Competing for top dog at the Celtic Classic

A cacophony of barks, yips, whines and applause filled three halls at the York Expo Center as almost 1400 dogs were groomed, shown and judged at the 2016 Celtic Classic Dog Show.

The annual, four-day show, said by organizers to be the second-largest dog show on the east coast, featured more than 150 breeds and varieties and attracted dog owners from across the country as well as Canada.

"You will see more dogs here than anywhere else," said Carol Dotts, president of the York Kennel Club, before rattling off the numbers of entries for various breeds. "It's a phenomenal number of dogs."

The show, which ran March 16-20, occupied three fairgrounds buildings for judging, as well as a fourth building for the conformation, rally and obedience trials. Special breeds such as bloodhounds, Italian greyhounds and English springer spaniels could be found in Memorial Hall, while border collies, corgis, basset hounds and more congregated in the Utz Arena.

Before showing Yukos, a 2-year-old Maltese, in the toy dog group, Manny Comitini meticulously trimmed the dog's coat as husband Christopher Vicari watched.

Comitini and Vicari own a grooming shop in Stroudsburg, where they specialize in grooming and breeding Maltese.

"After the grooming, we learned how to breed the dogs, and we kinda taught ourselves to show them, and here we are, 24 years later," Comitini said after Yukos won third place in the toy dog group.

The appeal of the Maltese, Vicari and Comitini said, is two-fold: The dog may have an easygoing personality, but grooming is a challenge.

"The hair's very difficult," Vicari said. "Keeping them white is very difficult."

"But they're so loving, and the easiest dogs to live with," Comitini said as he brushed Yukos' coat. "Their temperament is so even and loving."

Comitini gave Yukos one final sweep with the brush. It was time for the official portrait.