

ST. CLOUD - Dogs and their owners came from all over the country, and even a few from Canada, to compete in the Granite City Kennel Club 2017 Dog Show.

The annual show started Saturday and runs through Sunday at the Rivers Edge Convention Center. The event will have around 700 competitors participating.

Beverly Capstick has been a judge for the AKC (American Kennel Club) since 1979 and is judging her last event in St. Cloud this year. She says the reason she kept coming back all these years is pretty simple.

"I come for the dogs and people. I am going to miss all of them when I leave."

Competing in the shows is comparable to a pageant. There are a certain set of standards that judges are grading the competitors on. Capstick says the standards are set differently by breed.

"There is a standard or a list that says what the dog should look like. Everything from how the bite is to the shape of the eye is part of the judging process."

Dog shows are expensive and time-consuming to be a part of. For many of the owners competing is about pride and knowing they breed and train the best dog.

"It's for the pride of saying I have the best dog in the country. It's really about the privilege of saying that."

Some of the trainers can make money from breeding their dog show champions, but money from that isn't guaranteed and also has a lot of upfront costs.

The show is free and open to everyone to attend.