If you think 4-H and the County Fair is just for those with livestock, think again! 4-H clubs are for kids with interests in everything from sewing and baking to robotics and archery. For Rebecca Howell, 4-H is all about dogs! Visit Rebecca, who goes by Becca, at the Thurston County Fair as she enjoys her final fair as a 4-Her.
“I joined to support a friend who had a new puppy and enjoyed it enough that I stuck around after she left,” explains Becca, who joined 4-H when she was in the seventh grade. “I’d heard about livestock 4-H for years from some Colorado friends, but dog 4-H was new to me.”
Thurston County 4-H is Going to the Dogs
Becca is a member of the Muttz-K-Teers 4-H Club in Thurston County. The club welcomes dogs of all breeds and mixes and their kid owners ages 5 to 18. They have weekly training classes as well as monthly meetings. Like all 4-H clubs, they have a service element as well. Past community service projects have included serving food to the athletes at the Fort Lewis Special Olympics; visiting nursing homes with their dogs; and helping out at the food bank.
“I initially joined with Ginny, who we’ve had a lot longer, but by now my main dog is Murphy, who is the same age but a rescue, so he had a lot more to work through,” Becca explains about her two golden retrievers. Both dogs are 8 years old. When not in 4-H, Ginny also does therapy work while Murphy will be her dad’s search and rescue dog when he completes his certification.
This year, Becca will be doing obedience with Ginny at the Thurston County Fair and obedience, showmanship and agility with Murphy. She puts a lot of work into both dogs, going to practices twice a week as well as training at home.
For those unfamiliar with these events, Becca explains that: “Showmanship – similar to AKC confirmation – is an event based around how you handle your dog. Obedience demonstrates your ability to work with your dog as a team and how well trained they are. Agility is a demonstration of a dog’s physical abilities as well as the trust and teamwork of the handler/dog team. Brain games/dog bowl is a knowledge competition with questions about dogs, 4-H, and AKC.”
Becca is looking forward to the evening games the 4-Hers play, after the fair is over for the day, especially the water games. During the day, she loves herdsmanship. Herdsmanship is how well the kids take care of their space at the fairgrounds including their club’s appearance; keeping the space clean; making sure the animals are cared for; and how they interact with the public.
The Thurston County Fair is a lot of work for these kids. “It can be very long and hot days, so keeping spirits up and keeping dogs cool can be a big challenge,” adds Becca. After a year of hard work and training, however, the 4-hers are excited for you to see the fruits of their labor.
At the end of the day, regardless of ribbons earned, Ginny and Murphy are still Becca’s best buds. When not at fair, Becca just enjoys their company. “I enjoy snuggling with Ginny or playing tug with Murphy, or just hanging out with them in the backyard,” she says.
Meet Rebecca Howell at the Thurston County Fair along with the rest of the Muttz-K-Teers. They are always happy to answer questions and introduce you to their dogs.
