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ENLARGE
Megan Ruhn
When you hear the word dog, we all think of “man’s best friend.” For many people this is true. However, for many youth, before a dog becomes a best friend, it is a learning experience full of new responsibilities.
Youth quickly learn that dogs need to be fed, groomed, exercised, and loved. Most kids are initially really excited about their friendly new pets, but lose interest as the learning peaks and youth get bored. 4-H offers many great opportunities to help overcome the lull in learning and provide different experiences to help kids understand more about their friendly, furry pets.
The next workshop being hosted is the Dog Identification Day held in the Exhibit Building at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This event starts at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday and is open to the public. This event is one of my favorites, because it brings people in from the community to help contribute to the 4-H program and youth learning.
About 75 people with American Kennel Club (AKC) certified purebred dogs come in to show off their beautiful pets and allow youth the opportunity to compete at identifying as many types of breeds as possible. If you are interested in seeing purebred dogs in Roseburg, stop by this exciting event to see these exquisite dogs.
This event is one of many hosted throughout the year for our 4-H participants. Youth also have the opportunity to attend clinics focusing on dog agility, obedience, and showmanship. Youth have a chance at these events to participate in hands-on learning with their pets, with the guidance of a trained leader. A dog bowl is also hosted, which tests youth knowledge of dogs. This test is presented like Jeopardy, with timed questions presented to a team of participants. All of these events prepare youth for the grand finale competition during the Douglas County Fair.
Additional competitive events at the fair include trick dogs and costume classes. These competitions at the fair are a great goal for these youth to work toward and to compete against themselves.
All of these exciting opportunities are not only fun, but they also are educating these young people how to prepare for the responsibilities of being a successful pet owner. Oregon State University curriculum and other educational materials are provided and available to 4-H leaders and participants. I was able to share some of the information about the dog obedience curriculum to my father, who is a proud owner of a rat terrier. He was able to use some helpful tips to teach his dog, “Pete,” some basic manners. Like my father, 4-H kids can use the information provided by the program to learn to work with their dogs and make them into the best friends they were hoping to get.
Youth quickly learn that dogs need to be fed, groomed, exercised, and loved. Most kids are initially really excited about their friendly new pets, but lose interest as the learning peaks and youth get bored. 4-H offers many great opportunities to help overcome the lull in learning and provide different experiences to help kids understand more about their friendly, furry pets.
The next workshop being hosted is the Dog Identification Day held in the Exhibit Building at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This event starts at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday and is open to the public. This event is one of my favorites, because it brings people in from the community to help contribute to the 4-H program and youth learning.
About 75 people with American Kennel Club (AKC) certified purebred dogs come in to show off their beautiful pets and allow youth the opportunity to compete at identifying as many types of breeds as possible. If you are interested in seeing purebred dogs in Roseburg, stop by this exciting event to see these exquisite dogs.
This event is one of many hosted throughout the year for our 4-H participants. Youth also have the opportunity to attend clinics focusing on dog agility, obedience, and showmanship. Youth have a chance at these events to participate in hands-on learning with their pets, with the guidance of a trained leader. A dog bowl is also hosted, which tests youth knowledge of dogs. This test is presented like Jeopardy, with timed questions presented to a team of participants. All of these events prepare youth for the grand finale competition during the Douglas County Fair.
Additional competitive events at the fair include trick dogs and costume classes. These competitions at the fair are a great goal for these youth to work toward and to compete against themselves.
All of these exciting opportunities are not only fun, but they also are educating these young people how to prepare for the responsibilities of being a successful pet owner. Oregon State University curriculum and other educational materials are provided and available to 4-H leaders and participants. I was able to share some of the information about the dog obedience curriculum to my father, who is a proud owner of a rat terrier. He was able to use some helpful tips to teach his dog, “Pete,” some basic manners. Like my father, 4-H kids can use the information provided by the program to learn to work with their dogs and make them into the best friends they were hoping to get.
To learn more about this 4-H program and its participants, please contact Megan Ruhn or Tracy Martz at the Oregon State University Extension Office at 672-4461, or send e-mail to megan.ruhn@oregonstate.edu.
