An MD of Foothills area airport has gone to the dogs — and the winners are young people wanting to get involved in 4-H.
4-H Perfect Paws is holding its meetings at the High River Regional Airport to help those who might not be involved in 4-H get the opportunity to do so.
Brennan Hrycyk, 14, and his 1 year-old dog Misty joined the club last year.
“My dad thought it would be nice and try to get it (Misty) trained up well through 4-H,” Hrycyk said. “I have learned a bit more responsibility and some good life skills for dog training.”
It worked.
Misty, a red-bone hound, was well mannered on July 27 at the High River Farmer’s Market — despite the fact there were more smells than at the Calgary Stampede midway.
“The start of the year it was more obedience where she is sitting and staying – when she was little she would have gone crazy here. Now I am her first priority,” Hrycyk said. “When we got more into the year, they started agility and that’s her strongest feature.
She can do the obstacle course pretty good.”
The club makes learning easy both Brennan and Misty.
“They make learning fun — you are not just sitting around when you go to 4-H,” Brennan said. “Misty likes it. She is friends with most of the dogs.”
Kristen Hall is one of the adult leaders of the club.
“I don’t have a 4-H background and I always wanted to join — I’m just living through these kids,” said Hall, who lives in the Nanton area.
4-H clubs typically have a horse or cattle theme to them, but they are not restricted to those categories.
“We started with dogs because there are a lot of kids who can’t have cattle, horses or whatever, where they are living,” Hall said. “Dogs kind of helps for the more urban areas.”
It’s also brought out the old-fashioned kid in Hall.
“I love any kind of educational opportunity for kids — and I hate technology,” Hall said. “Anything that gets kids off the computer, TV and learning about something that is important is awesome. That is exactly what 4-H does.”
This is just the start for Perfect Paws. In the future, it could be the bee’s knees.
The club is interesting in bringing beekeeping, chickens and fly-fishing into its fold in the future.
“I love bees and I think it is important to introduce kids to bees before they get scared of them,” Hall said.
For more information about Perfect Paws 4-H email Hall at [email protected]
