To the Editor:
Krazy for K9s 4H club is a group for children 9 through 19. It’s a fun, free club for anyone in the age range that has a dog and wants to train it. We do many activities at different destinations, like Give Together Day, the 4H fair and Reston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. We also have meetings at Pender veterinary center, where we all bring food and talk about which events we’re going to go to, and if we want to change class times. There is a wide range of training options, and once you get to a higher level on one with your dog, you can start doing more advanced types, or try something new altogether. Some of the skills are obedience, rally, showmanship, agility, and the “Wag it Games.”
Obedience is pretty much sit, stay, down, come, heel, and that kind of thing. But higher levels feature distractions, off-leash, and more.
Rally is pretty much obedience on signs that you have to follow. But, there are also things that obedience doesn’t cover, like front, finish left, and finish right, which are more complicated. One plus about rally is that you can talk to your dog through the whole course, even in shows. At shows, before the event starts, you walk the course with an invisible dog, and can ask the judge anything about the signs.
Showmanship is walking your dog around a ring, putting them in a "stack," or a stand, and then watching the judge examine your dog.
Agility is jumping over poles, hopping through hoops, running through tunnels, and stacking on stands. This is a very active category. The Wag it Games are a series of little games to play with your dog. You can do “tap,” which can be used for many things later, such as pushing buttons, opening cabinets, and even use it in agility.
4H is an awesome organization, too. It features lots of contests, fairs, and a variety of different clubs. Remember, joining 4H is completely free, and clubs are also. There are many things you can do through 4H, and clubs are run by volunteers. 4H can be the start of something big for you or your child. For example, Krazy for K9s has connected me to AKC, which has opened up to mixed breeds. Now, I just
have to come up with a show name for my dog LuLu, and get myself some titles. But, how hard can that be, right? I hope I didn't jinx that one.
With the help of my instructors, Brenda Shaver and Sheila Baugh, I have been able to get pretty far with my lovely dog, LuLu, and they helped me learn the best ways to train her. I have done obedience, rally, showmanship, and I'm starting agility. LuLu and I are ready for much, much more, though. There are also some skills in dog training that you don't know about until you reach AKC level. Recently, I heard about "Lure Racing," which is where your dog chases a plastic bag around a show ring. The good thing about that one is that you either pass or fail. In conclusion, 4H and Krazy for K9s are awesome clubs, and I would recommend that the whole world try them out.
Rebecca Randolph
Fairfax