Troy Kennel Dog Club trots into West Springfield for annual dog show

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — It was a cuteness overload on Saturday with nearly 1,000 dogs competing in various categories at the Eastern States Exposition.

It was a tail-wagging time at The Big E fairgrounds in West Springfield where there was a dog show for the Troy Kennel Dog Club, which is based out of New York. And there was some “ruff” competition among the seven categories the dogs are judged on.

“So we have the sporting, the hound, the working, terriers, non-sporting and herding,” expressed Dr. John Ioia, the Chairman of the Troy Kennel Club. “So, today you have all of them being shown in the breeds and then at some point, the breeds in each group will be here and compete for the best in that group.”

Those winners go on to compete for “Best in Show” and the judging is based off of a breed standard. The Troy Kennel Club is a member of the American Kennel Club, which is a registry for purebred dog breeds.

22News spoke with Board Member Chris Sweetwood of the American Kennel Club about why he thinks this club and shows like these are so popular. “The bond between the human and the dog just can’t be understated. And people say, ‘well what should I do with my dog?’ and jokingly we say, ‘Ask your dog!’ If you look around here you’ll see just a small part of what the American Kennel Club does.”