Fluffy Dogs, Felines & Fun At County Fair

DAYTON - Tucked away behind a barn and a race track at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, whiskers, floppy ears and cold noses were making kids and judges smile. Kittens meowed loudly from their cages, not wanting to be at the fair at all, while dogs rolled in the grass, sniffed other dogs and left "presents" for their owners to clean up.

Dayton's 121st fair that ran Friday through Sunday incorporated traditional elements like 4-H and FFA kids showing sheep, cows and hogs, a long line at noon Saturday for a barbecue lunch and a magician making balloon animals for kids.

The fair featured a special 9/11 anniversary flag raising by American Legion Post #42 of Dayton, with five men who marched in a procession to raise the flag from a large crane. The raising was a very moving experience for those in attendance.

The fair also had some nontraditional and fairly new events, including a cat show and dog show held Saturday before noon. These events allowed local kids to train their furry friends throughout the year and show off their skills for judges.

Starting at 10 a.m. Saturday when the fair was still pretty quiet, kids were unloading their cats into black wire cages to the side of the Midway stage. The cat show didn't have a large number of participants, about 7 or 8 cats meowed from their cages.

Katie Warren, age 13, from Dayton, had brought two cats to show at the fair. She didn't have much trouble getting Dusty into his cage and ready to go, but Mittens was putting up a fight.

"We don't put them on a leash," Warren explained.

In this contest, the cats simply have to come to the fair and sit in their cage. The judge will come by and feel their muscles and decide what cat is best, and that's about it, she said. They aren't trained to walk around, do tricks or anything like that, Warren said.

" They just come and are looked at by a bunch of people," she said.

Warren was finally able to pry Mittens out of its carrier by grabbing the scruff of its neck. None of the cats stood out that day, they all were mixes of brown, black, orange and white coloring.

Warren has been showing her cats for about 5 years and does so because she likes to raise and take care of small animals, she said.

The cats don't particularly like being shown at the fair, and Warren doesn't have any tricks to keep her furry friends from getting too stressed out.

"After a while, they calm down," she said.

And though it's simple, Warren knows what she's talking about. She has won blue ribbons at the fair each year.

"You just make sure to pet them and give them encouragement," Warren said of her tips to win.

About an hour later, the dog show was underway in the middle of the racetrack at the fairgrounds. Children ages 12 and younger wore black t-shirts designating that they are with the Columbia County Krazy K-9's Club.

Samantha Sweetwood, 12, and her dog Jack, an Australian terrier, were competing for the first time at the fair. She received a black and white ribbon for her reserve champion placing for agility and they were getting focused on the obedience portion of the contest.

Sweetwood said she and Jack spent nearly every Thursday training for these events. She would get out the agility equipment, things like cones, tunnels and steps, and work with him. Sweetwood said she trained him by using lots of treats as incentive.

"It's a lot of jumping him over things and running with him," she said.

Jack had performed well in agility that day, she said, but he messed up on one jump. She didn't know if he would do as well in the obedience test. She said he's not always the best listener.

The judge took a bit of time to set up the obedience course. The kids had to walk with their dogs on a loose leash to each cone. Sometimes the dogs had to go in a circle, sometimes they had to sit. The kids were not supposed to drag the dogs around, the judge said. Also, the event was timed.

Caleb Breaux, 12, and his dog Rueben, a Vizsla, were practicing tricks while waiting their turn. Breaux would tell the dog to sit, lay down and then pretend he was shooting the dog with his hand and Rueben would play dead.

Caleb's brother Jacob Breaux was up first for the obedience test with his small brown dog. He struggled a bit through the course. But, his dog looked happy to be there the whole time.

Whether the kids and dogs did well or not, it was a fun event for them to show off their hard work. Taking home ribbons was just the icing on the cake.

"The best part is working with them and having fun," Sweetwood said. "I like seeing him work hard."