Youths and their pups show their skills at Frederick Fair dog show

Sep. 20—Bentley, a 6-year-old Havanese Lhasa Apso mix, had an air of nonchalance as he followed his handler's instructions at The Great Frederick Fair's Youth Dog Show on Monday morning.

Ella Fell, 14, of Frederick, Bentley's handler, told him to sit and stay in a corner of the ring as she walked away. A picture of obedience, Bentley sat, and he stayed. He panted as his dark gray head turned here and there to see the growing crowd.

"He's my main guy," Fell said with a smile.

For such a good performance, Bentley got belly rubs, his favorite, Fell said.

Six children competed in the dog show Monday morning, though not every child competed in every category — showmanship, obedience, rally, tricks and canine dress-up.

Every division is broken down into smaller classes based on age and level of training, Chief Steward Cully Leck said. Some competitors were the only ones in their class.

Catalina Caretti, 12, of Woodsboro was trying to keep her golden retriever, June, calm before they went into the enclosure for the obedience portion of the show. But June had other plans as she jumped around, her pink tongue hanging out the side of her month.

Catalina was honest when she said she didn't have high hopes for June in the obedience category of the show. June's forte is agility, she said.

It was Catalina's second time entering a dog show, but June's first, she said.

"Obedience isn't really her thing. She's just here to enjoy what she's doing," Catalina said.

When the pair won first place for obedience, as the only entrant in their class, all June wanted to do was eat her ribbon.

With teal hair and a sparkling jumpsuit, Kristyn Mauzy, 16, of Frederick and her pups were a perfect match. She dyed the scruff of her border collie mix, Sadie, with purple and teal. Her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mix, Harper, had a multi-colored tail and had a teal heart on his back right leg.

In last year's dog show, Kristyn said, she dressed up as a leprechaun and Harper was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. So after she dyed him rainbow colors the first time, she kept doing it for other shows and for Pride month, she said.

Kristyn has been participating in the dog show for roughly five years, she said. Harper has been with her for four years, while Sadie has been competing with her for two.

Overall, she was pleased with how her pups did.

"I think Harper did really good. I think Sadie did all right," she said. "[Sadie] gets really stressed out in these types of environments. Because, like, at home, she does a million times better."

Participants received monetary premiums based on their placement of first through tenth place, Leck said. First place receives $8.

And if anyone knew anything about placing well in dog shows, it was Sarah Younkers, 17, of Keedysville.

Sarah is a veteran dog handler.

For the fair, she brought out Rosie, her English Cocker Spaniel. Rosie was professional but excited in all of her categories. She wiggled her butt as Sarah praised her showmanship, an event in which the pair placed first.

But she also had Ellie, another English Cocker Spaniel. With Ellie, Sarah qualified for the Westminster Dog Show this year.

"It's so exciting. I'm so proud of her and me. I'm so proud of us working together," she said.

Zoe Magnus, 18, of Woodsboro was with her Brittany Spaniel, Bailey.

Also a longtime dog handler, she saw a lot of improvement with Bailey in this year's show, she said. His heel on leash — in which a dog stays at a handler's side — was pretty bad before, but improved this year.

Bailey does better in less distracting environments, she said.

"If I had treats with me, we're not allowed to use treats in the arena ...," Zoe said. "If I was able to wave it in front of his nose, I think I would have gotten his attention pretty quick because he's very food motivated," she said.

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel