Salem — At the back of the usually calm Salem Community Town Park on Friday, hundreds of dogs with fur fluffed and shining followed their well-dressed owners from the grooming tent to the judging tent at St. Hubert Kennel Club's 50th all-breed dog show.

Eight Great Danes — one gray, one brown, one spotted like a cow — stood tall and regal, awaiting judgment. A champion springer spaniel, 3-year-old Danny, waited on a grooming table for another turn around the ring, long hair combed out and ears blowing slightly in the breeze.

"It's a beautiful day. Outdoor shows are fun when the weather is nice," said Danny's owner and handler, Nancy Bitters of Waterford.

St. Hubert is New London County's local chapter of the American Kennel Club and a "small but mighty" chapter with around 40 members, according to Bitters.

Salem First Selectman Kevin Lyden said the show is the largest event the 4-year-old park and pavilion have hosted. The show had been held at the North Stonington Fairgrounds for decades, but a rise in costs for the fairgrounds forced St. Hubert President Pam Stedman to look for other options. She said quite a few members of the St. Hubert club live in Salem.

The park got points from handlers and event organizers Friday for its flat field, thick grass, shaded pavilion seating area and plenty of room for the parking needed for a two-day dog show.

A total of 358 dogs of 103 different breeds and varieties were on display, with another 560 dogs set to show again on Saturday. At the other end of the leash, the handlers were as varied as the breeds they lead. Men and women of all ages, many dressed in bright colors and suit jackets, trotted to keep stride with their dogs. Some handlers boasted having bred and shown dogs for decades, others looked as if they might have skipped school to attend Friday's show.

"This is the one sport where amateurs compete against professionals," said Stedman, who added that judges only know dogs by number so that an amateur dog and handler can go up against a frequent winner and hope for a fair shot at a blue ribbon.

When you do win as an amateur against a professional, "it's a heck of a good feeling," said the show's assistant chairwoman, Karen Eberl.

But amateur handlers and show dogs alike have to start somewhere, which is why Saturday's show itinerary includes a section for novice handlers and puppies to take their first turns in the ring.

Nineteen dogs ages 4 to 6 months are entered to show Saturday at 11 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. to compete for Best Puppy in Show, an event the local club is holding for the first time.

Saturday's itinerary also includes a rally trial, where dogs are judged for completing a series of tasks, which Stedman called "a little more up-beat and a little more fun."

Eberl said the puppy show is a good opportunity for dogs to get used to being in competition. They can enter the general competition once they are 6 months old.

"It's stressful going into the ring. This is a good way to get (the dogs) acclimated to the noises," and also for beginner handlers — who can start as young as 9 years old — to get used to handling, Eberl said.

And while Eberl and Stedman say a sunny day spent watching puppies and show dogs strut their stuff is a good way for families and those considering dog ownership to conduct research, Ingela Gram, a judge for the toy and working dog groups, said the point of dog shows is to improve the breeds.

"Every breed has a breed standard, and the point of a show is to find a dog that is closest to that breed standard," said Gram. Identifying and breeding champion males and champion females improves the breed as a whole, Gram said.

But, as with any sport, sometimes handlers are there just for the sake of competition, Gram added.

"If you get bitten by the bug" the drive to keep competing is addictive, she said.

j.hopper@theday.com

Twitter: @JessHoppa

What: St. Hubert Kennel Club 51st All-Breed Dog Show and Rally Trial

When: Saturday, May 9. Judging by breed and rally trials begin at 9 a.m. Puppy competition begins at 11 a.m. Variety groups and Best In Show judging begins at 2:30 p.m. 

Where: Salem Community Town Park, 89 Norwich Road, Salem