4-H members demonstrated their dog handling skills by going around the ring during the showmanship competition Friday at the Lyon County fairgrounds. About 15 4-H and Cloverbud members and their dogs competed in showmanship and obedience events.

MARSHALL — On Friday, the Lyon County fairgrounds was the place to see all kinds of dogs, from collies and Labradors to terriers and mixed breeds. And it was also a chance for area youth to show their skills in dog training and handling.

Competing in the 4-H dog showmanship event is “Part etiquette, and part what you know,” said Talyn Truwe. Truwe, along with other 4-H members from Lyon and Lincoln County, answered questions about dog care before leading their canine companions around the show ring.

The showmanship competition was one of a few different events the Lyon County 4-H Dog Project held this week at the fairgrounds. Obedience events were also held Friday, and dog agility events wrapped up on Thursday.

Competing in showmanship and agility events was something Kinsey Moorse said she’s enjoyed for years. She was at the fairgrounds with her dogs Ellie and Violet.

“I love seeing all the other dogs, and learning new things,” she said. “It keeps me busy in the summer, too.”

Friday’s showmanship event looked a little bit like a traditional dog show, except that the dogs weren’t being judged by a breed standard. Groups of 4-H members led their dogs into an arena set up in the fairgrounds’ hoop barn, and waited their turn to be called forward by a judge.

“What can you tell me about your dog?” the judge asked Addison Naber, who was first in line in her group, together with her dog Oakley.

Both the judges’ questions and the handling part of the competition got more complex for more experienced participants. Truwe and Kinsey Moorse were asked to lead their dogs in more complicated maneuvers in the arena.

Leading a dog in patterns like a triangle or a “T” shape was harder to do than just going down to one end of the ring and back, Moorse said. But it showed off the dog and the handler’s level of control more, she said.

Sometimes, dogs could have a mind of their own in the show ring. While Mason Moorse’s rescue dog Titus was pretty calm in the arena, he wasn’t always standing in the right position.

“He just wanted to lay down at the end,” Moorse said.

Moorse said he had been competing in 4-H dog events for about three years.

“It looked fun, and I decided to do it. And I had a good dog for it,” he said.

Some 4-H members had been competing together with their dogs for a long time. Truwe said she had been taking part in the dog project for about four years. It was a lot of fun, she said.

“I get to work with my dogs, and I get to help other people train their dogs,” Truwe said. Truwe was at Friday’s show events with her miniature schnauzers, Fyn and Ari.

Kinsey Moorse said she had been competing in the dog events since she was in first grade. “This is my last year,” she said. But, she was also interested in helping younger 4-H members train their dogs. It helped to be able to share information with other kids, she said.