Dogs Project

What is it All About?

The dog project will help you explore what kind of dog fits into your family’s lifestyle and how to be an excellent trainer and caretaker of your dog. You will learn about dog breeds, dog ownership, and demonstrate dog care and management in feeding, handling, record-keeping, grooming, and fitting.

Grow in Your Project

Beginner

  • Gather information and determine the best dog for your family
  • Learn about the proper care, grooming, and feeding of your dog
  • Learn to identify the parts of your dog for conversations with your vet
  • Practice appropriate training for your dog

Intermediate

  • Plan a training and exercise program for your dog
  • Compare the labels on dog foods to make an informed decision on content and price
  • Keep a diary of your dog’s health and eating habits.
  • Research kennels facilities in your area and decide if one is right for your dog

Advanced

  • Create a trainer’s diary to assist you when you work with your dog
  • Learn about how dogs can serve as service animals
  • Create a dog ownership budget
  • Research diseases in dogs
  • Identify symptoms and a course of action if your dog gets sick

Click Here for Dogs Project Member Resources

Click Here for Dogs Project Leader Resources

Take Your Project Further!

  • Learn about service animals and the process for fostering and training a service animal.
  • Job-shadow at a local business (pet store, veterinary clinic, breeder, etc.) in a dog related career that interests you.
  • Go to local and area dog shows and explore the differences in dog breeds and how they are shown.
  • Explore health safety issues with dogs – what diseases do dogs have that might make humans ill?
  • Explore what kinds of dogs make the best pets – compare breeds, inside dogs, outside dogs.
  • Learn how puppies are acquired by the local pet store.
  • Research all the kinds of parasites your dog might get and how to protect you and your dog.
  • Do some comparison shopping for dog supplies.
  • Explore what kind of restrictions and laws your community might have on dogs.
  • What are the requirements for licensing a dog in your community?
  • Explore the subject of animal-assisted therapy, how it is used and what the benefits are.

Statewide Events and Opportunities

Applying Project Skills to Life

Enhance Your Communication Skills

  • Prepare a poster or demonstration on how to approach a dog safely.
  • Do a speech on how to select the best dog species for your family.

Get Involved in Citizenship and Service

  • Clean up in your local dog park.
  • Volunteer at an animal shelter.
  • Organize a fundraiser to help benefit an animal shelter.
  • Write a letter to your local paper about the importance of having dogs spayed or neutered.
  • Walk a dog for a family member, friend, or neighbor.

Learn About Leadership

  • Organize a dog show for your club or community.
  • Organize a dog therapy group in your community.
  • Develop a plan to foster dogs of deploying soldiers.
  • Agree to train a service dog.

Showing What You’ve Learned

  • Exhibit your dog at the fair.
  • Make a first aid kit for a dog. Tell why and how each item is used.
  • Share diet and nutrition information for raising a healthy dog.
  • Interview your veterinarian about a microchip to identify your dog; develop a video about options.
  • Attend a dog show; take photos and make a notebook about dog breeds.
  • Write a story about your dog for a younger sibling or 4-H member.
  • Visit a pet store and find as many pieces of dog equipment as you can. Identify necessary equipment and costs.
  • Make a poster on diseases your dog can get.
  • Develop a video showing the steps in training a dog.
  • Design a toy for your dog; tell about your decisions related to safety and cleanliness.
  • Poster identifying and classifying dog breeds
  • Diagram of dog body parts.
  • Chart explaining origins of dog breeds.
  • Educational poster explaining the duties of guide dogs.
  • Scrapbook of your dog’s activities.

Adapted with permission from Wyoming State 4-H, Project Information Sheet, Dogs. Retrieved from: https://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/projects/animal-science/dogs.html.

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