Meet Brett Sprout, president of the McKinley Kennel Club

Brett Sprout is the president of the McKinley Kennel Club.

He and his wife Susan have two sons, Sloan and Sutton. They also have five beagles, JR, Zackie, Petey, Tinker and Della. They have lived in Washington Township since 1980.

Sprout graduated from Glenwood High School in 1972 and went to Bethany College in West Virginia and to Kent State University. He is retired from the printing trade. The Sprouts are housing providers.

The two have owned, raised and/or showed dogs most of their lives together.

“We have shown dogs since 1975,” Sprout said. “The first show we attended was the McKinley Kennel Club show at the Memorial Auditorium in Canton. We have been members since 2016 but I have been attending their shows since 1976.”

The McKinley Kennel Club is an American Kennel Club member serving the Canton area. The club has one dog show a year in June, with other activities such as puppy matches and Responsible Dog Owner Day.

Meet Frank Estremera:The owner of Muskellunge Brewing talks beer and fishing

Would you detail what the McKinley Kennel Club is about?

McKinley Kennel Club was founded in 1937 with the goal of promoting purebred dogs through various dog sports such as Conformation Dog Shows and Obedience Trials.

The original charter lists John F. Cholley, Leland Wood and Daisy Keht as the original trustees. Marcella Austin who passed away this month was among the early members.

The protection and advancement of purebred dogs has always been the goal of the club, but the general welfare of dogs has always been the club's main purpose. Responsible people who are interested in dogs are welcome regardless of the breed of dogs they have.

Only purebred dogs can compete in Conformation Dog Shows, but all dogs including mixed breed dogs can compete in obedience and most other American Kennel Club dog sports.

Meet Christopher Neisel:He serves as public works director for Canton Township

What kind of activities do the members plan and participate including the dog show held each year?

The club meets every month except August and December on the second Wednesday at 7:30. We have a very active, but small group of 15 members.

We all spend a great deal of time training and exhibiting in various dog sports all over the country. Among the AKC dog sports are conformation, obedience, rally, farm dog, trick dog, agility, scentwork, field trials and more.

The club hosts the local AKC shows in June which attracts about 800 entries made up of some of the most successful dog competitors in the world. The winner this year of the McKinley Show was a bloodhound called "Trumpet." He went on to win the Westminster Kennel Club show which is televised nationally each year.

The club donates a portion of our proceeds to dog-related charities that benefit local adoption and welfare of dogs. This year we are donating to the K9 Police Unit.

Where do you get your love of dogs?

Like many members, my wife and I have owned and loved dogs for most of our lives. My father was involved in Beagle Field Trials as far back as I can remember. Our weekends were spent at the trials.

My wife had a neighbor when she was young with a beagle she adored, so when we added a pet to our lives shortly after our marriage in 1974 a beagle was our choice.

We have owned, bred and trained over 50 dogs in the last 50 years. All were trained and shown in one venue or another, with many championships and other titles. We recently have been competing in agility, with all the hurdles and obstacles, and it has really gotten us into better shape physically.

The new dog sport of scentwork is also added to our K9 endeavors.

What are yours and your dogs’ favorite ice cream stops in Stark County?

Locally, we are very partial to Heggy's, but we have not found one that we did not enjoy.

Dog showing has taken us all over the country and many places in Canada. There are a lot of good ice cream stops everywhere we have traveled. We often return from the shows north of Stark and a favorite stop is in New Baltimore just to the north of our county.

We stop on the way home to either celebrate a win or lick our wounds from a loss, (as well as lick our cones).

Would you provide a few tips for those considering adopting a new dog or puppy?

If you are interested in adopting a dog, the most important thing to realize is that you are making a lifelong addition to your family.

Dogs live 10, 12, 16 years or more. That is not long enough when you love them, but it is a commitment that you must be prepared to make. You need to consider what breed fits your lifestyle.

One of the advantages of a purebred is that you can know a lot of how your pet will look and behave as well as its trainability. Certain breeds are better suited than others for interests that you have.

Attending dog shows and sports is a good start. Talk to people there when they have a break in whatever activity they are involved in.

Most of all, be patient in your search, as I mentioned, this is a lifelong decision.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 5 questions with ... Brett Sprout, president of McKinley Kennel Club