The Yukon Kennel Club is set to hold their 37th Annual Dog Show, beginning Friday at the Mt. McIntyre Recreation Centre.

This year's Dog Show will consist of three days, which includes six confirmation shows, four obedience trials and two rally trials.

"It's the most northerly dog show in Canada," said Bonnitta Ritchie, the president of the Yukon Kennel Club.

"Many people will come to this show just because it is the most northerly and it's their chance to come to the Yukon and to experience the midnight sun and all the things that we have to offer. It is the Yukon's show."

The dog show always takes place the third weekend of June and has been going on for nearly as long as the Yukon Kennel Club has existed.

Registration has been closed since May 23, but this year there will be around 135 dogs.

This number is down a little bit from the previous year because of the increase in gas prices as well as the close parity between the Canadian and American dollars.

The majority of exhibitors who take part in the event are from outside the territory, including a number of different Canadian provinces, Alaska and the southern states.

Last year, the dog show had about 150 dogs. The event is called a limited entry show, which means it cannot take more than 175 dogs in the confirmation ring for each show. There is also a limited entry for both rally and obedience trials.

All dogs at the event must be six months of age and registered with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) as well as be in good health.

Due to high costs this is the only dog show put on in the Yukon.

The price to hold the event is nearly $50,000, which includes bringing in six separate judges from outside the Yukon. Since the Yukon's Dog Show is a CKC national competition all the points earned in Whitehorse are on par with other events in larger markets such as Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.

The Yukon Kennel Club is also holding a Canine Good Neighbour testing event Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Mt. McIntyre Recreation Centre. For more information contact Ritchie at 456-7995.

Friday's dog show will begin at 9 a.m. and there will be two confirmation shows and two rally trials throughout the course of the day. Saturday will include two confirmation shows and two obedience trials and Sunday there is two confirmation shows and two obedience trials.

The difference between obedience and rally trials is the the overall strictness in the competition. In a rally trial the rules are little bit more relaxed in terms of participants being able to talk to their dogs.

Obedience trials only permit giving brief commands at certain times.

In the confirmation show, dogs are evaluated in a specific group with things such as bone structure, coat, movement and temperament.

There are a total of seven categories, which are sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding.

The sporting group will feature dogs such as the golden retriever and Labradors. In the hound category there will be dogs including the Afghan hounds, bloodhounds, Harriers and fox hounds.

The working group features dogs that are usually suited for guarding and protective roles, such the Rottweiler and the Giant Schnauzer. In the terrier category there will be dogs including border terriers and Schnauzers.

The toy group will feature the smallest dogs at the competition, including the Chihuahua. The non-sport group is sort of the miscellaneous group. In this category there are dogs such as the poodle and the miniature poodle, English bulldog, Schipperke as well as a variety of other dogs.

The herding group is the newest category at the dog show and it will feature dogs, such as the Shelton sheep dogs and Welsh corgis.

Obedience and Rally trials are open to any CKC registered dogs. Dogs such as the golden retriever are more prominent in the trials because of the breed being easier to train.

Participants in a confirmation ring are competing for points, while the obedience and rally trial dogs compete for titles. Rosettes, which are giant ribbons are also awarded for overall placing.

At the end of each year, all the dogs registered by the Canadian Kennel Club are rated and those dogs with the highest number of points are ranked in the top five in their breed.

Presently, the Yukon Kennel Club has three dogs in the top five in the country, including Ritchie's Schipperke, Blue.

There will also be a silent auction at the dog show to raise money to purchase new equipment for the organization. Gold Originals By Charlotte is one of the supporters and has donated a set of gold nugget earrings that will be auctioned off.

There is no admission fee for spectators, however the Yukon Kennel Club are inviting people to bring a food donation for the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter. Last year the Yukon Kennel Club donated $400 to the shelter.

Usually proceeds generated at the dog show are split between the club and an organization.

People who are attending the dog show are asked not to bring their own dogs.