More than just puppy love

The club teaches youngsters how to train and be responsible for their pets.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH JACKSON -- If you weren't paying close attention, it would be easy to miss Sable gracefully climbing up and down the A-frame or quickly maneuvering between six poles on command.
Sable, a Collie belonging to 16-year-old Caitlin Egan of Canfield, is in the advanced category of dogs that perform at local and other competitions.
Caitlin, president of the Mahoning Pampered Pups 4-H club, conducted the group's meeting Sunday at the Youngstown All Breed Training Club, 11801 Mahoning Ave.
The purposes of the 10-year-old 4-H organization are to prepare dogs for showmanship, agility and basic obedience and to teach the youngsters how to train and be responsible for their pets.
Caitlin, a nine-year member, said that having her 8-year-old collie as well as her boxer, Taz, has helped her gain self-confidence. The teenager added that she has always liked dogs and found out about the 4-H club through a member of her church.
Pets "helped me from being a shy little kid to not being shy anymore," Caitlin said. "It's helped me more than anything has; I was afraid to talk to people."
To qualify
Amy Witzeman, a club adviser, said that in addition to how well their dogs perform, members qualify for showing their pets at the Canfield Fair and Ohio State Fair by the score they achieve on an interview they're given each July.
The questions are based on information the kids study pertaining to dogs' anatomy, types of breeds and other characteristics, Witzeman noted.
The club, one of 68 4-H clubs in Mahoning County, has about 45 members age 5 to 18. Members participate in the annual Fourth of July parade in Austintown and the St. Patrick's Day parade in Boardman. The kids also take part in a food fund-raiser in March and June to raise money for booths at fairs and events for kids, Witzeman said.
Inside the All Breed club is an array of equipment designed to get dogs ready for competitions and to teach them agility and advanced commands. Among the devices are jump poles that can be adjusted from 4 to 24 inches, depending on a dog's height, explained Nikki Puccini, an adviser who also teaches training classes.
Obstacle training
Contact obstacles are a yellow and blue teeter-totter, A-frame and dog walk. To qualify for various competitions, the animal must climb or reach the yellow portion on the opposite side of the obstacle from which it started, Puccini said.
Other devices include weave poles, tire jumps and tunnels. The animal has to maneuver between each pole, jump through a tire and find its way through open and closed tunnels, she said, adding that the open tunnels can be made into various shapes.
Janice Hanna, a 4-H educator with the Mahoning County Extension office, told the audience that belonging to 4-H clubs like Pampered Pups helps build self-esteem and positive memories.
Hanna, who coordinates programs and trains and screens advisers, said that 4-H members also are exposed to numerous writing and other projects through the clubs.