By Olivia Dimmer odimmer@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn Barking, prancing and panting, 1,624 purebred dogs competed in the Ingham County Kennel Club's (ICKC) Winterland Classic Dog Show at the Pavilion on Sunday. Up 99 entries from last year, President of the ICKC Mark Jaeger said the timing, location and venue were all factors that made the show a success. "This location has an adequate amount of grooming space and is more easily accessible," Jaeger said. "When you enter a dog, you need to groom them and that can literally take hours to get it just right. The extra space gives us an edge.” The dog show, which took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, drew in competitors from across the state and around the country. The competition divided dogs into groups by gender and age, and judges awarded points according to how well the dogs matched up to the standard of the breed, which is set by the American Kennel Club (AKC), said Jaeger. The dogs were led across padded walkways to judges who inspected size, color and weight, among other qualifications. In addition to the dog show, medical clinics were held where participants could have their dog’s hearts and eyes examined, among other things. Troy Stroud, a systems coordinator for Residential Hospitality Services at MSU, is also the Vice President for the ICKC and said that in addition to showing off their dogs and comparing them to others, the goal of all kennel clubs is to promote a better, healthier dog. Stroud, who has bred Neapolitan Mastiffs for nearly eight years, enjoys participating in the shows to see how that breed of dog has changed. “(Neapolitan Mastiffs) are a relatively new breed to the AKC, and with each generation you can see the breed improve,” Stroud said. “Not only that, but the networking that comes in is such a wealth of knowledge on how to care for and show your dog.” Lorie Barnes, a breeder and a competitor on Sunday, came from Williamston to show her three Collies for the eighth year in a row. She has been showing her dogs since they were puppies and fell in love with the breed because of their personality. “After I won (my first show) it became like an addiction,” Barnes said. “ I love having something to do with my dogs. It’s a great bonding experience and the camaraderie with the people here is the same. Once you win, you love it — and if you don’t, you’re happy for your fellow friends. We all love our dogs.”