It was a special weekend for the Yukon Kennel Club, not only because they were hosting their annual All Breed Championship dog show, but two local pups managed to get best in show honours.

Kennel club president Sheila Robertson, and owner of one of the lucky dogs, said it's the first time in a long time a Yukon dog has been best in show.

"It's been quite awhile,” she said.

While Robertson was unable to pinpoint the exact date a Yukoner took the award.

She said the honour bestowed on her dog Dean, felt great.

"It's as good as it gets in our sport,” she said.

Dean, a tall, black Afghan hound has been raised in the Yukon, after arriving from Germany as a pup.

From the untrained eye, it seems easy to tell why he was given best in show, but Robertson said the judge, an Afghan breeder himself, was tough to please.

"When he gave me the ribbon, he said, ‘I don't give Afghan hounds best in show very often,'” she said.

The second dog to earn two best in show honours was a Schipperke (pronounced skipper-key) named Sinner, owned by Bonita Ritchie.

"For me it's like my Kentucky Derby,” Robertson said.

Now that the dogs have won, she said the two have achieved a bit of a celebrity status.

"They're kind of local heroes,” Robertson said.

She said what makes the win even better, is that she did it at hone.

"When its in our own town, it's special,” she said.

Usually the Yukon Kennel Club's members have to travel Outside to attend dog shows, but once a year they get to stay at home and have others travel to them.

The 39th Annual All Breed Championship was actually six shows in one. The Yukon Kennel Club is one of only a few clubs that is allowed to host so many shows at once, due to the travel involved.

Six different judges were brought in for the event from all over North America. Yukon dogs had six different chances to win a gold nugget, which is one of the prizes for the event.

This year 125 dogs took a turn in the ring to be examined by the expert judges for conformation, obedience and more.

For conformation, the judges are looking at the breeding stock in each dog, but Robertson said there is more to a dog show than just walking a dog in a ring.

"There's definitely some training,” she said. "The dogs have to love the ring.”

An important part of dog shows is the handler.

"Sometimes it's more about the handler,” said Robertson, who teaches conformation classes.

The handler has to show off the dog, while staying out of the way.

"It is a learnable skill,” Robertson said.

Robertson said a special part of the show was the youth aspect.

"The junior handlers all did really well,” she said.

Next year the kennel club is set to host the 40th annual dog show, and it seems they are set to celebrate it right with two champion Yukon dogs.

"It was a big success,” Robertson said of the show.