Minnesota Operation: Military KidsExtension > Youth Development > Minnesota 4-H > Projects > Animal Science > Dog
Dog Project
Learn to train a dog for agility, obedience, showmanship or as an ideal pet. Topics include canine behavior, breed characteristics, diseases, ethics, grooming, health, nutrition, responsible breeding, service dogs, therapy dogs, dog-related careers, and the wide array of dog sports. You can also choose to compete in the 4-H county or state dog show.
State & regional events
To view county or local club events, visit the county website.
Supersession 2013: A 4-H Dog Project Training Workshop
4-H dog owners bring their dogs to this training and networking workshop for youth age fourth grade and older, their families, trainers, potential trainers, youth and adult leaders. Participants can select from three areas: Agility, Obedience and Showmanship. Topics presented include: Michelle Persian on agility training, Shelly Wegman with games for rally and obedience training, Dr. Lorna Reichle a Veterinary Behaviorist, presentations on first aid for pets and preventative care, tips and techiques for showing their dog, how to handle problems, how to groom a dog properly and much more.
- June 22 - 23, 2013 - Scott County Fairgrounds, Jordan, Minnesota
Dog Project State Fair Showcase
The state dog committee likes to highlight the Minnesota 4-H Dog project at the Minnesota State Fair during the livestock encampment weekend, and needs youth from the 4-H dog project to be involved in this showcase. This is a great opportunity to help promote the Minnesota 4-H Dog Project and we need lots of help to make this a success! More info.
- August 2013 - 4-H building, Minnesota State Fairgrounds
Minnesota 4-H State Dog Show
The Minnesota 4-H State Dog Show is an annual event held in the fall after the Minnesota State Fair. The state show consists of agility, obedience, and showmanship events. To be eligible for the state show, 4-Hers must first qualify at their county level. More info
- September 2013 - Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul
- Dog 1 - Wiggles 'n Wags ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Dog 2 - Canine Connection ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Dog 3 - Leading the Pack ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Identifying 4-H Dog Project (Video)
- The Complete Dog Book For Kids (ISBN 0876054602) Visit your local bookstore or library or order online
- Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook - Fourth Edition (ISBN 0470067853) Visit your local bookstore or library or order online
- Showmanship Rule Book (1.7 MB PDF)
- Table Showmanship Guidelines (46 K PDF)
- Rally Obedience Rules & Guidelines book (181 K PDF) Updated December 2011
- Rally score sheet (19 K PDF) Updated 11/28/10
- Rally honor score sheet (17 K PDF) Updated 4/21/10
- Rally levels (20 K PDF)
- Rally resources (10 K PDF)
- Rally signs (59 K PDF)
- Dog Obedience Rules & Guidelines book (231 K PDF) Updated December 2011
- Beginner A (39 K PDF)
- Beginner B (39 K PDF)
- Graduate beginner (39K PDF)
- Novice (39 K PDF)
- Graduate novice (40 K PDF)
- Pre-open (39 K PDF)
- Open (39 K PDF)
- Graduate open (40 K PDF)
- Pre-utility (40 K PDF)
- Utility (45 K PDF)
- Four-dog team (40 K PDF)
- Long sit & long down (26 K PDF)
- Dog Agility Rules & Guidelines book (1.2 MB PDF)
- Agility classes release form (84 K PDF) Updated December 2011
- Agility resources
- Dog Project Guide for Training & Shows (103 K PDF)
- Dog - Helper's Guide ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Dog - Set of Four ($3.95 (40 pages) Find this in the 4-H Mall)
- Pets (Small Pets, Dogs, Rabbits) evaluation sheet (42 K PDF) Revised April, 2010
4-H Regional & State Project Bowls
Project Bowls are an exciting way for youth to explore a project area. Teams compete in quiz competitions with questions about specific project areas. Project Bowls are available for Dairy, Dog, General Livestock (Beef, Sheep & Swine), Horse, Poultry, Rabbit and Wildlife projects. Winners of the Regional Bowls advance to the State Bowl. More Info
Minnesota State Fair
4-H plays a pivotal role in youth development and public education at the Minnesota State Fair. Over 7,000 4-H youth have the opportunity to interact with the public and educate fairgoers through 4-H exhibits, demonstrations, performances, and 4-H promotion. More info
Dog Project resources
Beginning to learn about dogs:
Some experience with this project:
Looking for a challenge:
Learning resources for all levels:
Dog Project areas
Showmanship
Score sheets
Rally
Obedience
Score sheets
Agility
Score sheets
Project leader resources
These resources are needed for 4-H dog shows:
Additional resources for 4-H dog project:
Other online resources
4-H Youth record keeping
Project evaluation
