The Southeast Spring Classic dog show comes to Blackfoot

You may have noticed an increase in four-legged friends walking around in Blackfoot. That’s because the Southeast Spring Classic dog show is in town at the fairgrounds.

This prestigious dog show has people and their furry companions coming from all over the country for the fairground’s second-largest event of the year.

The dogs train for multiple competitions: confirmation, obedience, dock diving and agility.

“We do a lot of strength training, we do a lot of training on the obstacles and we do a lot of walking,” said dog owner Leslie Hill.

“Well, at home we do a lot of bathing, conditioning, exercise, feeding. It takes a lot of prep, days usually,” said professional dog handler Catherine Willis, laughing.

The dogs love participating as well.

“Oh, she loves it. She absolutely loves it. If there’s a jump around, she’ll take it on her own,” said Hill about her dog, Zuzu, who competes in the agility category.

Fuwaad is a 14-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback who is pretty well-seasoned when it comes to competing in dog shows.

“This is his 30th event. Yeah, we’ve been showing since he was 6 months old,” said owner Daniel Ray Morrison.

As one of the biggest dog shows in the Intermountain West, it’s bound to have influence in the city of Blackfoot.

“Economically it’s a big deal for a town the size of Blackfoo because we have quite a few people like well over 1,000 people that descend on it –need to eat out at restaurants, need to have hotels, other services. So there is a huge economic impact on the town and the surrounding area,” said Dr. Julia Alpert, show chair for the Pocatello Kennel Club.

The Blackfoot dog show started Thursday and continues through Sunday, June 19. The show is a part of a big circuit that started in Filer, Idaho, and will go up to Montana.

Entry into the dog show is free, but there is a small parking fee.