4-H Youth Development

A smiling child and a happy dog make a great combination. A new project in the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program focuses on that interaction while also reaching potential new club members.

 

The dog project has been part of the many opportunities offered by 4-H, but interest had waned over the years, Kris Hiney, Oklahoma State University Extension equine specialist.

 

“We started the Oklahoma Virtual Rally Dog program last year,” she said. “Modeled from the American Kennel Club Rally Dog rules, this new program allows youth and their dogs to begin training and competing at a very accessible level.”

 

New rally courses are released every three months, which allows 4-H’ers and their dogs to train and practice before submitting a competition video. These courses can be filmed in any acceptable location, including at a club meeting, a parking lot or the club member’s yard. The beginner level allows dogs to run with a harness or head halter and requires about 10 simple maneuvers or signs.

 

Hiney said as youth work their way through the six levels of competition, each level increases in difficulty and complexity of the maneuvers required. After successfully achieving the required number of qualifying scores, the dog and club member will receive a title certificate. Once youth reach the novice level, the rules and courses are similar to AKC and youth are encouraged to attend open dog shows, as well.

 

To highlight the teamwork of kids and their dogs, the top 25 scoring runs throughout the year are invited to attend the Rally Dog Invitational. Last year this event was hosted by the Oklahoma City Obedience Training Club. Club members stepped forward and completely hosted the event, from check-in, judging, and personally assisting each participant to improve their training and handling ability. It is already evident from the quality of submissions to the 2025 Virtual Rally Dog competition that Oklahoma youth are embracing this challenge and are excited to do more with their dogs.

 

As interest grows, so do the opportunities to bring new families into the 4-H arena and find new volunteers who are passionate about youth and dogs. This could open the doors for new competition avenues such as agility, FAST CAT, dock diving and more in Oklahoma 4-H’s future.

 

For more information about the Oklahoma 4-H dog project, contact your county OSU Extension office.