The AKC All Breed Dog Show is in Texarkana this weekend, Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19. Many dogs of all breeds will compete during this two-day event. This dog show is conformation only, no obedience.

The Kennel Club of Texarkana is hosting this event at the Four States Fairgrounds Entertainment Center. The hours for both days are 8AM to 5PM. Admission is free. Parking is $3 each day or $5 for both days. Vendors will be at this event with tons of cool items for dog lovers to see and purchase. American Kennel Club accredited judges from all over come in to judge in this show.

Adorable puppies from four to six months of age will compete in the beginner puppy competitions, which is bound to bring a smile to your face watching fluffy puppies bounce around.

Jim Arnett with the Kennel Club of Texarkana said they are expecting more than 800 dogs with about 130 different breeds.

"To compete in this dog show, applications must have been submitted already except for a special event on Saturday night. If you are interested in future dog show competition, there is a sign up on Saturday between 1PM and 3PM for the Match, which is a copy of the regular show but it's for beginners. The Match kicks off right after the best in show competition wraps up around 5PM on Saturday," he said.

The dogs will compete in confirmation only as they have cut out the obedience portion of the show. Arnett said.

The obedience part of the show took up a lot of space so now they focus only on the confirmation.

A conformation show is a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.

AKC rules dictate that dogs competing in confirmation cannot be spayed or neutered. The dogs are divided into groups and breeds, then the winners of each of those competitions will compete against each other in the final competition of the day called the "Best in Show." This will happen on both days of the dog show.

No dogs are allowed into the show that are not registered for the event, so please leave your pets at home. It is a fun-filled weekend of watching dogs doing their thing in the ring and shopping the vendor booths.

I asked how long this show has been around and Arnett said, "The first show was in 1973," but he has "only been involved with it for about 20 years."

If you would like to get additional information about this event, contact Carroll Arnett at 903-278-8629 or Jim Arnett at 903-278-8622.

Photos from previous shows in Texarkana:

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