Judging the dog show judges

• What: Clark County Fair.

• Hours today: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Where: 17402 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield.

• Admission: Military Appreciation Day, $7.25 for past and present military personnel with military I.D. Adults, $11.25; seniors 62 and older, $9.25; kids 7-12, $8.25 (includes processing fees); kids 6 and younger, free. Parking, $6. C-Tran shuttle, free from area Park & Ride lots.

• Carnival: Opens at noon.

• Barns: Close early today.

• Highlights: Tribute bands perform in the grandstands, free with fair admission: British Export (Beatles tribute band) at 4 p.m.; Ramble On (Led Zeppelin tribute band) at 6 p.m.; Stone in Love (Journey tribute band) at 8 p.m.

• Other: Wild About Monkeys at noon, 3 and 5 p.m.; 4-H robotics demonstrations at 1 and 6 p.m.

• Pets: Not permitted, except for personal service animals or those on exhibition or in competition.

• Information: www.clarkcofair.com or 360-397-6180.

RIDGEFIELD — It doesn’t matter how cute or cuddly the dog looks.

It doesn’t matter if someone vouches for the pup’s wonderful personality.

Can the dog heel? That matters. How about sit on command?

Or stand perfectly still while someone gives it a once-over?

Miranda Dowler, 16, loves judging dogs.

Her philosophy is straightforward. “I try to be fair,” she said on Monday afternoon while at a dog-judging competition at the Clark County Fair.

There’s no favoritism when it comes to judging dogs.

The person judging must be decisive, confident and knowledgable. Some might consider a dash of empathy helpful.

Dowler herself has been showing dogs since she was 10 years old and knows how stressful it can be.

“A dog will do one thing outside the ring and another inside,” she said.

Dowler was part of a large group of 4-H teenagers at the fair on Monday being judged on how well they judge.

Jeri Sawyer, a 4-H leader and judge, observed four different dogs — Maya, Maverick, Jasper and Minnie — on how well they obeyed commands.

A maximum of 200 points were up for grabs. Sawyer evaluated each dog herself and later volunteers would look at the scorecards from the judges-in-training to see how well they lined up with Sawyer’s assessment.

Bobbe Whetsell, a 4-H volunteer, was one of the show women who took her dog, Maya, into the ring.

As a child, Whetsell was involved in 4-H dog judging and now her kids are involved.

Maya, a 9-year-old Shetland sheepdog, did pretty well. She remained calm and, despite the heat, refrained from panting.

She blew one category when she was asked to sit but misinterpreted the command and stood instead.

Whetsell said she was happy to be a volunteer after what 4-H and judging did for her as a younger person.

“It taught me self-esteem, skills presentation, lifelong skills,” Whetsell said.