Although the official opening of the 75th Marion County fair will still be four days away, participants in the county's 4-H dog project will gather at the 4-H Building on the fairgrounds to showcase their skills as dog handlers.

"We'll be picking a winner in both showmanship and obedience," said Melody Peugh, project leader. "This is for any dog, whether it's a mixed breed or whatever, that the handler wants to teach to be a good companion dog."

The winner in both showmanship and obedience qualify for state competition in Hutchinson next month.

Open to boys and girls, this year's entrants will be girls ranging in age from 7 to 18.

Peugh, in her third year as program leader, said the competitors have worked hard throughout the year and are anxious to showcase what they and their pets have learned.

"The handlers and their dogs will be put through an obedience trial where their dog has to, according to its level, do heeling, sitting, figure-eights, stand for examination, sit-stay, down-stay and then run through a showmanship competition," Peugh said.

"That judges how the handler and their dog move together and can run through the patterns for the judge."

Peugh said showmanship is evaluated differently than obedience.

"Obedience depends on how many years the dog has been in the program and how many years the handler has been in the program," she said. "Showmanship is broken down more by age."

Peugh said the obedience competition is similar to what you might see on television at the Westminster Kennel Club.

"The kids' handling will be based on what is done at an American Kennel Club competition," Peugh said. "You might say this show will be an amateur version of that."

Teaching a dog a specific training regimen is also a learning experience for the handler, Peugh said.

"I hope people will come out and watch this show and see that these kids have put a lot of effort into this project," she said. "It's not just fun and games. It's also learning life skills.

"These kids learn not only about dogs, but they also learn leadership abilities," she added. "Once they learn how to handle their own dog, they can show other kids techniques for training their animals, they learn how to follow instructions and they learn poise and confidence and how to move.

"These lessons can also carry over into their everyday lives."

The show is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday and last between an hour and an hour and a half.

No admission will be charged.

"Anyone who likes dogs or likes to see the kids in competition and how much they've worked to achieve a goal will enjoy watching this show," Peugh said. "It's really as much to watch the kids as it is to watch the dogs.

"The kids have to be aware of what they're doing at all times, respond to the judge and control their dog," she said. "I hope people will come out and enjoy the entertainment of the show because you never know what to expect when you have animals and kids together."